Another long day of travellin g from Dharamashala to Amritsar, but the road always provides interest…

We were taken to the changing of the guard at the IndoPakistan Wagha border. It was like going to a football match with the two sides barracking for their team. There was dancing, singing, shouting to cheer on the Indian border soldiers. Both countries had their flags raised at the gates. The soldiers were very tall, dressed in full regalia and marched in a very upright manner whilst stamping their heels and sometimes raising a leg so high that it appeared to go above their heads. It was fantastic and I would recommend anyone to see it. Make sure you get there a litte early to get a good seat high up so you can view the entire display more easily.

Tonight we went to the Golden temple which is a famous Sikh temple. On the way, we had a sweet deep fried pastry cooked in clarified butter … it is also very famous in Amritsar according to the guide.

The temple is open 24 hours but at night there is a religious ceremony to “put the book to bed”. The priests go through various rituals and then carry the holy book to rest. There is another ceremony in the morning to return the book for the following day. The temple is beautiful to see at night. Heads needed to be covered and Paul used a turban.