Our Introduction to India

Thirty-one hours from Cappadocia, Turkey, to Amritsar, India. Four flights, three shuttles, and one auto-rickshaw ride got us to within three blocks of our hotel, but that’s as far as they would take us. We were dropped off in the middle of an intersection near a police barricade, our driver pointed us in the general direction of where he thought our hotel was, and then we were thrust out into traffic with our backpacks.

Harmandir Sahib, the Golden Temple

Nothing could really prepare us for that first day in India. No tourist website, travel book, or blog post can capture what it’s really like. The colors, the sounds, the chaos, and just the total sensory overload – you really just have to see it to believe it. There was no easing into it. Ready or not, we had arrived!

First meal in Amritsar

We finally got to our hotel. Let’s just say we wouldn’t recommend any of you stay there if your travels take you to North India, but at least we could finally rest!

As travelers who have been on the road for three months now, maybe we were getting a little cocky. We can navigate public transportation! We haven’t been pickpocketed! Between our three languages, we’ve had no trouble communicating! Chris can almost always pass for a local! We haven’t been sick or super lost or felt unsafe anywhere! This trip will be a piece of cake!

IDIOTS.

Culture shock knocked us right back down to reality. We knew we were going to stick out in the crowd, but we didn’t realize people would follow us from place to place asking for our photo anytime we paused to catch our breath. We knew it would be tough to see the conditions that many people and stray animals endure on the street, but we didn’t know how jarring it would be to see it in person. We knew it would be different, but we had no clue just how much of an adjustment it would be.

Wagah Border Ceremony

Despite our initial reservations upon arrival, we were still happy to be there and glad we chose Amritsar for our first stop in India. Besides a few rickshaw drivers trying to rip us off, literally every person we encountered was friendly and helpful. One of the big attractions when you’re in Amritsar is traveling to the India/Pakistan border to witness the border closing ceremony. We reserved space in a shared cab and squeezed into a van that could comfortably seat eight with fourteen of our new best friends. The Indian families we rode with couldn’t have been nicer, even giving us their cell phone numbers in case we got separated from the group and couldn’t find the car on the way back.

First visit to the Golden Temple

The main reason we wanted to visit Amritsar was to see the Golden Temple. This is the holiest place of worship for followers of the Sikh religion. We had seen photos and felt drawn to visit. The four entryways to get into the temple symbolize the openness of the Sikhs towards all religions and people. We had read that it was beautiful both during the day and at night. It did not disappoint.

Beautiful entrance on the way into the temple

We were really blown away by the stunning temple. It was such a powerful visit, waiting in line to get inside with hundreds of Sikhs, many seemingly overcome with emotion and prayerful anticipation for what they were about to see. We took our time, visiting in both the afternoon and after sunset, to appreciate the beauty. It was an incredible experience.

Stunning evening view of the temple

Our last morning in Amritsar, we headed off to catch what we thought would be our 9:30am train. Silly us. After waiting on a bench for the better part of an hour, we came to find out that the train had been canceled and our only choice was to wait for hours and buy brand new tickets for the afternoon journey. That seemed like a less than ideal plan considering the train station had no restrooms or any place to get food. Instead, we ended up heading to the airport and purchasing same-day flights. That was the first time during our travels where we had a sizeable, unexpected expense. However, that’s why we’ve tried to remain diligent with our day-to-day budgeting, so that these surprises don’t hinder us too much. At least we made it!

At the moment, we are in Jaipur working with street children to teach them English and Math. Stay tuned for stories from the classroom!

-The Morts