Amritsar, Friday

1236 Woke up about 1030 feeling bit shit but not too bad. Snoozed on alarm from 11 to 12, now up and going to go out for lunch then try to find Golden Temple afterwards. It is very near hotel but guide book naturally doesn't bother to say where the entrance is and the complex is quite large.

As last night, hotel room feels a touch chilly. Popped out onto balcony and I think it's OK out. Bit uncertain about onward travel, need to book trains, getting into the temple (you have to cover your head, free bandannas are provided, how the fuck am I supposed to actually tie the thing?), whether I should stay an extra night (which interacts unpleasantly with the need to book train tickets).

Fuck it. Going to go to same place as last night for food, don't want to waste time hunting round for ages (though the temple is apparently open until 2am and you 'should' visit both during day and at night - still, for now at least I want to wander streets trying to find entrance in daylight) There is a huge 'leave your shoes here' sign just down street from hotel which *may* be the temple entrance but which may also be a scam or something, since guide book makes no mention of the huge signs by way of a landmark. Fuck it again. Food.

1306 Here at restaurant. Slightly tempted to try virtually identical looking place next door, but decided if food the same - that didn't superficially do non-veg, so couldn't try Amritsari fish there - why not stick with this place given I am fairly sure it's hygienic (guide book, my own experience yesterday).

1316 Aloo matar with jeera rice and a plain naan, and a diet coke. Never sure if I am supposed to have rice with potato dishes but sod it. I sort of asked the waiter's advice but I am not quite sure what to make of his attitude. It's all nutrition anyway.

I notice it really is 'Diet Coke' here, not 'Coke Light' as I believe it's branded in the UK and IIRC Latin America.

1349 That was quite good, slightly spicy but OK (though beer would have been nice). Feel slightly full/sick but better than yesterday. Chap has just sat down at my table opposite me (I am waiting for the bill), not sure if this is cos there are no free tables or what. I am studiously ignoring him. Do wonder if the food is a touch oily (ghee?) for my tastes, but not by any means sure. Chap left. No, he's back. Still, I am getting the bill for sure, waiter turned up again and asked what I wanted so he must have missed it first time.

1353 Bill only 27x, will make it 350 then leave chappie to his table. :-)

1729 Back at hotel. Want to see about organising Spanish lesson so waffle more later.

2030 Had lesson, looked into flights for Latin America, going out for food though not quite sure where. Crystal tempting but it's a tuktuk ride away and it's Friday night and not sure I'd get in. Maybe end up back at usual place, could do worse, let's see. May ask at desk.

2057 At Brother's, one of two places recommended by hotel. Their first rec was Shudh, which I went into. Says self-service outside (and hotel told me they did an unlimited deal, not that I was enormously interested). Not very busy inside. I ask if I serve myself after they seat me. They bring me a menu with prices. I order. Chap says it is self-service here. I ask if I should move. He says something about him serving me for cash. I ask how much. Deadlock, no comprehension. Earlier on he seemed to interpret my order as a request for details on the menu items. Semi fair enough. Then I asked if I should get rice with it. He read all 12 or so items off the breads list. Anyway, after the deadlock I said I was sorry I didn't understand and I'd better leave, and I did.

No trouble here and it's quite busy. One v slightly pushy tout en route here from Shudh but OK. I am fractionally tempted to head up to a 'beer bar and restaurant' I saw between here and bus stand on my walk to hotel when I arrived, but the road I think it was up looked slightly dead and the tout was there and I don't crave a beer and two consecutive days off would probably be a good thing. (I haven't been drinking a lot lately, but I had one bottle most days.)

Anyway, Golden Temple. The west entrance is the place near the 'leave shoes here' sign v near hotel. Left shoes, took socks off unprompted (kept in pocket) as guide book had mentioned washing feet on way in. As I headed off to the pool washy area I suddenly remembered (there were no signs) I hadn't covered my head so went back and got a bandanna. It was pre-tied so I fiddled with it and half got another pre-tied one on. I asked one of the army of guys behind the desk if that was acceptable and he tied one on for me, which was nice. (Wikitravel - not the most reliable source I admit - says all Sikhs are required/encouraged (don't remember which) to volunteer at the temple for a week. That to my mind would explain the massive overstaffing of the free shoe storage counter. But some random near the top of the Google results page on Sikhism I looked at the other day made out that no one Sikh temple was more holy than another and didn't mention this volunteering requirement. I suppose the two aren't strictly contradictory so could both be true, but seems odd.)

It is very impressive inside. I did a circuit of the pool, then queued up to go into the centre bit (don't have right names handy), then did another circuit of pool before leaving. On top floor of temple some chap in a turban sort of waved me into the central enclosed bit - I had avoided going in these places generally, on grounds of possibly upsetting people - and he seemed slightly insistent. So I knelt down awkwardly and then he waved me off to one side and seemed to insist I stayed. Other people were coming in and just kneeling and going out. I felt a bit awkward sitting there while some priest chap was reading. Anyway, he asked me my name and outside when we (IIRC) left he asked if I was Jewish so I told him I was Christian. It didn't exactly feel threatening but I am never happy on religious territory when not sure how to behave. Food here.

2122 Veg hot & sour soup v good. I didn't pay anything at the temple. Would have been happy to donate 100-200 but it would I think have been rude to tip the shoe desk chap (plus that would have been personal) and apart from some money on a tray in that room where the chap made me kneel down the only other place I could see taking money was the window related to the free kitchen which (as did some other windows about taking robes or holy offerings) said something about 'take your receipt' and I wasn't sure what to do - why would I want a receipt, why is it so important? If there'd just been a box marked donations somewhere I would have put something in.

Anyway afterwards went to the little park where there was the British massacre of unarmed group just after WW1. Moderately touching and interesting, though I felt some of the surrounding text esp in the museum just a touch overblown. Yes, it sounds like a terrible act, but to say (paraphrasing from memory) shooting on an unarmed crowd was 'unparalleled in history as an atrocity' strikes me as hyperbole. I also couldn't sympathise with the portrayal of Udai Singh (not right, from memory) who shot and killed the *son* of the guy who ordered the troops to fire in London some time after as a hero.

2156 Food pretty good, though rice turned up a lot later than other stuff. Am stuffed, struggled a bit to finish. But I figured best to eat something. I am probably going to Chandigarh (sp) next, looked into a bit earlier and will look out exact train details tonight and try to book tomorrow - there is (wikitravel, not rough guide, tho I spotted it myself after reading wikitravel) a reservation office by the temple which will be convenient if it's open. I might want to try to squish in another place after Chandigarh as it seems to have one main attraction and be a bit expensive and I don't want to end up in Delhi too early. I think two nights there (ie one full day then fly after second night) is an ample buffer against transport problems. Bill 346, was going to make it 400 but felt a bit stingy so made it 450. Perhaps over generous but sod it, will probably be back here as slightly nearer hotel than other place I've eaten and food roughly comparable.

2212 Back at hotel. Chap on desk asked if I'd had food. I said I'd been to Brothers. When he expressed mild surprise I didn't go to Shuhd I gave him a potted version of the trouble there, which I am not sure he understood but WTF.

Saw people at the shoe depository at Golden Temple on way back. Wondered if I should go in but I had a bag of bananas I'd purchased on the way back and it also felt just a smidge late. I might try to go in tomorrow night after dark when I get back from the border ceremony, perhaps more like 8-9ish. Oh, I asked at a tour place about that between temple and the massacre place. Super nice old Sikh chap with one jaggy front tooth told me to go round to (I think; directions were sort of clear) the street by the entrance to Jsomething which I think was the massacre place about 2-3pm tomorrow (he said I was too late for today, which I knew) and there'd be loads of people touting for business and they'd take me. Wikitravel has an article on this which I shall skim tonight as well; I think its main page says something about not paying until the vehicle is about to leave as they may try to wait for a full load and you get there too late. I doubt I will be strong enough to avoid paying up front but you never know.

Got a bunch of bananas for 30; the guy may have given me shit ones but who cares at that price as long as one is edible. Bought a couple of oranges and a carton of guava juice (no orange juice) and bottle of water at shop in street somewhere near massacre place, that was 130 but I think litre juice cartons are relatively pricey so not a massively unreasonable charge.

2224 Just popped out and checked at desk; I can store my luggage here after I check out (the train I want goes about 6pm IIRC, it's that or 6am). They made a big fuss about which day it was; maybe this is contingent on having a room free, maybe not. Anyway.

2227 OK, it looks like I want train 12412 ASR-CDG INTERCITY EXP (type SUPERFAST), leaving Amritsar Jn 1730 arriving Chandigarh 2155. A bit late but can't be helped. That is a terminus-terminus run (and only 250km).

Took a bit of faffing but looks like the seat options on that train are CC (chair car) and 2S (non air-con 2-tier sleeper??). CC would be great. And it shows seat availability, so if I get down to the reservation office not too late tomorrow I should be laughing.

0058 Had sluice down with hot tap in bathroom, surfed a bit, finally going to bed. Bit lax all round but meh. Sore throat/cold continues to mutate symptoms but never seems to actually go. FFS.