Wonders of the Golden Temple

It really hit me today that after six months of researching and seeing pictures of places I wanted to go, I'm finally seeing them with my own eyes and taking my own awesome pictures. Originally I hadn't planned on heading to Amritsar because it's so far north, but I'm really glad my path crossed this place. The Golden Temple is the best sight I've seen in India so far. The Taj Mahal was cool, but it's just there. The Golden Temple is bursting with culture and interest. And a sweet ass perk about it: It's free to stay and eat there! The Sihk's are so generous. Foreigners are put up in a dorm together and everyone goes into a big hall to eat, where you sit on a long wicker mat and are served chapati, rice and a couple kinds of Indian curries. I plan on giving a donation tomorrow to do what I can to return the favor.

I also took a taxi with some other travelers to the Indian - Pakistani border to see the ceremony for the changing of the guards. It happens every day in the evening and is an interesting show of the culture of the rivalry between the two, because the exact same thing is happening on the other side of the border. Living in Canada I'm used to a border that has no soldiers at it and is open and friendly. Basically this ceremony shows the national pissing match between the two nations. There's a huge feeling of nationalism, and one can't leave without feeling impressed by it.

Tomorrow afternoon: Sleeper train to Jaipur, the start of my Rajasthan leg of India.