So much to say so little internet service

This past week has been one big paneer filled adventure. I've had a blast with Whin and Dave. By traveling with them they've given me the chance to show them India through my eyes as well as experience it through theirs. I became their translator of sorts, and actually had an hour long discussion with their driver, Puranbhai, on the practice of commission based tourism in India. I have to say i was pretty proud of being able to get our point across in my broken Hindi.

We've eaten a sh*tload of paneer (unfermented cheese), i've never had it so good in my life... i think i'm actually turning into a paneer cube.

In Delhi we took in no sites, spent a lot of time running around and somehow managed to have the best time, walking head on into the Sikh parade celebrating the 9th Guru, sharing Whin and Dave's first experience with South Indian Food, and of course shopping.

The internet seems to not want to make itself available to me, and unfortunately there's so much i want to talk about like India's most famous tennis player and her comments on pre-marital sex, on India and how i've come to realize that this country is Politics - politics runs through its veins and every aspect of its life from Bollywood to the hill tribes of Orissa are immersed in it, I've become hooked to the daily newspapers, can't get enough of all the information that is available on everything Indian.

If and when I get access to a fast connection, i'll post the pics that are long over due and maybe try and find some links to some of the more interesting articles i've stumbled upon.For now here's a quick update on the past 2 days

My last day in Delhi I did 2 very important things. 1. Found myself my first Mexican Meal since I'd cooked fajitas in New Zealand back in June. 2. Visited the newly built Swaminarayan Temple - Akshardham. Like a modern day Angkor Wat this complex is by far the most amazing Swaminarayan Temple to date. The intricacy of the carvings, the meaning put behind each structure, and luckily for me eloquently written explanations in Hindi and English. An exhibition was built using film and animated figures to tell the story of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. I thought I'd only need an hour but instead found I had to cut my tour short (missed out on the 12 minute boat-ride through India's history and one of the exhibits) in order not to miss my train! I would recommend anyone visiting Delhi take the half day or so to visit.

I took an overnight train to Amritsar, Punjab and arrived around 6:30am... hopped onto a cyclo and headed over to a guesthouse i had heard was good... unfortunately they were fully booked and so after trying a few places I found one with a room. Of course I noticed how my cyclo driver, although i had paid him hadn't left... after leaving my bags upstairs i came down to register and found that he was still out there. I asked the man at the counter if he had given the rickshaw driver a commission... yes he said 50rp... of course that meant that my 250rp room should have only been 50. I was pretty pissed off, as 1. i had asked the driver to take me to a specific guesthouse not if he knew of one and 2. after ringing the doorbells of a few places he just told the owner that he had brought me there. I absolutely loathe the commission based system. I'm going to have to practice the method of getting the driver to drop you at a monument or site in the vicinity of the guesthouse and then walk.

I spent the morning taking a tour of the Holy Shri Darbar Sahib (the Golden Temple). Upon walking into the complex you took off your shoes and washed your feet. Everyone covered their head as a sign of respect. I don't know much about the sikh religion, but I can tell you the people who I saw worship, seemed to be so proud of their culture, have complete faith, and a respect towards each other like i have never seen anywhere else. The religion was founded by Guru Nanak, a man who a forward thinker. He renounced many of the beliefs and customs of the Muslims and Hindus, believing in the equality of men and women, regardless of race,creed, caste, or religion. I watched as people dipped in the Amrit Sarovar (Pool of Nectar) which surrounded the Temple, unlike the images I have of bathing in the Ganges, it was very clean, pure, and orderly. People lined up to pay their respects to the Adi Grantha (Sikh Holy Scriptures) which is housed in the Temple and then collect prasad and eat at the community kitchen. The temple has over 600 rooms available for pilgrims to stay in, from free dorm rooms with shared baths, to private doubles with a rent of 50rps a day. The community kitchen feeds upto 50,000 people a day for free.

Watching the whole ritual of daily worshippers I could see why the Punjabis are often seen as very proud and honorable people. From learning of the history of the temple and the many who have died fighting to protect it over the past 400 years I can see why the Sikhs are looked upon as warriors, strong in heart and body.