Friday 7th May 2010
5.05pm
Cafe Coffee Day, Window Seat on the 1st floor, Hall Bazar
Amritsar, India
I have a great view from where I am sat. This 1st floor window seat overlooks a T-junction. The sun's early evening light is falling on the street below while I am sat here in an air conditioned room with just a couple of other people and some not too aggressive music.
I am in one of Amritsar's few western style coffee shops. I haven't often come to places like this, they aren't very Indian. My 'Assam Express' cost 45 rupees. Your basic chai on the street costs 5 rupees. But it is nice to relax, I am paying I guess for the comfort.
Up the street in front of me is Jallianwala Bagh which I visited today. I learnt plenty and felt suitably self-conscious due to being the only white tourist and of course because of what the place represents.
A British officer and his men brutally gunned down over 300 unarmed Indians there back in 1919 and now the site is a good memorial dedicated to those who died.
To my left are fruit sellers on the corner of the street that leads away to the left. Pineapples, mangoes, grapes, and bananas all stick out and the stalls are parasol covered. Below me at the entrance to the coffee shop are two parked motorbikes and a bicycle. A rickshaw driver is loitering close by too.
Up and down the street main street leading the from bagh and away past me to my right and many passing bikes, rickshaws and people walking, though there are relatively few cars. The road is split in half by some yellow railings which prevent any nasty collisions on the dusty road.
It's amazing to notice that there are so many Sikhs here in there distinctive turbans. I haven't seen barely any East Indians or Bengalis. The Sikh religion was conceived pretty close to here of course. Al the Golden Temple museum today I learnt all about the religions origins and some of its most important Gurus, like the founder Guru Nanak and Baba Deep Singh.
Needless to say shops in buildings 3 or 4 storeys high looking like they were built in colonial times line the roads. The modern shutters fixed on to the shop fronts. From the far right, a dried fruit store, a lottery agent, a Pagri house (?), an Indian clothing store, a Sikh painting and gift shop, and then several other shops running away out of sight.
Some Sikh music has started in the street, someone is playing a record out loud. I love the sound. Music in India is very uplifting.
The section of the Sikh holy book, the Granth, which can be heard at the Golden Temple all day everyday and is accompanied by music is very familiar to me. The tap tap of the drum and a string instrument in tandem too, neither can I name. The sound resonated in my head this morning as I went into the temple situated in the middle of the giant pool. The inside is beautifully golden and in it sits a man reading from a book and musicians playing along as he reads. All the while thousands and thousands of people pour into the temple and are chaperoned through it as they make offerings.
The Pagri store does turbans - I just noticed a sign in the window.
The beat and the rhythm of the music is infectious. Some nice people spoke to me at the temple today, I ate breakfast there. The food was slightly different than before, but good. More chapatis.
I helped with the washing up for 20-30 minutes afterwards.
Then sat thinking by the pool and wondered around for a while.
I hope my photos come out well. The auto-flash and the general bulkiness of the camera make it impossible to take discreet pictures. I've used one film now.
I need to use the internet soon.
I'm the only customer here now in the coffee shop.
The front page of today's Time of India headlines with the death sentence passed down to Mumbai terror bomber Ajmal Kasab.
I visited two interesting Hindu temples today, one a less glamourous and far less busy copy of the Sikh's Golden Temple, and the other the Mata temple north of the train station. The latter is more like a fun-house than a temple with several spiral staircases , narrow low roofed alleys and corridors and a waterway to scramble along. As you negotiate this most unholy of holy temples there are hundreds of small shrines and statues along the way, many brightly painted or decorated lavishly.
I found the bus station and information about going to Dharamsala. Also I went to a hostel to enquire about rooms, but with no single rooms free I probably wont move there.
The dorm has turned out okay. I woke up at 6am but slept very well and got to use the shower with no fuss do for a second night I'll be there and maybe a third.
I love the distinctive look Sikhs have, turbans and long beards, strong eyes.
This tea I am drinking is okay, but they could have filled the cup to the top.
I walked around a lot today but feel I have pretty well got to grips with the city, especially as I walked from the train station to the bus station and through various market streets.
I think I am a disappointment to the rickshaw drivers as I always walk.
I can't think of anything else to add for now. But I am enjoying Amritsar.
...a group of Sikhs are eating bananas from one of the fruit-sellers. All of them are over 30 it appears with long beards and dressed neatly in light coloured shirts and long dressing gown like robes. They are a family I think...
What to do for dinner...the temple or something different???
I used to take a lot of pictures of my food but it's a bit tougher now!
I'll decide while I read the paper for 10 minutes...
6.30pm at Ram Das Niwas (the dorm)
India play Australia at cricket in the 20Twenty World Cup at 7pm. I found out in the newspaper.
On walking back to the temple dorm I ate a 'Patato Cheese Chop' from a street vendor which was served with some salad and chilli sauce for 10 rupees, very nice. Only a small snack though.
May try and find a TV for the cricket...