Today was a day of contrasts.

When compared to our morning's pilgrimage to the Golden Temple of Amristar, a highly spiritual experience, tonight's border closing ceremony was the epitome of one-up-manship gone crazy.

We found the Golden Temple mesmerising and surprisingly serene, despite the crowds of pilgrims paying their respects.

This gleaming central shrine floats at the end of a long causeway surrounded by the 'Pool of Nectar'. Spiritually, it's actually this tank of water -- said to have healing powers -- which is the focus of attention. We watched as men bathed in the waters, and let the priests' continuous chant from the Guru Granth Sahib wash over us.

The mood was one of personal introspection, interrupted only by occasional cries of protest from small children being immersed in the sacred waters against their will. It may have been a fatigue-generated calm -- you must understand, I was severely dehydrated at that point -- but in that place I felt very at-one with these people. As outsiders, we were welcomed with nothing but warmth and respect to their place of worship. As one old lady lightly touched my cheek, looked me in the eyes and smiled, I was genuinely moved -- I can't explain why, it was just extremely personal contact coming from a stranger, far more so than that which I experienced in Asia.

In contrast, the Indian Pakistan boarder closing ceremony verged on pure theatre. While the participants treat the ceremony with absolute seriousness, the crowds who gathered to watch in grandstands on either side of the boarder seemed to come for the carnival mood.

During the build up to the ceremony we were treated to battle-of-the-bands style music, playing from loud speakers from either side of the boarder; MC-led anthem chanting and rapturous rounds of applause (seriously, there was a guy in a white tracksuit with a mic, egging on the crowd); women being invited to take up ceremonial flags and sprint up to the boarder; and, my favourite, impromptu Bollywood-style dancing. It was nothing short of the railway platform scene from Slumdog Millionaire!

Then, as the sun started to set it became really ridiculous...

A roar went up from the crowd as the first soldier from each side marched furiously towards the boarder, to begin the first round of who-can-high-step-the-highest. And they can kick HIGH!

Officially, the purpose of the ceremony is to lower the national flags and formally close the boarder for the night. But what really occurs is a bizarre mix of formal marching, flag folding, chest beating, forceful stomping and almost comical high-stepping, as the two sides try to outdo each other in. It's extremely nationalistic, but remarkably good natured.