Searching for Gold and Soul??

9781:Jaipur -Amritsar Express..boarding now..

 Amritsar,Punjab-Haryana state...The ride to search for gold and soul??It's not for real,huh???Actually it is my train ride from Jaipur to Amritsar.What so special about Amritsar that I wanted to go there?Amritsar is famous for its Golden Temple the holliest Sikhsm shrine constructed by the Fourth Guru Ram Das in 1577.It is 713km from Jaipur city and 16hours ride by train.Sleeper class,that's the train class that I've booked and was excited and get adventurous on this long journey along with my travel partner,Maja .

The train tickets were booked earlier,just in case if there is no place available on that day and to make sure that we are on schedule as planned.At that time we didn't realized that the ticket was actually a waiting list ticket(WL).We learned that it is a WL ticket when we're at the train station and in the coach and looking for our sit!To make it worst,we booked for two pax but we have only for 1 pax;means we had to share the bunk which is small and packed!!I was wondering where can we put our backpacks!At the same time and place(that is in the coach)..there was a group of college students who are on their journey back to thie college together with their lecturer.i guessed that they are going to Jalandhar.Destination not far from Amritsar.The coach that we're in is full of the students and there were loud and playful too!!It's a bit weird when they starred at us..definitely two different personality and appearance..me ..the Asian,shorty girl..with the tall Swedish blonde girl..!I was fascinated by how they live and have fun.no border between girls and boys..regardless skin color.They are having fun all the way!That really remind me of my university years with all of my friends.It was full of giggling,gossiping,hindi musics and all sorts of sounds you've could even imagined in the coach.I wonder how we can sleep through out the cold night.In the end,me and Maja...we shared the same bunk and take turn to sleep..which I considered not really a 'sleep'!Crammed on a bunk that can only fit for one person.It was awful and new train experience for me.The train leaves Jaipur around 5pm.In winter time,the day get shorten and night falls really fast.As the train leaves Jaipur and crossing to the other cities,almost everyone on the coach went for dinner.Dinner in the train,particularly in India means mostly everyone had their own set of meal,that consist of home cooked paratha or chappati and some sabhji.When it's time for dinner,they eat together and shared some food together like one big happy family.Like they always said "Sharing is Caring!". We watched them eat their dinner and us,we had our vegetarian burger before boarding the train.
As night pass by,I can feel the chill Indian winter wind on my skins through my bones.Shivering in a thin blanket and a pair of socks.Hugging each other is so impossible as we were crammed in a small contained space,not even trying to move!Even though the window were closed,but I can still feel the wind blows through a small holes onto my skin.My eyes become more heavier as the night falls and almost all of the train passengers fallen asleep after they had their hefty Indian dinner.Thinking about the small space made me more frustrated and this really gives me a lesson about purchasing train tickets in India.I literally didn't even sleep at all.The cold wind made me go to the toilet more often.

Sunrise view from the train

My chai in the morning

Time passed by so fast and it's already in the morning.As usual,there's always guys from the IRTC selling the chai in the morning.They are just like my alarm clock in the train when they yelled "Chai,chai.garam,garam" Means:Tea,tea..hot,hot.Nice hot chai in the train is all that I need for a very long,chilled winter and awful night.

Wheat field in Punjab-Haryana

There's so many wheat field along the way to Amritsar.That's why most of the Indian people who lives in the northern part eat more wheat rather then rice.The train does stopped at few train stations on the way to our manzil.At last,all the students went of at Jalandhar Jn. and went off board left me and Maja and a young couple with their small kids alone in the coach.It was a relief for me as I can choose a place for me to have some sleep.

Empty seats 3/4 way to Amritsar

There's some incident that I couldn't forget waking up that morning.A young man in his 20's I presumed committed suicide by jumping in front of the train.That incident had caused the train going towards the south delayed as police were trying to remove him from the rail track.At first I was thinking that the guy had slept on the railway track.I blamed my eyes in the morning for not having a really 'good view'.Then when the train that we took passed by the 'crime scene',I then realized that he was cut into half and that image still stuck in my head.It was scary at the same time thinking of how many people commit suicide in India everyday!How cheap life is when you didn't appreciate it.
At last we reach our destination,Amritsar.With our bags and half left energy,we went off board and straight to get the auto rickshaw.As usual,haggling is the way in India to get the best price especially from the transportation.We decided to go straight to Amritsar's Golden Temple straight away.Without any map or 'Lonely Planet book' with us but only our guts and half of our energy and confidence we finally managed to get a auto rickshaw within minutes of haggling.
I must say that different part of cities in India may look so different or the feel of differences.More people in Amritsar have their own car (In Hindi- Gardi) and the guys were wearing turban with a very bright colorful turbans.

Finally we reached near the Golden Temple,still we have no map at that time and was wondering that they accepted foreigner like us to stay at their place and only noticed that they didn't.Reaching near the Golden Temple street was really a stressful morning for both of us.Some people take advantage of traveler like us by asking us to buy the head scarf that cost us Rs20 each!They were trying to rip us off and Maja at that time were so tense and stressed.She bought the scarf and we made our walk towards the Golden Temple.Mission of staying in the Golden Temple were not a good idea,that both of us went and search for a closed by internet cafe.Relief to see a small shop with good internet connection,both of us decided to write in Couchsurfing website asking for couch.I think that it is our luck that day that I finally managed to get a couch for us within 2 minutes of posting about emergency couch.Jolly(Kalwanjit Singh) was so generous enough to take both of us in his house and we stayed few days at his place on that day.His family was so good to us and his wife cooks really good food as well too!
The next day,we went to the Golden Temple by public bus.It is always a very joyful and adventurous ride to the city where the bus stopped.At last,we were on our way towards the Golden Temple.It was hot and sunny day and there were lot of people coming and going to the Golden Temple and merchants selling their goods on the roadside.There's always lots of food to choose and as for me it is easy as it is easy to get vegetarian food anywhere and everywhere.

Golden Temple,Amritsar

The Entrance of the Golden Temple,Amritsar

From far,I had my headscarf ready on my head and be more spiritual attached.Slippers and flip flops are not allowed in the temple compound.There's a lot of shops outside of the temple.Feeling so amazed that we finally made it to Amritsar,make us feel more wanting to know what awaits us inside the Golden Temple.Before you can go inside the temple,you need to wash your hands and feet as well.Walking up the stairs and having the first glance of the temple make me so astonished of the architecture of the Golden Temple and so does the history of the place itself and how important it is to the Sikh community all around the world.The Golden Temple it self was so beautiful.There's some people take a bath in the holy lake and some of them reciting some spiritual chants from their holy book.The feeling of serenity and peaceful regardless of the temple guard with their swords on their back.It so fascinating!We were being invited by some of the devotees that we can join them to have a free meal on one of the dining place but we were so out of time and we need to rush and get going to see the flag ceremony at Wagah-Attari border soon.

We had the cheapest mode of transport to the border,by a small van and me being squeezed in the middle between the driver and Maja!But it's all worth it when we reached there at the Wagah border safely.On the way to the border,there are few military camps and cantonment.There are so many buses,auto rickshaw,cars,motor bikes heading to the last town near the border,Wagah.We saw lots of people walking towards the border and it was congested with busses,cars and even some trucks from bot side,the Indians and Pakistanis as well.The only thing that I was so shocked is that the toilet near the Wagah border was terrible and in a really bad conditions.I had to leave my bags at the restaurant as they are rules saying that we cant bring in bags.The security to enter the border ceremony was a bit tight.Each of us,women and men including child were being 'body search' by the military personnel. Not only once,but twice!I was so lucky by bringing my ID in my purse to show them that i'm a foreigner.Foreigner has a special place for them to seat and watch the ceremony.As we were being led to our place,the surrounding,especially on the Indian side where you can see a lot if people dancing and having fun just by listening to the Hindi latest hit song.Both border was a bit tense as the hours passed by and both side were playing their national song.They were so patriotic,can't deny on it.It just remind me about the tension that they have between two countries in the past and Pakistan used to be part of India in the old days.On the India side,they were shouting 'Jai Hind!Jai Hind!' and on the Pakistan side'Allahu akbar!Allahu akbar!' and this went on for few minutes until there were two Indian military women personnel marching towards the gate and going back to the post centre.Then it was followed by a group of mens with a very unique turbans and the way they walk was so unique.This goes same with the Pakistani side.The slamming of gates,the flag ceremony..all was tense and showed the different side of both countries.Overall it was an interesting ceremony.We had the best time in Amritsar and went to the places that we wanted to go and still be in schedule and being stressful at certain times and even at the worst scenario.Overall, soul and gold searching is all that we wanted that is to the Golden
Temple.From this trip also we've learned a lesson that is important for  travel journey especially by train.This are some tips for first timer and single traveler:

• Make sure travelling date is correct
• Make sure purchase ticket to the correct destination
• Make sure that it is a CONFIRMED ticket not the WAITING LIST(WL) ticket.When you are buying the ticket,asked repeatedly to the counter that you want the confirmed class.
• Check your train ticket after purchased the ticket at the ticket counter or on the website.
• Make a copy of passport - If you are buying the ticket on the Reservation counter.
• Check the price of ticket and you are paying the correct amount.