The Golden Temple in Amritsar is the most spiritual and profound place I have ever visited. Indian pilgrims from all over the country flock to the temple every day to eat, pray, and sleep as a community within it's walls. I was completely taken with the entire scene and emotionally stirred on more than one occasion. But, I promised not to get all "Eat. Pray. Love." on this blog, so I will refrain from trying to describe the surreal beauty of the largest Sikh temple in the world.
Below are some of my favorite memories from the last few days:
1) Is that hole the bathroom?
The above question was asked by poor Missy to me upon arrival to our hostel in Amritsar. Please keep in mind that we had just taken a six hour train ride from Delhi and then a 20 minute bus ride to our "donation only" lodging right across from the Golden Temple. In other words, we seriously had to pee. So being the good friend that I am, I inquired as to where the "washroom" was located and was pointed to a door in the corner. I went in, but all I saw was a sink, a faucet attached to a wall, and a small hole in the floor. So naturally, being the adventurer that I am, I took a deep breathe, shrugged, and tried something new. I advised Missy to do the same, which she did. Immediately upon completion, we exited our hostel to see a large sign for the BATHROOMS. WOOPS.
2) Rishbah and his rickshaw
In India, a good number of men make a living by driving a rickshaw, which is basically a bicycle with a seat in the back. I have seen families of six pile into these things and it breaks my heart to watch the tired men pull them along. Missy and I vowed heavily not to take any bicycle rickshaws during our time here. That was until we met Rishbah. This man portrays more warmth and vigor than any person I have ever met. One evening, we were lost on our way to find a fried fish restaurant recommended in our 2007 copy of Lonely Planet, when Rishbah stopped to help us. We tried to wave him off, but he said "No; I will help you for free...get in!" We obeyed. He then drove us 15 yards to our destination. We thanked him and went on our way. An hour later, we emerged from the restaurant to find Rishbah waiting for us. "Hellllllo Meeesie and Alisia! How was your fish fry!" After that, the three of us were pretty inseparable. Every day he took us to temples, museums, and for leisurely trips. He acted as our guide for every stop and talked our ears off for hours. Every time he knew a fact about the US that we did not know, he would proclaim with a big smile and a strong accent: "That is because I am VERY intelligent. You should call me Mr. Intelligent!" One day, as he was pulling us along and reciting to us the only lines he knew in Spanish, we hit a big hill. Rishbah did his best, but eventually he turned around and said, "You girls are heavy! We must get off and walk...I am sorry for this...". Missy and I laughed after he asked us how much we weigh and he said, "Meesie, why do you laugh at me?" You can be sure that Rishbah never called us heavy again. He also told us that not only are we his favorite customers, but also his best American friends. We received a promise that if he ever got married, we would have to come to his wedding. You see, Rishbah has been driving his rickshaw in Amritsar every day for the last ten years, for 12-14 hours a day. He is saving money so that he can one day support his own family. When we asked him about his life he would say in his jovial tone: "You see girls, eventhough I am very poor, you can see that I am very happy and good man!" And that he was...
3) Wanna go to Pakistan?
On our second day in Amritsar, we decided to sign up for a "shared cab" that would drive us an hour away to the Pakistani border to watch the daily border closing ceremony. When Missy and I were in Mumbai, an English woman we met in a cafe recommended we attend this event, and when we saw it in our faithful Lonely Planet book, we made it a "must do". When we showed up to our scheduled meeting place at 3pm, we saw a small, rickety van full of teenage boys, with one seat left in the front. Our driver, wearing a stern look and a purple turban, pointed to the empty seat. So, we both climbed in and Missy had to strattle the gear shift, while I stole the window seat. Don't worry, I got a picture. When we arrived at the border, we were separated into lines of men and women, and then Missy and I were further segregated into the VIP line, because, well...we were white. What a fun event! The Indian stadium was packed full of people and for an hour before the ceremony started, hundreds of school children danced to Bollywood music for the crowd. The Indian guards wore serious looking outfits, and walked on stilts so that they were taller than everyone else. The actual ceremony was quite comical. To be honest, it was the most exaggerated display of machoism I have ever seen, but the crowd loved it. Indians of all ages lined up to run with the Indian flag to the Pakistani border and back. Guards strutted around with rifles. One man chanted some sort of "Go India!" chant into the microphone and the crowd went wild. Missy and I were stuck in the boring "white people" section, but we did our best to immerse ourselves in the confusion. The whole ceremony took about an hour, and in the end, the guards from each country shook hands, said goodnight, and lowered the flags for their countries. This event brings over 1,000 people to the Indian border every single day. Now that is patriotism at it's finest.
4) "One Snap!", "One Snap!"
In Amritsar, we stand out. Indians from all over the nation travel to the Golden Temple every single day to pay homage to the Sihk religion. They travel in large packs and most wear their best clothing. I was wearing the same thing I wore the day before: a pair of Old Navy cotton pants, my Toms shoes, and an "I'm trying to fit in" looking tunic. Also, we were 2 of about 15 foreigners amongst thousands of people. The first time we stopped to pose for a picture with a few people, we did not realize that what we were really doing was giving up all of our rights to privacy and inviting the entire population of Amritsar to ask us for pictures. The best part of the entire charade, was that our conversation and presence made people so wholly happy. Everyone wanted to know where we were from, what we did for work, what we thought of India and it's people, what our parents did for a living, and then the inevitable, "please mam, one snap?" At that request, Missy and I would dutifully pose for a snapshot. You would think that Santa had dropped from the sky with a giant bag of presents the way these people beamed when we acknowledged them. One wave to a young child sent them squealing and laughing to their parents. Missy and I are convinced that our picture is the backdrop photo on cell phones across India.
5) Sonia in the park
There is a beautiful monument in Amritsar called Jallianwala Bagh, which is a tribute to the innocent killings of 2,000 Indian people by the British in 1919. Surrounding the monument is a serene park, and what seems like the only quiet place in India. One afternoon, when we were feeling especially tired, we decided to make our way to the park to relax and read. We sat next to a family who seemed to be doing the same. Not five minutes went by before a young girl wearing a beautiful red and green sari sat down with us and struck up a conversation. It turns out, that she was sent over to us by her father to practice her English. After a few minutes her father, mother, and aunt joined her to listen to what we had to say. She asked us dozens of questions ranging from where we were from to what kinds of crops are grown in America. When her parents weren't listening, Sonia told us that she was 18 and wanted to get her MBA. She has barely ever left her hometown of Haryana, but has a strong desire for independence and travel. She could hardly believe that we were 26, unmarried, and traveling India with our own money. Several times she asked us "what would happen if you wanted to marry someone your parents did not approve of?" To that I responded, "uhhhhh what? We would marry them anyway and they would get over it". She could seriously not comprehend this answer. I found myself sitting in awe of this beautiful and humble girl and all the things that she won't get to experience because of a difference in customs. By the time I was 18, I had been to almost ten different countries and was living on my own at college. At the end of the conversation, Sonia and her father invited Missy and I to come visit their home and stay with them as guests. We just might take them up on that...
As you can see from the above stories, both Missy and I are quite taken with India and it's people. So much so, that we have decided to stay in India and Nepal for the entire duration of our trip. We are both ecstatic about the decision and I can't wait to see what else this country has to offer. Asia will have to wait...
For pictures of our travels, follow Missy's blog here: http://heremethere.wordpress.com/
Below are some of my favorite memories from the last few days:
1) Is that hole the bathroom?
The above question was asked by poor Missy to me upon arrival to our hostel in Amritsar. Please keep in mind that we had just taken a six hour train ride from Delhi and then a 20 minute bus ride to our "donation only" lodging right across from the Golden Temple. In other words, we seriously had to pee. So being the good friend that I am, I inquired as to where the "washroom" was located and was pointed to a door in the corner. I went in, but all I saw was a sink, a faucet attached to a wall, and a small hole in the floor. So naturally, being the adventurer that I am, I took a deep breathe, shrugged, and tried something new. I advised Missy to do the same, which she did. Immediately upon completion, we exited our hostel to see a large sign for the BATHROOMS. WOOPS.
2) Rishbah and his rickshaw
In India, a good number of men make a living by driving a rickshaw, which is basically a bicycle with a seat in the back. I have seen families of six pile into these things and it breaks my heart to watch the tired men pull them along. Missy and I vowed heavily not to take any bicycle rickshaws during our time here. That was until we met Rishbah. This man portrays more warmth and vigor than any person I have ever met. One evening, we were lost on our way to find a fried fish restaurant recommended in our 2007 copy of Lonely Planet, when Rishbah stopped to help us. We tried to wave him off, but he said "No; I will help you for free...get in!" We obeyed. He then drove us 15 yards to our destination. We thanked him and went on our way. An hour later, we emerged from the restaurant to find Rishbah waiting for us. "Hellllllo Meeesie and Alisia! How was your fish fry!" After that, the three of us were pretty inseparable. Every day he took us to temples, museums, and for leisurely trips. He acted as our guide for every stop and talked our ears off for hours. Every time he knew a fact about the US that we did not know, he would proclaim with a big smile and a strong accent: "That is because I am VERY intelligent. You should call me Mr. Intelligent!" One day, as he was pulling us along and reciting to us the only lines he knew in Spanish, we hit a big hill. Rishbah did his best, but eventually he turned around and said, "You girls are heavy! We must get off and walk...I am sorry for this...". Missy and I laughed after he asked us how much we weigh and he said, "Meesie, why do you laugh at me?" You can be sure that Rishbah never called us heavy again. He also told us that not only are we his favorite customers, but also his best American friends. We received a promise that if he ever got married, we would have to come to his wedding. You see, Rishbah has been driving his rickshaw in Amritsar every day for the last ten years, for 12-14 hours a day. He is saving money so that he can one day support his own family. When we asked him about his life he would say in his jovial tone: "You see girls, eventhough I am very poor, you can see that I am very happy and good man!" And that he was...
3) Wanna go to Pakistan?
On our second day in Amritsar, we decided to sign up for a "shared cab" that would drive us an hour away to the Pakistani border to watch the daily border closing ceremony. When Missy and I were in Mumbai, an English woman we met in a cafe recommended we attend this event, and when we saw it in our faithful Lonely Planet book, we made it a "must do". When we showed up to our scheduled meeting place at 3pm, we saw a small, rickety van full of teenage boys, with one seat left in the front. Our driver, wearing a stern look and a purple turban, pointed to the empty seat. So, we both climbed in and Missy had to strattle the gear shift, while I stole the window seat. Don't worry, I got a picture. When we arrived at the border, we were separated into lines of men and women, and then Missy and I were further segregated into the VIP line, because, well...we were white. What a fun event! The Indian stadium was packed full of people and for an hour before the ceremony started, hundreds of school children danced to Bollywood music for the crowd. The Indian guards wore serious looking outfits, and walked on stilts so that they were taller than everyone else. The actual ceremony was quite comical. To be honest, it was the most exaggerated display of machoism I have ever seen, but the crowd loved it. Indians of all ages lined up to run with the Indian flag to the Pakistani border and back. Guards strutted around with rifles. One man chanted some sort of "Go India!" chant into the microphone and the crowd went wild. Missy and I were stuck in the boring "white people" section, but we did our best to immerse ourselves in the confusion. The whole ceremony took about an hour, and in the end, the guards from each country shook hands, said goodnight, and lowered the flags for their countries. This event brings over 1,000 people to the Indian border every single day. Now that is patriotism at it's finest.
4) "One Snap!", "One Snap!"
In Amritsar, we stand out. Indians from all over the nation travel to the Golden Temple every single day to pay homage to the Sihk religion. They travel in large packs and most wear their best clothing. I was wearing the same thing I wore the day before: a pair of Old Navy cotton pants, my Toms shoes, and an "I'm trying to fit in" looking tunic. Also, we were 2 of about 15 foreigners amongst thousands of people. The first time we stopped to pose for a picture with a few people, we did not realize that what we were really doing was giving up all of our rights to privacy and inviting the entire population of Amritsar to ask us for pictures. The best part of the entire charade, was that our conversation and presence made people so wholly happy. Everyone wanted to know where we were from, what we did for work, what we thought of India and it's people, what our parents did for a living, and then the inevitable, "please mam, one snap?" At that request, Missy and I would dutifully pose for a snapshot. You would think that Santa had dropped from the sky with a giant bag of presents the way these people beamed when we acknowledged them. One wave to a young child sent them squealing and laughing to their parents. Missy and I are convinced that our picture is the backdrop photo on cell phones across India.
5) Sonia in the park
There is a beautiful monument in Amritsar called Jallianwala Bagh, which is a tribute to the innocent killings of 2,000 Indian people by the British in 1919. Surrounding the monument is a serene park, and what seems like the only quiet place in India. One afternoon, when we were feeling especially tired, we decided to make our way to the park to relax and read. We sat next to a family who seemed to be doing the same. Not five minutes went by before a young girl wearing a beautiful red and green sari sat down with us and struck up a conversation. It turns out, that she was sent over to us by her father to practice her English. After a few minutes her father, mother, and aunt joined her to listen to what we had to say. She asked us dozens of questions ranging from where we were from to what kinds of crops are grown in America. When her parents weren't listening, Sonia told us that she was 18 and wanted to get her MBA. She has barely ever left her hometown of Haryana, but has a strong desire for independence and travel. She could hardly believe that we were 26, unmarried, and traveling India with our own money. Several times she asked us "what would happen if you wanted to marry someone your parents did not approve of?" To that I responded, "uhhhhh what? We would marry them anyway and they would get over it". She could seriously not comprehend this answer. I found myself sitting in awe of this beautiful and humble girl and all the things that she won't get to experience because of a difference in customs. By the time I was 18, I had been to almost ten different countries and was living on my own at college. At the end of the conversation, Sonia and her father invited Missy and I to come visit their home and stay with them as guests. We just might take them up on that...
As you can see from the above stories, both Missy and I are quite taken with India and it's people. So much so, that we have decided to stay in India and Nepal for the entire duration of our trip. We are both ecstatic about the decision and I can't wait to see what else this country has to offer. Asia will have to wait...
For pictures of our travels, follow Missy's blog here: http://heremethere.wordpress.com/
rishbah is so cute!!
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