Goodbye India

Yes, the final instalment in our Indian adventure before dementia.

Shan's healthy breakfast option!

Last minute shopping items: spices...

...and bangles. A whole shop full of bangles!

In the evening, back to Cyber City, Delhi...

...for a wonderful curry. Look how the poppadoms were presented!

Satori wine: a local Merlot for local people 

Shan & Catherine, enjoying catching up on Essex gossip

Dave, Shan, Catherine, Darren, Tine & your faithful blogger

Shan & Tine waiting for the airport taxi

It's a very impressive airport

Back to Stansted, and where else but the Cock pub? Simon obviously very happy to see us again!

Amritsar Golden Temple by night

We decided to explore in the early evening before a return visit to the Golden Temple

Firstly we visited the memorial to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) when the British Indian army opened fire on non-violent Indians celebrating a festival 

Gun-shot markings can still be seen

The area is now a very peaceful park, visitors enjoying comparative cool at the end of the day

Return to the Golden Temple, this time accompanied by  a marching group of Sikhs

The Golden Temple in all its splendour

Walking back we spy a new hotel being constructed...

...and the crowds are thinning out.

Amritsar Golden Temple by day

A highlight of our trip was the visit to the Golden Temple

Shan and Dave were very impressed, and that's before we went in!

Our first glimpse of the real thing: a total 'wow' factor

People's faith and devotion a real heartwarming experience

Westerners are really welcome but Shan was particularly popular

Women's washing-up corner (there was a men's corner too)!

Hundreds queueing patiently to go inside the Temple

Amritsar

What a wonderful, busy city Amritsar was! In the afternoon we headed for the Golden Temple (more next time) but there was plenty to see on our way.

Carvings being created before our eyes, using very industrial tool 

There was definitely a sense of investment as the city draws in many crowds

Routes to the Golden Temple all trimmed up for the next festival

A wonderful banyan tree with its aerial roots

Drinks made to order from sugar-cane type plants

Cookery lesson & Amritsar

Sadly I went down with Delhi Belly and missed the Indian cookery lesson

Enjoyed by Shan & Tine...

...and Big Dave, at a beery distance!

Next day, an early morning flight to Amritsar...

...not quite as solo as this bird of prey above the hotel!

View onto the main road from the hotel roof

Dave, Tine & I went on a walkabout near the hotel...

...discovering breads being baked in a special oven,

a Hindu temple all decorated for a festival

and marigolds for sale to offer in the temple.

Getting more adventurous now: a tuk-tuk ride to our next visit!

The Shri Durgiana Temple

Footwear off, as is the custom

Families stopped to ring the bell...

...at the start of a long bridge over the lake...

...some visitors passing not-very-happy youngsters over to be photographed!

The Hindu temple was in the middle of a lake