Yesterday, I finally made to Amritsar - but all things do not go smoothly. No, quite the opposite - perhaps my travel jinx is back just before I leave on my tour of Southeast Asia (I'm praying otherwise).
I arrived in Amritsar bright and early, without any problems, and made my way to the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is the holiest temple for Sikhs and includes a temple surrounded by a sacred pool called the Amrit Sarovar and gilded with 750 kg of gold. It's breathtaking. After visiting the temple, I also walked around the complex - listening to the chanting by the priests being broadcast to all of us, it's strangely peaceful and soothing.
The Sikhs have a long history of inclusion and charity. Each temple, including the Golden Temple, includes a kitchen and eating hall - anyone who wants to be fed is fed for free. At the Golden Temple, this means 60-80,000 people daily - and the cooking, cleaning is all done by volunteers - it's truly awe inspiring. (pics to be posted).
After hanging out at the complex for a while, I went in search of food. Despite the free food available at the temple, I had been told about this really great Dhaba - or local diner - called Brothers Dhabha - which I had to check out. and I wasn't disappointed. The food was really yummy - but of course it had to be, since there was probably about a pound of butter in it. I was definitely steered in the right direction when given this recommendation.
After lunch, I needed to walk around so I went to visit Jallianwala Bagh. Jallianwala Bagh is a park near the Golden Temple which is the site of a massacre of Indians by the Britishers in 1919- the Brits, in an attempt to strike at sedition sent in a Brigadier General who opened fire on over 5000 Indians at a peaceful rally - killing over 1500 people - including women and children. The park is now a memorial to the fallen where bullet marks can still be seen as a reminder of the event.
I stayed at the park for some time - both to sit in its quiet and take in the scene while it was briefly drizzling. After a bit, I received a call from a couple of other tourists who I had met at Brothers - with whom I had discussed sharing a ride to the Wagah Border.
What is the Wagah Border? It's a border between Pakistan and India where nightly there is a flag-lowering/border closing ceremony. The ceremony, by the way was pretty cool - involving a bunch of goose-stepping and pomp - with soldiers walking along this short march to and fro the border in what can only be described as walking forms reminicent of Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks. The event is worth seeing for its patriotic air and ceremony.
But I digress, I went to meet these new found friends at their hotel, when the skies opened up and despite my having (and using) my umbrella - I got soaked. and my blackberry then suffered an early death (I'm still hoping it's a coma and it will wake up again). Fortunately, I was still able to meet my friends and we got in the auto rickshaw to go to the order. And this is where Bunty comes into the picure. Bunty was our illustrious rickshaw driver. Never get into a rickshaw with a man named Bunty. Now, normally, I wouldn't have taken an auto-rickshaw to the border - the guidebooks suggest they aren't supposed to leave the city, but at this point, my new friends had arranged for this and it was too late for anything else. So, off we went in the rickshaw and, to Bunty's credit - we did make it to the border. Of course, a ride that would have taken 45 minutes took far longer. I probably should have paid attention to how much longer, but I didn't. I figured there would be plenty of time after the border ceremony to make my 10pm flight. (intentional foreshadowing....)
The ceremony finished at about 715 - giving me about 145 to get to the airport. Plenty of time. Except I forgot Bunty does not drive at the speed of light, or even the speed of 30 km an hour. So, by the time we are getting towards town, it looks like by the time he drops the others off, and then takes me to the airport - it will be cutting things too close. and it turns out that Bunty has taken a liking to me. So, he kicks out the my friends and tells them to take another rickshaw so he can take me to the airport. I'm not in a position to argue so off we go - and I make it back in time for my flight - and in time for Bunty to ask me for my digits. Yes, my friends, this is what it has come down to - me telling the auto-rickshaw driver that he's not getting my number. I finally get away to the safety of the airport.
This my friends, is not the end of my adventure. As I told you earlier, my blackberry died that afternoon, which means that I had no idea how I was going to call my driver to pick me up when I got back to Delhi. Oh, and did I mention he had my house keys since he was watching Jai during the day?
When I left in the morning, I had told my driver that he I would be arriving back around 11. It was now 1130 and I knew he would be waiting for my call. Normally, I called when I landed and he met me outside. Hmmm, what to do? I tried putting my SIM card in another phone - and it turns out the phone numbers were saved on the hardware not the SIM card. I tried a new battery in the phone - no luck. And, no, I didn't have his number anywhere - it was in the phone! I walked up and down the area where Madan normally comes to pick me up. no luck. I walked up and down the aisles of the parking garage for three floors - for about 40 minutes. no luck.
I am just about out of ideas at this point. So, I decide to take a cab home and see if the guards at the apartment have 1. either Madan's number or 2. they have an emergency key to my flat. yes, you guessed it, no luck! AGHHHHHHHH! What now? The guards try to call management and then I remembered that my friends in J Block are back from their trek and must be home - it is after all 130 in the morning. If I can get to their computer, I can get Madan's number! Fortunately, they were home and woke up after some scary pounding on their door. I was so relieved! and within another 30 minutes, finally made it into my flat (where I found Jai resting in bed).
So, what is to be learned from this? First, carry the number of whoever is giving you a ride home from the airport in a secondary location; and second, and most importantly, don't get into a rickshaw with anyone named Bunty.
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