OH MY GOD!!! Just where do I start? India is bigger, noisier, dustier and busier than I had ever imagined.
After our flight from Heathrow which was shorter than I thought we were collected by our Indian guide and a minibus. I was not allowed to carry my pack anymore. It was either share carried or a porter was employed leaving me to photograph. The "express" took 6.30 hours to do 280 miles which was not bad, Wide coaches 5 seats wide with a good passageway and they kept feeding us! Called "Meals on Wheels" It started with afternoon tea, sandwich (carrot) and cakes, then later a three course dinner of vegetable curries and more sweet cake.
Today in Amritsa we all went to the Golden Temple, the most revered Sikk temple. It was absolutely mind blowing. Bare feet, thousands of people all wanting to have their children photographed with westerners when the parents had cameras, or just photoed by westerners. Strangers kept pushing their children into the poses as and when possible.The temple feeds everyone and I mean everyone that wants feeding and it is free, done by volunteers. The food preparation was a massive production line with 8 foot vats thousands of stainless trays, constantly on the move. Given, filled, eaten, returned and washed and piled again ready for re-use. The noise is like a metal workshop, never stopping. I was invited to go right through the massive kitchen, photographing what I wanted..
After leaving the temple, very reluctantly on my part, I could happily stay there for much much longer, we tried out the enfields. Like a duck to water. 10 minutes and we were veterans, but the "modern" bikers had a little more problems adapting than old grandad. Been there done that and now doing it again. Cren was a little apprehensive but after training in a open yard area helped ride the bikes back to the hotel through the traffic with great aplomb.
After lunch, again purely local Indian food, very varied and tasty, we are of to the India Pakistan border for the ceremomials which are fiercely competitive.
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