Not the greatest night sleep – Daisy is officially the first to get “Delhi Belly” ????

We wake up and go for some leisurely breakfast – toast, omelette and gravy coffee that we’ve come to love these last few days

Pop for a shower – it’s warm today ????

Speedily get ready, pack and placed on the boat – the shikara trip is quick and then we’re in a taxi for the airport (£20 though!)

We arrive at the airport and it’s not the most welcoming approach: there’s barbed wire and armed military police everywhere

There’s a security check before we reach the actual airport and the Switch is almost taken away ????

This is all to do with the disputed boarder with Pakistan, it seems, and honestly should make the whole thing safer, it just doesn’t feel that way!

We make it to the airport front door eventually and a bit early so we get in a check in queue and grab our tickets

Through security and it’s a little slow – they make sure to stamp every bag going through so as to ensure it’s classified as hand luggage (otherwise it’s not getting through!)

Dave has to empty his entire bag out so they can examine the berrocca – a lot of people look at it before they accept it’s not going to blow up the plane and we can crack on

Up the escalators towards our gate and there’s more going on here than we thought – at least 3 coffee and snack cafes and some local handicraft shops

We get Dave a cappuccino, Daisy a double-teabag tea and a mango juice to share

There’s about an hour before we board so we chill without WiFi and watch the planes go by

There’s even birds knocking about the departure gates

Our plane finally arrives, people disembark and we’re able to get on board

Very full flight but seems it’s going to Amritsar and then to Bangalore so some people will be getting off with us

Very short flight but we still take off late, plus we don’t get a window seat so miss shots of the Himalayas as we fly past!

We land and it’s a happier greeting for sure – warmer and smiles

Get out and book an Uber to the hotel, about 20 mins drive

Daisy booked a four star hotel for about £20  – definitely not UK equivalent standards – but has a mattress so is an improvement

Quick freshen up but we’ve unfortunately missed what we originally came to Amritsar to see: the Attari – Wagah Border procession

It happens everday around 4pm and we initially had a flight for the morning to arrive in time but the weather meant that was cancelled so we had to get the one we got

Just means we’ll have to come back ????????‍♀️

Anyhoo… we are ready and grab a tuk tuk outside our hotel to the centre

We’re dropped and walk around seeing Domino’s and Starbucks in The Partition Museum (stark modernisation for sure)

As well as the hectic centre of pedestrianalised Amritsar

Finally, we see the outside of a large and prettified centre where it seems more like organised chaos

We hand in our shoes, wash our hands, cover our head/hair and wash our feet before entering to see the Golden Temple – a sihk cultural glory

People bathe and drink the waters

It’s certainly a sight to see with your own eyes

Oddly, at exactly 6:10pm everyone stopped walking round to listen to the speaker on the PA system and almost pray together

Feels alien being here but very grateful

We head out and grab a tuk tuk

It takes us to a shopping centre and behold:

Seems we’re basically the only ones here, in Brewdog – but worth it!

Spotted some good looking things on the menu – we’re staying here a little

We’re shown a board of what they have on tap

Dave picks, Daisy picks something else (Indian wine!) – sadly no Punk IPA as that is stuck in Mumbai apparently

Our food comes ????

We even get a lesson on Kabaddi which is on the telly in the background (an ancient Indian/Asian contact sport)

Stuffed, we finish up and head onwards

We saw somewhere that had a draught kingfisher on the way so we venture back there

The route we initially took, though, is guarded by several dogs…

We’ve made it to Beer Story – an Indian take on a hip, British pub

They do indeed serve kingfisher on tap

We’ve got an early morning so head back in an Uber and straight to bed!