Guiri en Madrid - I: Foreign

First thing you got to remember when you travel to Spain and someone calls you a Guiri(pronounced with a silent 'u') he/she isn't calling you an avatar of Lord Vishnu(in Hindu culture) or referring to the Japanese name of justice, but basically insulting you. It basically refers to a "मैं कौन हूँ? मैं कहा हूँ?" (Who am I? Where am I?) types.

May 4, 2009:
 Around 11am local time, Ataturk International Airport, Istanbul 

 

Random Indian co-passenger while getting off the plane: "Its so bloody cold here!"
Turkish co-passenger in reply: "Are you kidding? Its only 15 degrees C!"
15 degrees???!!! I swear it was colder. Probably the Turkish guys don't know how to read temperatures. That was my first experience of "normalcy" in Europe. 10 more weeks in this place, only god could help me.

4pm, Barajas International Airport, Madrid

After flying for 8 hours and a three hour stop over in Istanbul, I finally landed in Madrid. No one mugged me or tore my visa pages in Mumbai, as I had been warned. I was startled to find the exit of the airport deserted. Even Mangalore Airport will have more people at any given time waiting at the exit. Only a really tall girl and a guy with really long hair were there and they held up one colourful paper with my name written on it.

Foreign. Or rather the joy of being in foreign.  I had been to Thailand before, but that doesn't count as foreign does it? Yes we do have big buildings, automatically opening doors, sprawling malls and modern cars in India too. So how would foreign or foreign-like be described by an Indian? I have drafted up a definition below, if anyone has got something better in mind, let me know:

Any place that is clean, decked up with modern architecture and technology and where pretty girls wear short dresses.   

The tall girl: "Hello Archeeeet! Welcome to Madrid."

Me [struggling to remember the minuscle spanish I had learnt] : "Hola! Como esta usted?"

Tall girl [smiling]: "Bueno! Hablas español?"

Me [struggling to grasp what the girl had said, catching only the last word]  : "No. Know español only pequeño."

Tall girl  [laughing]: "Poquito, no pequeño. No problem. In one week you'll speak fluently. In the laboratory we only speak Spanish."

After the introductions, we headed to the lab. In the car, my professor called.

Prof : "Hello Archeeey! Welcome to Madrid! Everything it is okay?"

Me [totally forgetting what the girl had taught me 10 minutes ago] : "Hola sir! Gracias. Everything is okay. Como esta usted?"

Prof : "I'm very good. You speak spanish?"

Me : "Sí. Pequeño"  

Prof : "No problem. In one week you'll speak fluently. In the laboratory we only speak Spanish."

The joy of being in foreign soon turned into fear. My friends in the front of the car were speaking Spanish at a speed that would Usain Bolt to shame. I could barely grasp a single word. Back home, I used to criticize a couple of friends who spoke really fast. Well I could at least understand what they were saying.

Along the way we saw the Valdebebas, the training ground of Real Madrid. Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano where Castilla, the Real Madrid B team plays made the Chinnaswamy stadium look small. The sight sure did help me settle a few nerves: I was at the city of my dreams, where football is more than just a sport.

No wonder the long haired guy said: "When you speak English, we can all understand. When the English people speak, we cannot." 


7.30 pm, Príncipe Pio, Madrid

"I want to buy a SIM card."

Shopkeeper [totally confused]:"Perdona! Puede repitir por favor?"


"Do you speak English?"

Shopkeeper 1 [using gestures to call buddy]  : "Un momento por favor." 

Shopkeeper 2  [nodding his head with confidence] "Yes."

"I want to buy a SIM card. Vodafone please."

"We have Vodafone." [takes out a mobile phone]

Me [using hand gestures] : "I don't want a mobile phone. I only want a SIM card."


I looked at the tall girl, she was confused as well. I took out my phone and showed him what I meant by a SIM card. And to make the feeling more weird, the sun was still shining brightly. at 7.30 pm! This was new to me.

This was Príncipe Pio, one of the central shopping districts of Madrid. Remember, when someone in Madrid says they know English, speak slowly, very slowly, so that they understand. Even if they sing those complicated lyrics of that Lady Gaga song off the radio perfectly, doesn't mean they can understand everything you say.

Takes out those normal envelopes containing SIM cards " Here you are."

"What are the tariffs?"

"What?"

"Call charges? I want to make and receive phone calls to India."

"€ 1.00 per minute."

[Marwadi brain thinking] What a bloody rip off! 1 x Rs. 65 = Rs. 65/min for a phone call! 

Me  : "Incoming is free right?"

Shopkeeper: "No free."

"Then how much."

"€ 1.00 per minute."

"Even for incoming? For receiving phone calls from India?"

"Yes. I think so."

"Can you tell me the exact figure?"

"I don't know. You can see the website."

"But you're sure I have to pay some one from India calls me on this phone?"

"Yes.....I think so."

There was no way in bloody hell I was going to pay €1.00 (to re-iterate, Rs. 65) per minute when my parents would call. At least not at that very moment. I thought I had to pay for food at € 5-10 per day for the next 70 days. And I had just a little bit more, for maybe to see the Bernabeu. I came all the way from 8848 km away and I was going to go to the Bernabeu at all costs, even for a stadium tour, if not a match.

The same story continued in the other two stores in the complex. Shopkeepers having no clue about tariffs and passers-by wondering what this guiri wanted that. Why can't you just speak Spanish? thats what they seemed to be saying.

Me, to the tall girl : "Is there a STD booth here?" "I mean a public telephone, I just want to call home."

"I think there is one outside."

There was one outside. But there seemed no slot to put cash. My international calling card from Istanbul didn't seem to work.

"Where can I get a calling card for this phone?"

"I think over there. But the shop is closed."

Just great. It is just 8. Shops are closed. The sun was still shining brightly.

"Lets go to the Residencia. Gracias" 

9pm, Residencia Joaquin Blume 

The comfort of living in a large single room. A nice bouncy bed. With a beautiful table. A huge wardrobe. An attached bathroom with a tub. A great view. Truly amazing. But one thing was lacking.

"Perdona. Where can I get water?"

Very friendly fat gentleman behind the recoptinist desk, smiling: "What is water?"

Yes. The sun was still out.

The three days I will never forget...Part 3: Dilli

Click here for Part 1 and Part 2.
Day 3: 15 May 2008, Delhi
If I could choose any city to live in India, I would choose Bangalore. Then New Delhi. I don't know why I love this city. Is it the great food? Is it the old world charm with all those monuments? Or the malls in Gurgaon and Noida? The pretty women? Or is it just because its the capital of the greatest country on earth? But I do know why it comes after Bangalore: the weather. Though autumns in Delhi are awesome.

Coming from a city where the metro always seems to be in construction, we more or less decided to visit only those places in Delhi which we could approach by metro. Later we would see the Rajpath. First stop Connought Place. Had great lunch there. Loafed around there and Pallika before heading down to Karol Bagh.
Around 5, Roshan di Kulfi, Karol Bagh
I wanted to go to Chandini Chowk. I remember going there as a kid and I loved the chaat. But RSlime said Roshan di Kulfi was better. The fact that the tam-brahm had lived in Dilli previously and the even more crucial fact that the metro went to Karol Bagh meant we all went to Roshan di Kulfi. I still maintain Chandini Chowk is (and will always be) better. I've eaten better stuff in Bangalore. And quite a few among us seemed to concur.
Around 8, Chanakyapuri bus stand
After seeing the India gate, Rashtrapathi Bhavan and Parliament houses on the way back, we packed our luggage to catch the 9.30 train back home. We hoped to catch an auto to the station, but there was not one in sight. Being one of India's most posh localities, with atleast every house having a Merc/BMW sedan or higher, definitely had something to do with it. We finally did get a bus and were in the station by 9.15, just in time to get into the train. Pseudo's ticket wasn't confirmed yet. We were advising him where to hide when the T.T.E. would come (the toilet, upper berth, under the seat). Once in the train, we thought finally no more problems. We can sleep in the AC and go home happily. Little did we know what was in store.
10pm, on board Karnataka Express, 3AC coach
"Ticket batana please (Please show me your ticket)"
Never think Sardars (or sardarnis) are stupid. Never. They might be the butt of all jokes, but that's all fiction. The fact is our present prime minister is a Sardar. And he is into his second term. All my Sardar friends are smart. Studying in top universities in the USA and doing really well. So the point is, after narrating this incident, you cannot laugh at us for being duped by a Sardar.

Anees: "Yeh lo jee."
T.T.E.: "ID please."

Anees gives him a paper.
T.T.E.: "Original please sir. Yeh to xerox hai.(This is a photocopy. Show me an original please)"
Anees:" Xerox toh chalta hai. Maine pehle bhi e-ticket par savaar kiya hai. Unhone xerox accept kiya sir (A copy is fine. I have previously travelled on an e-ticket and used photocopies of the ID)" 
T.T.E.:"Aapko railways ke rules nahi pata? E-ticket ke liye, original ID hona sakth zaroori hai. Nahi toh ticket valid nahi hai! (You don't know the rules of the Railways? You need to carry the ID in original for the ticket to be valid)"

Now that took all of us by surprise. Just when we thought all was over for good. 

Anees: "Mere paas iska original nahi hai sir. Doosra photo ID hai? Woh chalega? (I don't have this ID in original sir. Can I show you another photo ID)? Will that be okay?)"
Please note this incident happened three months before the rule change came in that allowed the passenger to carry any  photo ID.
A few of us "Hamare paas bhi hai..(We also have(IDs))"

Remember: when a Sardar is laughing and you are not, you are in trouble! Big trouble!

T.T.E.:"I will have to fine you. Without ticket fine plus entire fare from Delhi to Bangalore. For 6 people. That would be Rs. 11500"

All of us were stunned. 11500. From where the bloody hell were we going to get that amount of cash? The train didn't have an ATM. The train never stopped at a station long enough so that we could go to the ATM. Its 10.30 in the night. Three of us were on a different ticket and we had a valid ID for that. And Pseudo was hiding somewhere.

Anees (with a completely discoloured face): "But sir. We are students. We don't carry that much amount of money."
But the sardar wouldn't budge. No matter how much begging and pleading we did.
T.T.E.: "You are all educated people. You should know the rules. I work for the government and I have to follow the rules. I'm supposed to be fining you double the amount, as you boarded from Delhi. But I'm not doing that. Don't worry I'll give you a receipt." 

One of us: "Sir, please sir. Can we get a seat in Sleeper instead? We can pay for the tickets then."
T.T.E. : "Arrey baba, train full chal rahi hai. Waitlist wale train pe chadh chuke hai. Agla station Mathura hai, 11 baje aayega. Agar paise nahi hai to waha utar kar general mein ghoos jana.( The train is full. People with waitlisted tickets have boarded the train. The next station is Mathura, we'll reach there. If you do not have enough money, please get down there and board the general compartment."

We were all completely lost. Some tried asking how much cash he wanted, but being an honest government employee he didn't budge. Now where do we get the cash from?

Fortunately I had around 6k with me. Decision not to buy myself a birthday present at Delhi saved us. GS and Arun had some 3k. The rest 2.5k we collected from our wallets by putting all the notes of all denominations that we had with us. Including 5 rupee notes! I think we fell short by 20 or 30 bucks. And finally the T.T.E. agreed. We did get a receipt. And a photo. And it was all over. Finally.

The three days I will never forget...Part 2: Agra

Part 1 is here.

Day 2: 7.30 am New Delhi Railway Station

Golden Temple Express chugs into India's biggest station and we realize that the T.T.E. never came at night. Was it worth buying the ticket for this journey? Anyways the bogie was empty. We split into two, one batch went to buy tickets for the next train to Agra. The other goes to stand in queue for the cloak room. We finally get general tickets on Howrah mail departing at 8.15, fifteen minutes prior to departure. The cloak room just closed for breakfast when Kaadu reached the counter. So pulling all our luggage, over the bridge and running upto the end of the platform we got into one of the most crowded bogies ever.

8.15-12.45 am, on board Howrah-Delhi TOOFAN Express

The next few hours in Gandhi class was a novel experience. Sitting on the train footboard, standing wherever we could find place for our feet or squeezing between passengers, at the same time guarding our luggage negotiating the beggars. The train did stop for sometime midway because of a high velocity dust storm (we later learnt that it uprooted many trees in Delhi and UP and toppled a few cars as well).  And the TOOFAN express took over 4hrs for a 2.5 hrs journey(thanks Chaitu).

1 pm, in Agra, the City of Crooks

After much negotiating we finally agreed upon the following:

2 autos, 8 people + luggage. 300 bucks. Tour schedule: "lunch @ good but reasonable restaurant", visit to Taj, visit market area and return by 6.30 to catch the train back to New Delhi.

1.30pm, "Lunch @ good but reasonable restaurant"

Waiter: Lunch mein kya leenge sir?

GS: Kya hai?

Waiter : Butter chicken roast le leejiye, teen logo ke liye kaafi rahega.

GS : Anees we'll take that. What shall we take for starters?  

Anees: Hang on. Did you see the menu

GS sees the menu. Butter chicken costs 250 bucks. 

GS: Aanth Veg thaali .

Waiter : Are you sure sir?

GS :  Yes!

Turned out to be one of the worst things we've ever eaten. Still we saw the drivers get some commission from the restaurant owner as we were leaving. Should have realized.

2.30 pm, Wah Taj!

Fortunately for Manu, the road leading upto Taj turned out to be spic and span. We left our luggage with the waiting auto guys who gave us 2 hrs, and most of us hoped we would return to find them. We saw a funny thing at the entrance:

Indian visitors: Rs.20

Foreign visitors: Rs. 750

Justice finally I thought, after all those 250+ years of "Dogs and Indians not allowed". They earn in $, they should pay in $.  

The Taj was completely worth the pain we endured while traveling from Amritsar the previous day. The white marble marvel was built by one of India's greatest kings in the memory of his wife, who apparently chopped the fingers of th workers who worked on the monument for 22 years so that another Taj would not be created. I might be biased but this is the most beautiful of all the 7 wonders. Words would never do it justice.

Being a mosque, we were asked to remove our footwear when we entered the main monument. We noticed a funny thing, the foreigners still had their shoes on but covered them in a plastic bag and continued walking in the monument. Anees took great offence at this. He approached an Indian looking guy wearing a Canada cap while we all sat back.

Anees: Sir, how can you wear shoes in a religious monument? I'm a muslim and you've hurt my religious sentiments. 

Indian looking Man: I'm sorry. But I've paid 750 bucks for this and they told me it was okay.

Anees just couldn't control himself. Started smirking even before turning to walk towards us. Who the hell in their right minds would pay 750 bucks for 2 plastic covers on their feet?

Anees returned to tell us the whole story and we couldn't control laughing either.

Indian man sees us laughing. Comes upto Anees : You think this is a big joke? Are you trying to make a fool out of me? I will teach you a lesson so that you will never make fun of anybody ever in your life. Do you know who I am? I am a travel agent! "

I seriously don't know how we controlled our laughing there. But when he had gone, we couldn't hold it anymore. Travel agent

5.45pm The Agra Market Place

The auto drivers and our luggage were in place. As per schedule we went to the "market". When we got there we realized "the market" had just 2 shops in close proximity of each other: A UP Government Handicrafts Store and an Agra Petha Shop which sold petha at ridiculously high costs (Rs 500/kg of kesar petha). Most of us spent buying some goods for home, and ended up giving the driver some commission.

We finally reached the station at 6.30 pm. The train was 3 hours late. In the train GS made friends with a foreigner couple who couldn't visit Taj as it was expensive. Not all foreigners are rich. We reached Nizamuddin station at 12.30 in the night. We ate the cold food at the 24hr restaurant before heading back to the hostel, completely out. ne more day and then home. 

Good v/s Great

What is the difference between what is good and what is great? What is it that lends a legendary status on somebody that helps one carve a niche for oneself: making one stand-out like a Colossus while the others in the field seem like Gulliver’s lilliputs in comparison. The answer is quite simple: the resistance to change.

Let us take the case of two things that are considered great, more or less by consensus.
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar began playing cricket in November 1989 as a mere 16 year old. Within 3 years of his debut his performance would determine the outcome of the match that India played in. This has more or less continued even to this date. Sachin has barely changed over the last twenty years. He still has that characteristic boyish look, the same curly hair, the low pitch voice and that smile when he takes a wicket. He has never seemed to change his batting style or aggressiveness over the last twenty years, taking the opposition front on, and letting his bat do the talking; in the process contributing significantly in taking India to the cusp of the top rankings in tests and ODIs.
The Simpsons, which began way back in 1989 and now into its 21st season, is still quite popular and will run for atleast one more season. The plot is the same: there’s an average American family (as Matt Groening, the creater of the show, refers to America’s favorite family) with a fat, bald stupid guy Homer, his cleanliness freak, blue-haired wife Marge, their mischievous eight year old son Bart, super smart seven year old Lisa and baby Maggie. Twenty years on, Bart is still eight, Lisa still six, Maggie still can’t talk and Homer still does not have any problems despite drinking that huge amount of beer for over twenty years. He is still, bald, fat and stupid and everybody loves Homer.

A show like How I Met Your Mother, was good, and is getting really boring into the 5th season. M S Dhoni had a good run when h started off, but now that lady luck has ditched him, he is just one bad series away from getting stripped of captaincy. There are many other great people in different situations: Sir Alex Ferguson, Pete Sampras, Haile Gabreselaisse, Lance Armstrong to name a few. The only common thing is that they have barely changed their style.

All good things must come to an end, but great things stay forever. And ever.

Quotable Quotes

• "You're from Bangalore? (excitedly, as felt when realisation dawns upon someone) So you're Bangladeshi!"--Hot, blonde American at a bar at Valencia
• "China is a big country with rapidly growing big cities like Beijing, Shanghai...umm...Mumbai"-- Romanian professor during a presentation in Madrid explaining the reason why he chose China for a tie-up for one of his researches
• "So you don't drink coffee? You drink tea? (excitedly, almost as much as the blonde, in a total firang accent)You're a Chaiwallah!" -- Same Romanian prof to when I told him I don't drink coffee. who thought who thought that after watching Slumdog Millionaire he knew all about India and its culture.
• "Is it true in India you do not use calculators in school?" (I said yeah, he continues) "No wonder you people are such masters of computers and are there everywhere in the world."--Well informed Spanish guy in a bar in Madrid who probably does not know the number of Indians in software making us omnipresent.
• "Is it true in India there is a university for which 100,000 people study very hard for 6 years and only 2000 get in? And is it true that companies sign these 2000 people on a pre-contract with big salaries as soon as they join?" -- Proof that the above mentioned Spanish guy is well informed.
• My Columbian neighbor in Madrid: "I really want to visit India. I have read so much about the Taj Mahal, Delhi, Mumbai, Kaalkoota (that's how he pronounced it). (Like an inquisitive young kid) Do you know about Columbia?"; I replied: "Yes. Of course!"; "What have you heard about Columbia?"; "Shakira!" -- We're no better :)
• Question in Management test: What are the environmental factors that affect business?; student's answer (who incidentally slogged the entire weekend, bunked the morning classes and searched the internet to prepare for the test and allegedly had a copy of the notes with him during the test) "... It would be a disaster to open an ice-cream shop in the equatorial region, as it rains all the time and no1 would buy the ice-cream. But opening a restaurant near our college is a very good idea..."
• "Dude! Lets go inside. There are hot chicks and cold AC"--Random wannabe cool doode outside Pabba's to his buddy who wanted to buy ice-cream from the take away counter inside. I could only see Burqua-clad women and LWS staring at their back.

This is normal in a Spaniards life...

• The sun sets at 10pm and this is only the beginning of summer.
• Barely anyone speaks English. This is kind of obvious, but even if some1 says they know English, they probably think five hundred is a bigger number than five thousand. Despite the fact that they know the lyrics of the latest English song perfectly.
• Speaking of cell phones, a sim plus phone is cheaper than a sim alone. But you got to recharge with a minimum balance to the former to activate it, making the sim cheaper!
• When you say you’re vegetarian, please clearly specify that you don’t eat carne(meat), pescada(fish) and jamon(ham) to be sure that you get none of these in your vegetarian meal.
• Everyone follows rules. The drivers will wait till the green walking man turns to the red standing man at the zebra crossing and only then start their cars. Even if you are involved in a highly affectionate PDA with your partner, beginning when the man is still red and don´t realize that it has turned green, they will still wait without honking or hurling abuses at you.
• The mature girls and women for some reason think it’s a fashion statement to show some part of every garment that they’re wearing. Its like they’re showing “look at the number of garments that I can wear to cover such a small space”. Instead of us Indians gaping with our mouths wide open at the sight or doing shame-shame puppy-shame, we can learn a thing or two from these pretty girls and apply it to develop it to surge ahead in nano-technology.
• A typical issue of Marca/AS: The analysis of who Perez is going to buy once he becomes the president is the most important. Then how Cristiano Ronaldo has developed a new liking for tapas implying that he is inching closer to becoming a Galactico. Then the discussion on whom all should get the boot in order to finance Ronaldo, Kaka AND Villa (even the papers admit that Real Madrid do not have that much cash in this economic crisis). Then comes the quote by Casillas saying he prefers Cesc and Silva instead of Ronaldo and Kaka. This is followed by a call to support Atletico as Forlan needs 54000 people in the Vicente Calderon to win the ‘final’ (read 4th champions league spot) against, Valencia this sunday. Then an in depth preview of the second and third divisions and the youth tournaments in Madrid. Finally, if there are a few pages left to be printed, they’ll talk about the chances of the Spain u-17 team in the upcoming world cup. And maybe, they’ll find space to mention about Rafael Nadal participating in a tennis tournament in Madrid sponsored by Marca which to the rest of the world is almost as big as a grandslam.
• Barca and Atletico Madrid never win fair. The referee always helps them. That’s unless they’re playing clubs from Inglaterra, when Iniesta suddenly becomes the greatest player in the world and everyone prays that he gets fit in time for the final in Rome.

Nevertheless, Spaniards are the friendliest bunch of people I have ever met: always there to help you out and would even go out of their way even though you barely speak their language. They would do anything to make you feel at home.

The 3 days that I'll never forget...Part 1: Amritsar

Prologue:

12 May 2008, Around 4.45 pm:

Tickets to Amritsar were already booked. We were leaving by the 5.15 bus from Kullu. It was pouring. We were at Babeli, a good 7kms away from Kullu. It would take us atleast half an hour to reach the Kullu bus stop. No bus seemed to stop. Time was running out, we were getting wet in the rain and our rain sheets were abandoned God knows where. All the buses seemed to be headed the other way, Oh Murphy! Why are your stupid laws always right?

After an anxious 10min we did get a bus. We were certain it would be touch and go, if we were lucky. Fortunately the bus to Amritsar was late by half-an-hour. The birthday boy had luck, but for how long.

Day 1, 13 May 2008 : Amritsar

After a good 16 hours in a local bus, we reached Amritsar. Stuck with heavy luggage with no leg room was terrible. The delicious makke di roti n sarso ka saag from the road side dhaba the previous night made matters worse. Being sandwitched between sleepy Sagar and Manu didn't help either.  I certainly was releived to be in Amritsar.

9 am, the Underwear "scandal"

Never cheat a 70+ year old man, no matter how illiterate he is. Even if he trusts you when he can't read English numerals himself. Well even if its Rs. 40, it means a lot to some people.

We(Pseudo and me) told him we were living out of our suitcases in the bus stand. When his son told him that there was some difference, he hunted us down, made us come out while we were taking bath, made us take out the thrown packets from the dust-bin, and prove our innocence. Turned out, I was innocent. Pseudo's claims of "being offered a discount" turned out to be false. He waited till we were dressed, made us pay the 40 bucks and told us all what we needed to know to get around Amritsar.

The Jallianwalah Bagh

The bullet marks

The sight of the most tragic chapter in our history. The lone entry passage, kept as it is, was way too narrow. Bullet marks all around still show carnage that bloody Dyer caused on that fateful Baisakhi day way back in 1919. One just realises that the number of fatalities that the British government put up(379 in a crowd of around 5000) were farcial.Just imagining what happened that day, was horrifying.

The Golden Temple

Why can't other temples in India be clean? The maintainence of the temple just exemplifies the beauty of the temple. The gold was impressive, the clean water of the pond was a welcome change, and the langaar, simply awesome. For once, I actually liked visiting a temple and cant wait to go back.

Wagah Border

The Indian entrance to the border...

It's just a different feeling coming here. The surge of patriotism in oneself that rushes like adrenaline in a crunch situations adds to the occaision. What made it worthy was the number of friends on the other side of the border compared to ours. We beat them 10000 to 1 atleast. I guess its just in our blood lto look upon our neighbors in a condescending manner.

The numbers speak for themselves...

 The signboards just reminded us how great our country is. Yet we always look down upon it, glare only at its flaws rather than appreciate what is unique to our country. The detractors carrying an Indian passport should be ashamed of themselves.

Around 8.30, G.T.Road, near Amritsar bus stand

We had to catch the 9.30 Golden Temple Express. We were on our way back from Wagah, on the taxi that the good policeman at the temple helped us get. We had tried to book the train on the railway station but the queue was way too long. With time short on our hands, I called up my dad, who booked 9 tatkal tickets on the train. We had to print the tickets.

It was really difficult finding a cyber cafe in Amritsar. While the others went ahead with the luggage to grab something to eat, I went to print our ticket. I did manage to find one, but at that moment, the printer stopped working! It took 20 minutes to get it working. 

With time running short I had to get to the station. I got hold of a shared auto guy, who initially refused to take me citing "time ho gaya sir jee". I did take me to pay 4 people's fare to get me to the station. I did get there, and we boarded the train.

Luck was with us, but for how long would it last?