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McLeod, India - 7 July 1999
By Keiron Burchell Arrived here on Tuesday evening after a stunning 6hr bus ride up from the Punjab. Perched at the foothills of the Himalayas this "Little Lhasa" is only 1000m higher than Amritsar, but the difference could not be more blatant. McLeod is surrounded by hills awash with conifers and other evergreens. These hills and the valley below are dotted with hamlets surrounded by rice paddies. The sounds of bird-life are everywhere and crows and eagles circle the monastery constantly. The view from our hotel balcony - though not, I hasten to add, from my room - is simply breathtaking. From my room I get a nice view of the underwear on the clothes line and a faint smell of urine from the loo next door. Was fortunate enough to arrive here on the Dalai Lama's birthday and was thus able to catch a reading given by the great man himself this morning. Was one of only three people to cross from Pakistan to India on Monday, not counting incursions across the Line of Control. At the time I thought it strange that there were so few people crossing the border, especially as there were so many civilians loitering about on both sides of the border. I was later told by the Customs officials that these people all go to there to see if anything is happening. To be right on the spot, so to speak, should war break out between India and Pakistan. Army Intelligence from both sides are also stopping foreigners who have just crossed the border and asking them about troop movements and arms build-up on the other side of the border. In Amritsar (map), I stayed in the Golden Temple where accommodation and food are free for all visitors, the majority of whom are Sikh pilgrims. Before entering the Temple proper you have to remove your shoes and cover your head. The main shrine, called the Hari Mandir, is covered in gold leaf (paid for by the Sikh's in Birmingham) and surrounded by the huge Amritsar pool. In the pool are some extraordinary 'begging' fish that tread water just below the surface, mouths towards you, waiting to be fed. While I was sitting beside the pool, watching the sunset and the fish, a fearsome looking Temple guard with a beard and a spear came over to me, pointed at my feet and at the Shrine and started shouting something in Punjabi. Turns out that the shrine is believed to be the House of God and you aren't supposed to point the soles of your feet at the House of God. And if you do, well then some bloke in a turban comes along and stabs you with his spear.
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