The "last lunch" with the guys went about as expected. They all said something, some of which Surkhab was kind enough to translate. Then I responded and only choked up for a moment. In the end words were not necessary. We all knew that something special had happened for all of us and I believe we were all very grateful for having been a part of it. I think we all hope that I can return, In Shalla.
The trip to the boarder was a bit brutal since the bus leaving Abbottabad left at 11 pm. I Got to Wagah about 7:30 am at which point we found out the crossing did not open until 9:30. Zamurad had done his job and if he left straight away he could catch the earlier bus back to Abbottabad. So with another little catch in my throat, I saw his cab pull away.
I wasn't there long before I heard the distinct sound of…English. I went up and said howdy to a couple from Germany who had been traveling for months by car through just about every place you could think of. We shared our impressions of Pakistan and found them to be identical. Wonderful place, wonderful people.
The boarder crossing was a bit strange. I must have stopped at 6 different places to show my passport and fill out one form or another. It took over an hour but I finally got into….
India.
There are many differences between India and Pakistan. First off, there are lots of people who want to get between me and some part of my money. They'll pick up my bag, without me asking them to or even wanting them to, and expect a tip afterwards. At first I was a bit resentful, particularly after my experience in Pakistan where I literally could not give folks money, even if they had done some act of hospitality to earn it. But then I got adjusted to what the exchange rate and what they were asking for, a few bucks, and I lightened up right away. I could also have bought a fifth of Jack Daniels or pretty much anything else in the duty free store. And of course, the women are out in full force again. I even saw some driving for heaven's sake. Along with their exposure are the accompanying ads with all the standard cutesy women with their cutesy smiles selling whatever is the order of the day. And I've also noticed my reaction to seeing more than just the eyes of women again (which had become quite attractive to me). A month of abstinence was not enough to change the way I respond to women, particularly those I deem good looking. But at least I'm a bit more aware of my objectification.
And then there's the driving. Here the horns are louder, and used much more frequently and with much more gusto than in Pakistan. To be fair, Amritsar is a bigger city than anywhere I was in Pakistan, except for a brief period this morning in Lahore. Still, I think the difference is probably more than just that.
The cab I got at the boarder pooped out about 4 km from the hotel. The guy said it was a bad coil, and he arranged for me to go the rest of the way in a rickshaw. That's a human powered 3-wheeled bicycle with a seat and cargo bay for the big sahib, that would be me, to sit. I probably broke some sort of rule when he got to a hill and had to stop pedaling and start pushing. I not only got out (which was expected) but also helped push (which probably was not).
The room is small but there's enough room for a bed and a chair, which is good enough for me. This one is actually a deluxe version because it has an attached bath. It doesn't have ac but it does have a swamp cooler and a fan, which for this time of year is fine. It costs about $13/night.
After freshening up with a lovely luke warm shower I was surprised to find that I felt good enough to go out into the street. My first order of business was to try and get my cell phone to work here (it needs a special chip). Turns out I need 2 passport sized photos, a copy of my passport and my visa and evidence of where I'm staying locally in order to get it activated. This is all done for security purposes which is the same reason given for why the hotel could not give me a local map.
So I went wondering and it all went well. I had a guy come up and offer me a rickshaw ride to wherever I was going but at the time I wasn't really going anywhere. But after he described some of the places he could take me, I decided that I might as well go on with him. His English was good enough that we could talk some, and he did know his way around. He took me to a museum (same sort of glorification of war that I've seen too much of in too many countries already) as well as a couple of temples. The last one was the Golden Temple, for which Amritsar is famous. As well it should be, it's pretty spectacular.
I spent 3 hours there before getting something to eat and coming to this internet café.
And now I really AM tired so this'll have to do for now.
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