All the way to the Golden Temple

On Tuesday of this week, I packed and got everything ready for my week trip around Amritsar, Dehradun, and Mussoorie that started Wednesday. Since it'd be my first train ride completely alone in India, I felt pretty excited. An autorickshaw dropped me off at the station at about 9 and I was left in a daze, being unable to understand the train system. After some very confusing conversations and A LOT of help from various men, I found out that my train had a 2 hr. delay. I waited...and continued waiting when the delay became a 2.5 hr. delay, to a 3 hr. delay, and a 4.5 hr. delay. Note to self, Indian trains are almost always delayed. Yes, eventually it arrived and after a very comfortable 24 hrs., I arrived in Amritsar.
Being here is VERY different than Varanasi. There are police everywhere and signs promoting environmental awareness. It is very obvious that I'm still in India, but it's also more quiet than Varanasi and people confuse me with being Indian if I don't open my mouth, which I take as a compliment.
My first goal was to find a place to sleep, and after searching for a hotel, I got a decent (maybe) deal at a guesthouse. For about $10 a night, I got a big bed, ac, tv, and private shower/bathroom. Not bad until I met some girls who told me I could stay at the actual Golden Temple for a simple donation. Pilgrims flock to the Golden Temple to not only take in its beauty, but those of Sikh religion try to make it to this holy spot at least once in their lifetimes. Not only is this place beautiful, it also hosts thousands for free or a very small charge. On top of this, volunteers cook around the clock to feed over 40,000 people a day. We went into the feeding hall to experience this process and were surprised at the efficiency and the taste of the food. It wasn't anything rated with five stars, but the chapati (bread), dal (lentil soup), and rice were prettty tasty.
Other things to do in Amritsar include the Jallingwalla (sp?) memorial, where thousands of Indians were fired at by the British without advance notice or way to escape, and watching the lowering of the flag and closing of the gate at the India Pakistan border. Since I've accomplished all of this, I'm ready to head out tonight to Dehradun and up into the Himalayas.