The second day in Amritsar was spent wandering the side streets and having coffee on the rooftop of a café in the center of the city overlooking the bazaar before heading to the Wagah Border Stadium or JCP (Joint Check Post) Stadium.
The rush of locals and tourists gave me the perfect opportunity to get out on the street and just shoot life happening. Pep and Reimonda are often stopped and asked to be in pictures because of the color of their skin. Pep’s green-blue eyes seem to fascinate most locals, and they find Rei attractive. Sometimes it gets overwhelming for them. At the Taj, it was nonstop—one person after another, families wanting group shots, and mothers asking them to hold their children.
For the most part this has not been my experience; however, my size and Americanism show as if I am wearing a sign, and sometimes one of two things happen. Someone will stop me and say, “Are you a Hollywood actor ’cause you look like the Rock” (clearly these folks have a stigmatism or are under the influence – Side note: some of you know I have a man crush on Dwayne Johnson. I love his story from football to wrestler to blockbuster actor, and whereas I have not and will not ever meet the guy, he seems genuinely “cool”) or they want to just stand beside an American. In those moments, I get to be the rock star.
On one occasion at the Taj, it got so bad that when we saw another woman dressed in traditional Indian dress being asked by many people for pictures, we decided we would flip the paradigm and ask her if we could take a picture with her. It was hilarious. She looked very confused, and the locals around her seemed baffled. However, she smiled graciously and agreed to pose with us.
After our rooftop coffee, we purchased tickets for that evening’s border performance. This performance between the Indian and Pakistani military is both a show of power and brotherhood between the two nations dating back to 1959. Again, the history is worth the read. That evening we boarded the bus minus Pep; it’s one of those things that once you see it, you have seen it. Do I need to describe the bus? We took the rooftop seats for the view and to avoid being closed in for the 45-minute ride. Actually, it is only 15 minutes away, but you have to always account for tucks and cows.
Arriving at the border, felt like a sporting event. People were piling out and rushing towards what appeared to be a stadium. As it turned out, it was exactly that—a stadium built half on one side of the border and half on the other. A large long black double iron gate separated the two sides, and as we took our seats, I could see the other side filling up as well. The show was amazing. Starting with the pregame show featuring a military guy pumping up the crowd with call and response. This was taking place on both sides of the border at the same time. Then the main event. The pageantry and ceremonial pomp were a delight to watch. Afterwards we made our way back to the bus and to our hostel.
by David Kelton Starks
In these pages, you’ll encounter the raw and unfiltered emotions of a journey marked by resilience and triumph.
In these pages, you’ll encounter the raw and unfiltered emotions of a journey marked by resilience and triumph.
