From Food Production Lines to Enemy Lines...

After milling around uninspiring Bikaner, we finally made it to Amritsar. I'm probably a little harsh on Bikaner; it's not all that bad. We met some interesting characters there, that's for sure! Waiting at the station, Patrick had his second preacher of the trip. It was not a Jehovah's witness this time, but a Muslim who strongly dissaproved of unmarital relationships. Desperately needing a shower after our desert retreat, we checked into a random hotel in town; it was clear from our hotel manager's childlike fascination with our passports that we were the first foreign guests- possibly first foreign people- he'd ever seen. Finding nothing special in Bikaner itself- we'd seen sandy forts in Jaisalmer- we were pretty relieved to leave that evening on our last Indian sleeper bus to Amritsar. Maybe it's because I've gotten used to them now, but for once I actually managed to sleep through the night! We met a lovely couple from Montreal on the bus too, Nick and Annie, with the four of us reflecting on the lack of travellers on sleeper buses.
   12 hours later we arrived in the Golden Temple city, noticing the prickly chill on our skins compared to the dry heat of Rajastan. We asked our cycle rickshaw-wallah to take us to the Golden Temple grounds, where we heard we could find free food and accomodation! Of course he tried to take us somewhere else- I would have been dissapointed in him if he hadn't- but we eventually arrived at the Gate. 6am, and the Temple was buzzing with colourful turbans and robes- complete contrast to Bikaner's lonely, sandy streets at that hour! It took us a while for the four of us to orientate, but we soon stumbled into the dorm-like room, where the 4 of us were shown by a Sikh wearing a peacock-blue turban to our 3 beds. The bedrooms may be a tad claustrophobic, but the bathrooms are probably the most immaculate I've seen in India- with HANDWASH and everything! Doesn't take much to please me these days...
   With plenty of time to see the Temple, we decided to instead check out the free delicacies offered by the Temple. The whole process felt a little like school-lunches, except at double the pace! First, you collect your metal plate, bowl and spoon, then follow the crowds upstairs. You are then shown into a big school-hall type room, where another Sikh quickly guides you to your spot on one of the long, thin straw mats. Crossing your legs, you place your metal plate in front of you, and before you have time to blink, two types of curry and rice have been dolloped onto your plate. You see a man walking towards you fast with a large basket full of chappati- when you go to grab one, he barks 'Two hands!'. You cup your hands and he drops two chappati into your hands. There are about 200 people with you in the hall at any given time, all finished within 20 minutes. It's mind boggling trying to work out how many people are fed a day...Patrick estimated around 10,000. Mass catering to the extreme! Despite these huge numbers, the food quality is not compromised. The sweet rice pudding, with sultanas and coconut pieces in it, was one of the best things I've tasted in India. Likewise, the bean curries they've served up have been so flavourful!
   Once you've finally finished, after your plate has been refilled several times, you take your plate to the washing-up team, who worked at an astounding pace. One team member grabbed your plate, passing it to another to dunk into water, who passed it to another to throw in the trolley. Except this all happened in a matter of seconds. Grab, dunk, throw, grab, dunk, throw. I need to learn a thing or two from these guys about efficiency! As we walked to the chai corner, we suddenly noticed many more production lines. There were groups of about 5 men or women, sitting in a circle, quickly peeling onions and garlic and piling it in front of them. Peel, pile, peel, pile, for god knows how many hours. All this effort, and they offer the food for free! Of course, donations are appreciated, but their kindness is still inspiring.
   That evening, the four of us decided to visit the daily border-closing ceremony at the India/Pakistan border. It sounded truly bizarre- the kind of thing you would have to see to believe! We got a share-taxi to the border, where Pat and I got very cosy at the front with our driver, Pula, who must've been at least 80 years old. Poor guy had to shove my knees out of the way everytime he needed to change gear; he insisted it wasn't a problem though, as I was 'like his daughter'! After stopping at the Silver Temple, Pula pulled onto G.T. road- the long, straigth road that leads from Kolkata to the Pakistan border. Half an hour later, in which time I'd somehow acquired an Indian-flag visor, we arrived at the border- or so we thought. Pula dropped us off, and we walked with the crowds, only to join a crush of people 5 minutes later. We were so amused by the patrotic chants erupting beside us from a group of boisterous Indian boys that we almost failed to notice our fellow Westerners edging to the sides to flee the crowds. Quickly following them, we were allowed through straight away. Hearing that the ceremony had started, we ran through the (not hugely thorough) security checks, showed our passports, and settled down in the front of the stalls.
   There's just one word for the ceremony, from the concept of stadium-esque stands for such a ceremony to the crazy feathered helmets that both troops wear. Strange. The ceremony in a nutshell- six Indian troops stand in a line, and I'm sure six Pakistani troops on the other side of the gate are doing the same. One of the Indian troops, in his funny red hat and golden army uniform, stomps and marches to the Pakistani gate dramatically, kicking his legs as possible. He meets one of the Pakistani troops, dressed in the same unform but in dark velvet green, and shakes his hand. As he marches back in the same over-the-top manner, the crowd goes truly wild, waving the Indian flag, following the 'Hindustan' chants of a loudspeaker voice. To think that the troops do this EVERY NIGHT! They even have a warm-up guy on the Indian side, looking more like a lost businessmen in a blue shirt, throwing his palms up in the air to encourage the crowd's cheers. The Pakistani flag being waved solemnly against an orange sunset was a truly striking image, and somehow took the pomposity out of it for a second, and gave it more poignancy and depth. Then, just like that, the gates were closed, and the whole shebang was over. Kids were trying to sell us DVDs on the way home; as hilarious as it was, I don't think I'd want to watch it again and again! We noticed the welcome sign into India on the walk back: 'India, the biggest democracy in the world, welcomes you.' Certainly not the first description that many travellers would think of, but a very interesting, positive way to view this flavourful country.
   And so! The main reason we came to Amritsar- the Golden Temple itself! Pat and I walked around the perimeter at sunset yesterday; although there were many people walking with us, there was a peace in the air that is immediately lost when walking into Amritsar town. Some were bathing, some were bending down and praying to Guru-Nanak lookalikes in booths, others were just sitting by the lakeside, admiring the majestic Golden Temple and its rippling reflection in the water. I dragged myself out of bed this morning to witness the Temple at sunrise, to see the golden sun hit the Golden Temple for a truly piercing, magical effect. Upon entering the temple, I finally found the source of the continous chanting that reverberates around the lake (complete with computerised subtitles). Looking a little like the Sikh Elton John, a turbaned, long bearded man sat cross legged, chanting into a microphone and playing a keyboard, with about 20 bearded men muttering behind him, and a group of women sat opposite. The inside of the temple sparkled with the same golden hue as the outside, along with that rich peacock blue of many Sikh turbans.
   We leave for Delhi tonight, the ultimate destination before Kathmandu- its the final countdown! Damn, now I'm going to have that song in my head all day. Will see you there! ...