First Impressions

The flight from Singapore to Amritsar was an excellent introduction to how things were going to be... Turbans mushrooming above the seats backs and elderly and illiterate village folk being escorted to their seats by ever-patient Sing pore Airlines staff. Proof that 'Indian time' follows Indians wherever they are on the planet- the flight was 45 minutes late because a group of rowdy Punjabis refused to take their allocated seats. Instead they spent the rest of the flight getting intoxicated on whisky. I should've paid more attention to this behaviour.....

Day one in Amritsar: the induction into 'Indian time' continues- we don't leave the house until 1pm. Shopping is on everyone's agenda and saris at the top of the list. Sari upon sari is presented to us and tossed aside at the slightest hit of dissatisfaction. An army of men are employed just to fold the reject saris. After an hour of marvelling at all the beautiful saris I amuse myself by photographing the mountains of discarded saris.