On our first weekend trip away from McLeod Ganj Eric and I decided to see the infamous Amritsar. We figured we would make two trips. Our first trip we could go wander around on our own and get into whatever harmless shenanigans that we wanted. Then, our second trip would be to visit family.
We decided to take the local bus, which leaves at 5:00am and arrives in Amritsar around 10:00am. At 175 rupees ($4)/passenger, we'd heard this was the best value in town! The bus station representative even assured us that the bus would be empty too. So off we went!
We started our morning at 3:30 on Saturday June 18th. My stomach felt a little uneasy but I figured they were hunger pains, so I ate a mango (my last since that dreadful day). Then we made some sandwiches for the journey and packed a few cereal bars. We made our way to the main square to catch a taxi to the bus station in Lower Dharamsala. (A 10-minute taxi drive down the winding roads of Himachal Pradesh.)
To shorten this part... when we got on the bus, we “stole” a seat right out from under a Japanese boy in his 20's while he packed his hiking bag in the back, and then begged his forgiveness when he returned, giving him the single seat caddy corner from us next to two not-so-pleasant smelling Indian men. This was done so that Eric and I could sit together. The boy was very kind about it and did not seem to mind his new spot. He even spoke with us along the way until he fell asleep... he didn't need much room to fall asleep, so I felt less bad for swapping seats.
Anyway, it's a blessing that we sat with each other, eh, at least in my case. Eric may not have been so pleased. It was only 10 minutes into our trip and my stomach started churning. Now I'm not one to get car sick, if anything I might get a headache or fatigued on a long bus ride, but actually car sick... oh no, not me! This time took the cake!
I hurled a good one! First in a canvas bag which Eric quickly tossed out the window as it started to leak onto my lovely salwar I was wearing. (By the way, we in no way condone littering, even in India, but this was an extreme case. It was either toss the bag out the window or suffer the stench of something far worse than the musty smelling Indian men from the seat nearby.)
I don't know how he did it so quickly, but after tossing my first gift to nature out the window he quickly dumped all the contents of his toiletry bag into his backpack and handed me a sturdy zip lock bag. Thank you Glad ware, you are true to your word that you do not leak. I finished off in this bag.... Now obviously at this point how do you think you would feel knowing that you are at the beginning of your 5 hour bus ride to Amritsar in the only outfit that you brought, smelling like vomit (there I said it, sorry for those who are eating.), and sitting in a bus that is so full that there is standing room only left. (Yes, some people had to either find a seat on top of a suitcase or stand for the entire bus ride. India just threw every safety regulation out the window with these lovely local buses.)
I was not a happy person... but the first thing I wanted was my toothbrush! I frantically scrubbed trying to get the taste out of my mouth... sorry again for those not-so-steel stomachs. And we continued on our journey. Then about 20 minutes later, our bus driver pulled over because a passenger and the money collector were arguing over the correct price of the ticket. Yes, the bus driver actually pulled the entire bus over for these two numb skulls to come to a decision. After about 5 minutes, he started back up again and stopped at a small town where the money collector and passenger got off the bus. We waited there again for another 15 minutes. The passengers wondering what could possibly be so important that we have to wait again on the side of the road for them to come to an agreement.
Finally, the bus started back up again, the passenger never returned, and we went on our merry way. Or wait... did we? Two blocks later we pulled over next to a mechanic's garage run by a 14 year-old boy to fix a leaky tire. Yup! That was another hour stalled in one spot.
At this point I had another yucky feeling in my tummy. And me, being the nincompoop that I can be at times, figure... well, I must be hungry. I mean I had absolutely nothing in my stomach considering the events of the morning. So I decided to chow down on one of the sandwiches that we had put together. My stomach was not happy with this brilliant idea! The nausea sunk in once more, just as the bus started up again. Let's just say that I not only made me lose my appetite for the next two days, but even Eric didn't eat the entire day until around 9 at night! If any of you know Eric, you know that he never goes this long without something to eat. Well that day my man, Eric, definitely lost his appetite!
So yes, three episodes of “tossing my cookies” later; and we finally landed in Amritsar. I promptly disposed of my precious zip lock bag in the nearest cigarette butt trash can that I could find, and proceeded to a rickshaw, which took us to the Golden Temple. Eric and I headed straight for the nearest hotel so that I could be miserably sick in A/C and a clean room.
Now, at the beginning of our trip, before these series of unfortunate events... hmmm.. this phrase sounds familiar.... Eric and I had a plan to stay in the Foreigner's quarters at the Golden Temple; eat the food there, wake up at 4 in the morning to see the floors being cleaned with milk and water. We had planned all of this, but after that bus ride there was no way in “you know where” that I was staying in foreigner's quarters with no A/C and 5 strangers sleeping around me. Nope, I wanted our own room, A/C, a private bathroom, not asking for luxury, just for a room I felt comfortable moping in the misery of being ill. And so we did. We rented a hotel room near the Golden Temple. I couldn't have asked for Eric to be anymore considerate than he already was. We found a hotel right away. And Eric stayed in the room with me all day, even after I prompted him to go out and get something to eat. He insisted on keeping me company. The evening arrived, it was around 6:30, and Eric finally felt a tinge of his appetite returning so we decided to venture out of the room. I made it to the second step and quickly retreated back. My desire to leave the room was far greater than my ability. So Eric departed as a lone wolf.
When he came back it was around 8:30pm. Eric came back drenched in sweat and all smiles. Instead of finding food, Eric found a group of Indian kids to play with! Haha He told me stories of how the kids prompted him to kick a soccer ball as high as he could, dribble a basketball around them in a game of keep away, and how the three little girls pulled him aside and insisted that he take snacks home as a gift. They also insisted that he give me their “Hellos” when he reached home.
Did Eric get anything to eat? Nope! BUT! The smallest one was seven-years-old and his father owned the really nice hotel that the “courtyard” (as he calls it) sat in front of. So, because Eric made some new friends, the clerk gave us a 650 rupee discount on the room if we wanted to stay there the following night. Score!
That night I was still feeling nauseous with a fever, and did not even attempt to get out of bed unless the bathroom duties beckoned me.
Thank goodness, the following morning around 6, I felt well enough to venture off to the Golden Temple!
That's right, the Golden Temple! It's amazing, I've spoken to many travelers about their impression on the Golden Temple. Each person is overwhelmed with a sense of purpose when they arrive there. The beauty seems to captivate them. I think it it did the same to Eric. I've seen the Golden Temple once before, and was well aware of its tendency to elicit the inner spirituality out of almost anyone. This was Eric's first time, and I do believe the Golden Temple doused him with inspiration. He was quite solemn during the Cora along the white marble floors outlining the pool of holy water which surrounds a small temple made out of more gold than I've ever seen! (So much gold that at first sight, you think its gotta be fake! … Don't worry I know it's not.)
We first stopped at the community kitchen and had chai. Here there were numerous queues of people carrying metal bowls. When we reached the chai tanks, a very happy Indian man sat in a wheelchair graciously giving chai to every visitor he encountered. This man looked as if he just came off the street. His smile of half-way rotted teeth and positive energy expressed his honor to be a volunteer at the temple. This man and approximately 79999 other visitors come to the temple every day. They are able to eat three meals a day and drink chai for free. If they need sleeping quarters, if available, the Golden Temple offers rooms for foreigners and Indians. I even heard that volunteers at the Golden Temple distribute food to homeless people throughout the region. So this temple is unique because it is not only a place of worship, but a location for people of every stature to sit down and eat together, to volunteer washing dishes together, to walk the Cora together, and even bathe in the same holy water. In Sikhism, the caste is not supposed to exist. The Golden Temple holds up those standards even if society does not. I think that's part of the magic of this building. There is a sense of “we're in this together” whether you are white, brown, purple, or green. I was purple.
Yup... I was feeling nauseous again. So after taking various pictures with locals who inevitably ask anytime they see a Westerner, and sitting in silence just admiring the serene beauty of the temple and its surroundings, we retreated back home. I slept for another few hours and Eric grabbed breakfast and confirmed the room at the other hotel.
Once I awoke, I was feeling remarkably better! The remainder of the day was filled with exploring the local bazaars (or bajaars as they say here), visiting more historical sites and gardens, finding a sacred elephant, playing Pitu Garam, and having a feast at a local family's home. So I presume, at least some of you tilted your head to the left like a curious puppy after reading that last sentence.
Let's start with the sacred elephant sighting... Eric and I tend to find the path least traveled by tourists, so we were venturing off into a “hidden away” bazaar, every Indian gawking at the sight of two Westerners in their domain, when we caught a glimpse of an elephant at the end of a small street. Eric and I looked at each other bewildered as to why an elephant would be hanging out in the side streets of Amritsar. So of course we paid him a visit! We saw one men feeding him bananas. So we ran off to find a local fruit vendor. I figured we'd maybe buy 5 bananas or so... then Eric, in his excitement of seeing a random elephant pulls out 50 rupees and asks for as many as we can get. So we happily trotted up to the elephant with 25 bananas! This elephant was so neat! We relished in the fun of feeding the elephant and petting it's rough fuzzy skin. This was WAY better than any petting zoo!
While we fed the elephant, the locals gathered 'round and started insisting that we ride the elephant. The owner was not happy with this request considering this was a sacred elephant and not a joy ride for tourists, but money can inspire just about anyone. The locals encouraged the owner by saying we would pay him 200 rupees or the equivalent of about $4.50. Meanwhile, Eric and I are on the side lines just watching their interactions. We never asked to ride the elephant, but would certainly not deny the opportunity!
So the owner gave in! To get on the elephant, he straightened his back legs and Eric and I climbed up using ropes, and his dry skin to grasp on to. As I climbed up the back legs of the elephant, I hoped and prayed that he wouldn't feel the need to divulge the many bananas he'd just consumed. We sat on the elephant in absolute elation as a boy around the age of 16 led him through the back streets of Amritsar. The boy held a long stick made of bamboo to push the low hanging electric wires out of the way. Afterwards, Eric and I were so excited that we bought another 25 bananas for our new friend from the same fruit vendor. This fruit vendor was so grateful for the business that he gave each of us a glass of free mango juice! (How ironic.)
Our next adventure was playing in a parking lot (“courtyard”) with a group of about 10 kids ranging from 5 to 25 years old. (We actually skipped out on seeing the Pakistani border ceremony just to stay and play games with these kids... I know, Jamie, roll your eyes why don't you. :) )
Eric played cricket and kickball with the boys while I taught the little girls how to juggle a soccer ball; and played badminton with some of the older girls. We were there for about an hour when some of the younger girls I was with insisted on playing an Indian game called Pitu Garam (“Hot Back”). In Pitu Garam you have two teams, a tower of individual tiles, and a ball. One person from the team “at bat” throws the ball at the tower of tiles, trying desperately to hit it. Once the tower is hit the team “at bat” scatters throughout the field. It is now their responsibility to rebuild the tower of tiles without getting pegged with the ball. The fielding team tries their best to hit as many people from the opposing team as possible before the tower is rebuilt; knocking each person out of the game, and increasing their chances of winning. In short, you can think of this as being a hybrid of dodge ball, jenga, and cricket. Aside from the constant arguing over the rules that were established throughout the duration of the games, this was great fun!
While we were there, one of the kids grandfather's insisted that we have dinner at his house. So after getting cleaned up at our hotel, we ventured off to his home, and met his daughter, son-in-law, grandson, granddaughter, and a few other relatives. This family provided us with a feast like no other! We had 4 different Indian dishes, rice, chapattis, chai, and some sort of gelatin dessert. I was eating this meal after barely eating anything for the past two days... so of course I indulged entirely too much, and could barely make it home before passing out from food coma.
And that was our Sunday in Amritsar. Monday we ventured back to the Golden Temple around 6am, and explored the bazaars a bit more, but we were thoroughly pooped (literally) from our Sunday escapade. We decided to take a taxi all the way back to McLeod Ganj given our horrendous experience on the way there. I must say, despite getting sick and being padlocked in my room for half the trip, I still had a wonderful time. Eric loved it so much that he's been insisting on going back ever since. So Amritsar, we'll see you soon!
We decided to take the local bus, which leaves at 5:00am and arrives in Amritsar around 10:00am. At 175 rupees ($4)/passenger, we'd heard this was the best value in town! The bus station representative even assured us that the bus would be empty too. So off we went!
We started our morning at 3:30 on Saturday June 18th. My stomach felt a little uneasy but I figured they were hunger pains, so I ate a mango (my last since that dreadful day). Then we made some sandwiches for the journey and packed a few cereal bars. We made our way to the main square to catch a taxi to the bus station in Lower Dharamsala. (A 10-minute taxi drive down the winding roads of Himachal Pradesh.)
To shorten this part... when we got on the bus, we “stole” a seat right out from under a Japanese boy in his 20's while he packed his hiking bag in the back, and then begged his forgiveness when he returned, giving him the single seat caddy corner from us next to two not-so-pleasant smelling Indian men. This was done so that Eric and I could sit together. The boy was very kind about it and did not seem to mind his new spot. He even spoke with us along the way until he fell asleep... he didn't need much room to fall asleep, so I felt less bad for swapping seats.
Anyway, it's a blessing that we sat with each other, eh, at least in my case. Eric may not have been so pleased. It was only 10 minutes into our trip and my stomach started churning. Now I'm not one to get car sick, if anything I might get a headache or fatigued on a long bus ride, but actually car sick... oh no, not me! This time took the cake!
I hurled a good one! First in a canvas bag which Eric quickly tossed out the window as it started to leak onto my lovely salwar I was wearing. (By the way, we in no way condone littering, even in India, but this was an extreme case. It was either toss the bag out the window or suffer the stench of something far worse than the musty smelling Indian men from the seat nearby.)
I don't know how he did it so quickly, but after tossing my first gift to nature out the window he quickly dumped all the contents of his toiletry bag into his backpack and handed me a sturdy zip lock bag. Thank you Glad ware, you are true to your word that you do not leak. I finished off in this bag.... Now obviously at this point how do you think you would feel knowing that you are at the beginning of your 5 hour bus ride to Amritsar in the only outfit that you brought, smelling like vomit (there I said it, sorry for those who are eating.), and sitting in a bus that is so full that there is standing room only left. (Yes, some people had to either find a seat on top of a suitcase or stand for the entire bus ride. India just threw every safety regulation out the window with these lovely local buses.)
I was not a happy person... but the first thing I wanted was my toothbrush! I frantically scrubbed trying to get the taste out of my mouth... sorry again for those not-so-steel stomachs. And we continued on our journey. Then about 20 minutes later, our bus driver pulled over because a passenger and the money collector were arguing over the correct price of the ticket. Yes, the bus driver actually pulled the entire bus over for these two numb skulls to come to a decision. After about 5 minutes, he started back up again and stopped at a small town where the money collector and passenger got off the bus. We waited there again for another 15 minutes. The passengers wondering what could possibly be so important that we have to wait again on the side of the road for them to come to an agreement.
Finally, the bus started back up again, the passenger never returned, and we went on our merry way. Or wait... did we? Two blocks later we pulled over next to a mechanic's garage run by a 14 year-old boy to fix a leaky tire. Yup! That was another hour stalled in one spot.
At this point I had another yucky feeling in my tummy. And me, being the nincompoop that I can be at times, figure... well, I must be hungry. I mean I had absolutely nothing in my stomach considering the events of the morning. So I decided to chow down on one of the sandwiches that we had put together. My stomach was not happy with this brilliant idea! The nausea sunk in once more, just as the bus started up again. Let's just say that I not only made me lose my appetite for the next two days, but even Eric didn't eat the entire day until around 9 at night! If any of you know Eric, you know that he never goes this long without something to eat. Well that day my man, Eric, definitely lost his appetite!
So yes, three episodes of “tossing my cookies” later; and we finally landed in Amritsar. I promptly disposed of my precious zip lock bag in the nearest cigarette butt trash can that I could find, and proceeded to a rickshaw, which took us to the Golden Temple. Eric and I headed straight for the nearest hotel so that I could be miserably sick in A/C and a clean room.
Now, at the beginning of our trip, before these series of unfortunate events... hmmm.. this phrase sounds familiar.... Eric and I had a plan to stay in the Foreigner's quarters at the Golden Temple; eat the food there, wake up at 4 in the morning to see the floors being cleaned with milk and water. We had planned all of this, but after that bus ride there was no way in “you know where” that I was staying in foreigner's quarters with no A/C and 5 strangers sleeping around me. Nope, I wanted our own room, A/C, a private bathroom, not asking for luxury, just for a room I felt comfortable moping in the misery of being ill. And so we did. We rented a hotel room near the Golden Temple. I couldn't have asked for Eric to be anymore considerate than he already was. We found a hotel right away. And Eric stayed in the room with me all day, even after I prompted him to go out and get something to eat. He insisted on keeping me company. The evening arrived, it was around 6:30, and Eric finally felt a tinge of his appetite returning so we decided to venture out of the room. I made it to the second step and quickly retreated back. My desire to leave the room was far greater than my ability. So Eric departed as a lone wolf.
When he came back it was around 8:30pm. Eric came back drenched in sweat and all smiles. Instead of finding food, Eric found a group of Indian kids to play with! Haha He told me stories of how the kids prompted him to kick a soccer ball as high as he could, dribble a basketball around them in a game of keep away, and how the three little girls pulled him aside and insisted that he take snacks home as a gift. They also insisted that he give me their “Hellos” when he reached home.
Did Eric get anything to eat? Nope! BUT! The smallest one was seven-years-old and his father owned the really nice hotel that the “courtyard” (as he calls it) sat in front of. So, because Eric made some new friends, the clerk gave us a 650 rupee discount on the room if we wanted to stay there the following night. Score!
That night I was still feeling nauseous with a fever, and did not even attempt to get out of bed unless the bathroom duties beckoned me.
Thank goodness, the following morning around 6, I felt well enough to venture off to the Golden Temple!
That's right, the Golden Temple! It's amazing, I've spoken to many travelers about their impression on the Golden Temple. Each person is overwhelmed with a sense of purpose when they arrive there. The beauty seems to captivate them. I think it it did the same to Eric. I've seen the Golden Temple once before, and was well aware of its tendency to elicit the inner spirituality out of almost anyone. This was Eric's first time, and I do believe the Golden Temple doused him with inspiration. He was quite solemn during the Cora along the white marble floors outlining the pool of holy water which surrounds a small temple made out of more gold than I've ever seen! (So much gold that at first sight, you think its gotta be fake! … Don't worry I know it's not.)
We first stopped at the community kitchen and had chai. Here there were numerous queues of people carrying metal bowls. When we reached the chai tanks, a very happy Indian man sat in a wheelchair graciously giving chai to every visitor he encountered. This man looked as if he just came off the street. His smile of half-way rotted teeth and positive energy expressed his honor to be a volunteer at the temple. This man and approximately 79999 other visitors come to the temple every day. They are able to eat three meals a day and drink chai for free. If they need sleeping quarters, if available, the Golden Temple offers rooms for foreigners and Indians. I even heard that volunteers at the Golden Temple distribute food to homeless people throughout the region. So this temple is unique because it is not only a place of worship, but a location for people of every stature to sit down and eat together, to volunteer washing dishes together, to walk the Cora together, and even bathe in the same holy water. In Sikhism, the caste is not supposed to exist. The Golden Temple holds up those standards even if society does not. I think that's part of the magic of this building. There is a sense of “we're in this together” whether you are white, brown, purple, or green. I was purple.
Yup... I was feeling nauseous again. So after taking various pictures with locals who inevitably ask anytime they see a Westerner, and sitting in silence just admiring the serene beauty of the temple and its surroundings, we retreated back home. I slept for another few hours and Eric grabbed breakfast and confirmed the room at the other hotel.
Once I awoke, I was feeling remarkably better! The remainder of the day was filled with exploring the local bazaars (or bajaars as they say here), visiting more historical sites and gardens, finding a sacred elephant, playing Pitu Garam, and having a feast at a local family's home. So I presume, at least some of you tilted your head to the left like a curious puppy after reading that last sentence.
Let's start with the sacred elephant sighting... Eric and I tend to find the path least traveled by tourists, so we were venturing off into a “hidden away” bazaar, every Indian gawking at the sight of two Westerners in their domain, when we caught a glimpse of an elephant at the end of a small street. Eric and I looked at each other bewildered as to why an elephant would be hanging out in the side streets of Amritsar. So of course we paid him a visit! We saw one men feeding him bananas. So we ran off to find a local fruit vendor. I figured we'd maybe buy 5 bananas or so... then Eric, in his excitement of seeing a random elephant pulls out 50 rupees and asks for as many as we can get. So we happily trotted up to the elephant with 25 bananas! This elephant was so neat! We relished in the fun of feeding the elephant and petting it's rough fuzzy skin. This was WAY better than any petting zoo!
While we fed the elephant, the locals gathered 'round and started insisting that we ride the elephant. The owner was not happy with this request considering this was a sacred elephant and not a joy ride for tourists, but money can inspire just about anyone. The locals encouraged the owner by saying we would pay him 200 rupees or the equivalent of about $4.50. Meanwhile, Eric and I are on the side lines just watching their interactions. We never asked to ride the elephant, but would certainly not deny the opportunity!
So the owner gave in! To get on the elephant, he straightened his back legs and Eric and I climbed up using ropes, and his dry skin to grasp on to. As I climbed up the back legs of the elephant, I hoped and prayed that he wouldn't feel the need to divulge the many bananas he'd just consumed. We sat on the elephant in absolute elation as a boy around the age of 16 led him through the back streets of Amritsar. The boy held a long stick made of bamboo to push the low hanging electric wires out of the way. Afterwards, Eric and I were so excited that we bought another 25 bananas for our new friend from the same fruit vendor. This fruit vendor was so grateful for the business that he gave each of us a glass of free mango juice! (How ironic.)
Our next adventure was playing in a parking lot (“courtyard”) with a group of about 10 kids ranging from 5 to 25 years old. (We actually skipped out on seeing the Pakistani border ceremony just to stay and play games with these kids... I know, Jamie, roll your eyes why don't you. :) )
Eric played cricket and kickball with the boys while I taught the little girls how to juggle a soccer ball; and played badminton with some of the older girls. We were there for about an hour when some of the younger girls I was with insisted on playing an Indian game called Pitu Garam (“Hot Back”). In Pitu Garam you have two teams, a tower of individual tiles, and a ball. One person from the team “at bat” throws the ball at the tower of tiles, trying desperately to hit it. Once the tower is hit the team “at bat” scatters throughout the field. It is now their responsibility to rebuild the tower of tiles without getting pegged with the ball. The fielding team tries their best to hit as many people from the opposing team as possible before the tower is rebuilt; knocking each person out of the game, and increasing their chances of winning. In short, you can think of this as being a hybrid of dodge ball, jenga, and cricket. Aside from the constant arguing over the rules that were established throughout the duration of the games, this was great fun!
While we were there, one of the kids grandfather's insisted that we have dinner at his house. So after getting cleaned up at our hotel, we ventured off to his home, and met his daughter, son-in-law, grandson, granddaughter, and a few other relatives. This family provided us with a feast like no other! We had 4 different Indian dishes, rice, chapattis, chai, and some sort of gelatin dessert. I was eating this meal after barely eating anything for the past two days... so of course I indulged entirely too much, and could barely make it home before passing out from food coma.
And that was our Sunday in Amritsar. Monday we ventured back to the Golden Temple around 6am, and explored the bazaars a bit more, but we were thoroughly pooped (literally) from our Sunday escapade. We decided to take a taxi all the way back to McLeod Ganj given our horrendous experience on the way there. I must say, despite getting sick and being padlocked in my room for half the trip, I still had a wonderful time. Eric loved it so much that he's been insisting on going back ever since. So Amritsar, we'll see you soon!
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