INDIA

traffic churned through the streets with wondrous and mysterious efficiency- a ballistic dance of buses, trucks, bicycles, cars, ox-carts, scooters and people.

those words are in the book im reading now, Shantaram. and a true story it is too.

thinking about India and all that I have to write (type) would most probably reduce this post to a long,nonsense ramble. so I think I'm gonna have to split it up and insert some stuff from the last trip as well. hmmm, and yes, of course there will be pictures =)

so last trip was basically last year, in the height of summer (and I mean like the peak!) which means it was sweltering hot. but having our Ishnaans were lovely to get out of the heat ;P
this year was winter (but it wasnt that cold yet, it was only December). this time around was better in some ways, and different in many ways.

lets start from the start. i got home, did shopping and off we were on the 10th of Dec 2010, 9am?flite. as I was super excited to go we were all smiles all the way. we landed sometime around noon, local time. we emerged into the new terminal built for the Commonwealth held earlier there (in October).This terminal 3 was awesome, with paintings, sculptures, carpeting and even cool loos!;P

the bharatnatyam gestures hot guy and girl not included :P

then we got into the best ever Delhi taxi ;) and got into an hour-or-so long hunt for the hotel..hahaaa..

and immediately upon settling in, who should greet us but Big B himself on tv(love their cable!).
that night, mom,dad, Perv and me went to Gurdwara Sahib Karol Bagh (the hotel was extremely close by) and yes, we totally laughed thinking that there is a serial on karol bagh.hahah!

the next day we took the train to AMRITSAR, but not before going again to G.Bangla Sahib and G.Sis Ganj Sahib, after which we dropped by at Haldiram's (obviously!)

ok seriously there was a wedding going on a few hotels away (check out the REAL horse)

the mad mad place called Chandni Chowk :) (view frm Sis ganj Sahib)

Place of Martrydom Guru tegh Bahadur Sahib Jee


yehaha

As it was a last minute booking, we got 3rd class seats. now, we were pretty skeptical (although I was kinda excited thinking it would be adventurous)- but amazingly, those seats on Shan-e-Punjab were allright and we had a great time (yes, for the whole 8 plus hours). the last trip had us on 2nd Class AC- Shatabdi Express, and eventhough that was cool, this was fun :) the endless stream of chai wallahs, snacks and cold drink guys, magazines, trinkets, food, and even paper soap kept us well entertained. not to forget the-um, transvestites in sarees, sweeper folk and people who for some strange reason, crash the coaches and STAND although they have tickets (I suppose for open seating). since the windows opened, endless gusts of wind swept my face and got my hair,looking as it always does-:Lion kIng-esque.

the moment we got there, bags were left in the room, and we headed to HARMANDIR SAHIB at promptly: midnight :)


the most beautiful of times to go down the marble steps towards the Oasis of LOVE that Darbar Sahib is, we rested our foreheads on the cold marble and walked around the parkarma. Now, as we arrived at NRI nivas, there was a guy (I guess everyone knows about him, he's rough around the edges, as are most Indians, but he was ok after that) who made us kinda sad with his attitude. NOw, as we walked in the cold midnight air, smiling at the fact that we were there and a little frown of sadness, a Bhai Saab at the Shabils for Jal smiled a dazzling smile at us, and invited us for water.
That was what we had needed. Our hearts positively swelled with gratitude and we knew, Guru RamDas Jee had welcomed us.
.....................to be continued.