To make way for the new and modern Chandigarh, the existing villages in the area had to be cleared in the 1950′s, which created a lot of waste. This waste, just junk to your average person, caught the attention of a Pakistani refugee named Nek Chand. He began hauling it back to his forest home [...]
Check out this short video we took at the Golden Temple. It gives you some idea of how it felt to be inside the temple grounds.
Our current location, Chandigarh, is the capital of the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana. It is very, very different from all other cities in India. See, it’s not another run-off-the-mill five thousand year old smack full of sights and wonders and poverty type of city. No, it’s a city that was constructed in the [...]
The Golden Temple is the Sikh’s holiest shrine and true to their inclusive nature, all are welcome. They ask only a few things of you before entering: you must wear a head scarf, walk through a pool of water to wash your feet and not smoke. Easy enough. The temple is surrounded by a [...]
As I explained here, the ceremony was best caught on video. Here is the series of events, in all it’s glory: The all important warm-up: The march toward the gate: The fierce opening of the gate: The super-sweet-double-scary-arms-in-the-air-stance – take that Pakistani border guards!
What are all these people waiting around to see? Why, it’s a nightly border closing ceremony, of course! Amritsar is 30 km from the only Indian border crossing into Pakistan. As Martin explains here, relations between the two countries aren’t all that great. One would think that the border would be a dangerous place. [...]
I guess every country has to have an arch enemy. For India that enemy is Pakistan. The two countries were under the same rule up to 1947, and the partition was as bloody as it was abrupt. About 500,000 people are believed to have been killed during those troubled times. You’d think that after [...]
We’ve made it to Amritsar, which is the main city of the Sikhs. If you haven’t heard of them, you’ve probably seen them. They’re the guys that wear turbans. Sikhism was founded in the 15th century. It comprises elements from both Hinduism and Islam, although the final result is quite far from either. To [...]
We’ve been on our fair share of transportation in the last five months. I’m pretty sure we’ve ridden everything, short of a space shuttle. If I had to choose, after all this research we’ve done, I’d have to say that the train is my favorite. All the important things can be done on a [...]
Jaime had seen these pastries, Jalebis, on a picture in our Lonely Planet guidebook. When we chanced upon a stall that sold them, naturally she sent her trusty scout (me) out to find one for her. After handing over twenty cents to the unnaturally obese salesperson, I returned with my booty wrapped up in a [...]
You know the saying, “to fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on an extended round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
