Crazy Drive on GT Road

PUNJAB

Map of Punjab (click to view)


The main highway from Delhi to Punjab is known as GT Road. Getting out of Delhi can be chaotic and filled with unexpected turns. But once you’re through it, the real adventure begins! If you have a strong stomach and can handle the twists and turns without turning green, you’re in for a wild ride. If not, I highly recommend taking the train. As we cruise along, we blast through Haryana, which used to be part of Punjab. The drive felt like an episode of the Twilight Zone, where constant honking horns, rikshas, trucks and wagons coexist with cows that act like they own the road. Along the way, you will see ancient temples, dhabas (roadside restaurant & truck stop), and people from various Indian cultures. Seriously, it’s a mix of old, new, Eastern, and Western influences that creates a kind of chaos that keeps your heart racing—just like the traffic!


Elderly Sikh man on his tractor


Big colorful trucks


Angela greeting roadside mechanics


Not uncommon at all! How they hey stays on is a mystery.


All kinds of farm vehicles on GT Road.


Farmers come up with creative ways to transport their goods.


Bags of wheat, hay, cotton and other goods. Punjab is the breadbasket of India. Most people from Punjab are "Jatts" by caste indicative of their farming status. The majority of Punjabi people are of the Sikh faith although they barely make up 2% of India's population.

Kids next to a tractor


Sikh man and his wife fixin' the old bike

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Hekani, Angela and Lisa taking a break and Cherlyn, the little hipster, taking a walk on our way to Jalundhar, Punjab

Standing nearby a Sikh Gurudwara (aka Temple) and a "Dhaba" which is like an roadside restaurant & truck stop. I have found Dhabas to be more reliable than many restaurants because the food is fresh and made to order. I stick to vegetarian most of the time, and will eat meat when I know it is fresh or has proper refrigeration, and the place is trustworthy. Don't be fooled by the cleanliness and modernlike feeling of a restaurant in India- they aren't always the best in terms of taste, quality and safety! I learned through experience!

Hmmm, not quite holding it upright, here is a Sikh man living in Punjab selling US flags at his little shop. He was quite thrilled to see a bunch of Americans passing through.


Before thinking someone's a bad driver, think again in India! Honking the horn is essential (yes, it gets annoying, but don't worry, one gets used to it); drivers communicate by way of blowing their horns, and NOBODY stays on their side of the road in the cities. The lane dividers are purely incidental!


Jack, our cool and calm Tibetan driver, listens to Snoop Dogg in the midst of madness (traffic congestion, pollution, excessive honking, and noise!). It was an insane drive but we had so much fun!