Golden Temple

Breakfast really nice. Fruit and yoghurt. Leisurely start to the day. Left at 0900

Today we had a local guide. He was really good. We were taken to the golden temple - the seik temple where the big kitchens feed people. We had to cover our hair, ensure we wore long trousers, take off our shoes and socks and then wash our hands. We walked through water to wash the feet. I remarked it was like the foot and mouth safeguards at county show!

We were told the principles of Seik were to volunteer. The kitchens were evident. However women and men worked separately. Huge floors set aside for making bread, chopping onions and washing up. There was a machine making the bread as well as hand made.

I noticed that there were no evident trying to sell you things as you got with the buddist temples.

After walking through we were divided into tuk-tuks to go back to the bus. The guide came with us in ours - Elaine was with myself and Rob as it only held three in the back. We passed a lot of fabric shops!! We were the first back although we had taken a different path. The others were all much later back to the coach.

John had stayed with the coach and had watched the world go by outside.

Our next stop was a Hindu temple. This was the silver temple. No need to cover head but just take off shoes and socks. Ailsa and Liz were given flower garlands. We had to rush a bit as the temple was closing.

Lunch was a leisurely affair. A chance to use the toilet as well. Again a fixed menu - rice, butter chicken for me and Dahl for Rob.

We left the restaurant at half three and travelled for an hour to the border with Pakistan. We showed our passports and were led through to seats at the border. We went up into the shady bit at the top. The ceremony started with women lining up to run to a rope waving the Indian flag. There was an MC whipping up patriotic fervour whilst adverts for the army appeared on screen. Next came the actual ceremony - partly matched on the other side with Pakistan border police doing their bit. It did appear at times to be a bit of a strange dance off.

As the flag lowered we got up as instructed and headed for the meeting point. Back on the bus and to the hotel for the evening meal.