Amritsar in 36 hours


A Sikh worshiper with his ever present traditional knife tucked into
his Dastar, a style of Pagri



A city known for its Sikh temple, the Golden Temple, adorned with 750kg of serious gold, and pilgrims from around the Sikh world.  Visiting this temple is akin to 68 other sacred pilgrimages so one of the signs informed me!  













Maree and Trish at least found a use for the many pieces
of fabric purchased while in India



Such a sacred experience even for us non Sikhs.  Follow the rules and deposit your shoes and cover your head and everything else is OK.










The Hotel Pool (joking)



Finding a good hotel with a cool pool is another bonus for a city in the Punjab.  A hot place to hang in September. We stayed at The Hyatt and it was just lovely. Cheap enough, under $100 for a clean room, comfortable  bed and breakfast, and right next to a shopping centre should you forget something.

I hadn't seen this much rampant nationalism since
Argentina vs Columbia at River Platte

And then Wagah!  Well not like Wagga Wagga, place of many crows in outback NSW Australia, really place of many soldiers and their antics on the Pakistan Indian border.  A fanfare of parades, slamming of gates, high stepping and dancing maidens. 










Noisy, hot and an absolute once in a lifetime MUST!  Seeing the road sign to Islamabad and Lahore gave me a real sense of being on a little adventure, even if  I was with two girlfriends and there were many other tourists around. 










Some of the dancing maidens taking a rest at Wagah




Amritsar is not like much of India, it is not in the top ten places on a tourists list, it should be in the top two, but not yet.   





  
Contemplating the cultural divide

And just a warning...Being taken to a tourist shop is my least favourite thing in India.  First and foremost, it is not a place for local craft, nor a place for a bargain.  It is a place for the driver to get a chai and a washroom and commission on your purchases.  It is a place for lovely Kashmiri men to sell you wares from anywhere in India except the place you are visiting. If you are OK with that then go for it!  For me... Caveat Emptor!

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