I'm really starting to dig this place: You can feel it's a frontier city, growing so quickly, striving for wealth, struggling in poverty. The people are circumspect, but immediately friendly when you just smile at them. I wore my punjabi dress last night to visit the Golden Temple and had many compliments: they love that I am dressing in the local traditional way and don't find it awkward. I visited my rickshaw driver's village and family today, and was treated to lime soda and chips: they live in one room (a very small room) where they cook, eat and sleep. The 4 of them all together in one big bed which serves as a couch and table during the day. A beautiful shade tree in the small yard and what more could you want? Well, actually Kuldeep would love his own rickshaw (he rents his daily for about 125 ruppees) a new rickshaw costing 10,000 (about $200) and I am considering gifting him one. It would make it easier to make more money to send his kids to school. We went shopping for a few new clothes for him, his wife and kids and they were so happy: it was such a treat to see them so thrilled with such small things. We also went around the local temple and saw some large painted statues of different Hindu gods. a small donation earned me some rose petals and marigold petals to nibble on... delightful. Then I was back to Amritsar to the best Dhaba restaurant for a small Thali, any number of things but in this case a mixed dish of potato pancake, with bowls of yoghurt, chick peas in sauce and salad: all strictly veg. A hot milk tea to finish it off: as you can see, it agrees with me! Back to the hotel for a rest, some AC and TV and WiFi. Cheers! Tommorrow back to Delhi on a short plane ride for $80 and back to the Nirvana Hostel in South Delhi to plan my next move. Maybe Kerala.... I'll miss Amritsar though.
No comments:
Post a Comment