I planned to leave Lahore at 11am but at 10:45 the monsoon rains started so I waited and at 12.30 I made a dash for the border as I was told it closes at 3pm. The rain was so heavy getting out of Lahore the first challenge was 30cm deep rivers flowing down many roads so what should have been a 45 minute ride took 2 hours.
Wagah Border – The Pakistan side was quick and easy, I crossed the border and said goodbye to Pakistan, what an amazing 6 weeks!
I rode through the famous Wagah Border and it felt great knowing in only a few hours the famous flag ceremony would be performed.
Getting into India wasn’t quite as easy, customs searched all of my bike and stuff, they even got the ‘sniffer dog’ to check everything. The contraband was well hidden so not even the dog suspected – that was a joke!
It was about 5pm when I was let loose on India and as the Border Ceremony was at 6.30 I waited around to watch. I’ve been travelling in countries where I’ve seen hardly any tourists for months so it freaked me out when I saw tourists and westerners everywhere. The ceremony is pure theatre and the majority Indian crowd loved it with singing and cheering.
I arrived in Amritsar as darkness fell and welcome to India, it was the craziest ridding I’ve ever done, ridding in India is mad but in the dark too!
Amritsar has the most amazing Sikh ‘Golden Temple’ and I was told there is free accommodation & food for travellers, as I arrived I was told to ride my bike inside this massive building where there were hundreds of people resting and eating. Everybody watched as I parked my bike in a massive atrium, I was shown to the foreigners dorms where there were many backpackers. I met Urszula from Poland and she showed me around the Golden Temple which really is amazing and a ‘must see’ if you’re in this part of the world . We then went underground to a massive kitchen & dinning hall where thousands of people are fed for free all day, it’s the most wonderful community effort where hundreds of people prepare, serve, clean & wash up in the most organised & efficient manner.
The food was great and I’m smiling:)
I visited India 5 years ago and since I have always said India is my favourite country to travel in. It’s good to back India and I still love you.
