Well it's officially been a month since I left home. In some ways it doesn't feel that long but in others I feel I've been gone forever! This struck me as strange when, this afternoon, I flew back in to Delhi and felt, "good to be home!" Not quite home but main base I guess. I really enjoyed Amritsar, and felt a little like a celebrity yesterday! I had 6 groups of people approach me throughout the day and ask for a photo with me. I should have said "100 rupees!!" Like they often do when you take someone's picture here but apparently I was quite the novelty. Perhaps because I was wearing Indian clothing?!? Who knows. Then my guide said to me, " you don't think too much. I mean worry or stress too much do you?" I looked around assuming he was talking to someone else. But he WAS talking to me and he explained all Western tourists have lines between their eyebrows (making a frustrated face). But you have no lines!" I just about handed over the trip tip right then!!!! That little thing honestly made my day!! I chose to take both the photo requests and his comment as compliments. Why not, eh?

The Wagah Border ceremony was really kind of cool. I was supposed to have a VIP seat, (which only meant a plastic lawn chair on an elevated platform) but ended up sitting with all the "foreigners". The guards wouldn't listen when I said I had a booked seat there. So I sat on a cement staircase instead and enjoyed it for what I could see. It was a lot of pomp and posturing as Indian and Pakistani soldiers prepare to close the border for the night. Of course my camera battery died just after I got there... Oh well, memories in my mind will suffice. The Indian soldiers take themselves VERY seriously and I couldn't help but get the giggles a few times. One of the things they do is march stiff legged towards the border, throw a high kick that has their toes hit their turbans, then they straighten their turbans and make threatening gestures with their fist in the air at the Pakistani guards. Major historical significance to this routine and it is rather serious but every time one of these guys gave his leg kick I kept looking to see if he split his pants!! Must have a good % of spandex in them! I think everyone from the Golden temple today came to the ceremony - massive crowd again and same on the Pakistan side. The pictures don't do it justice but there's a taste of what it was like. Afterward I went to Durgiana temple (Hindu temple) which was built in the image of the Golden Temple and is famous for its silver doors.