It's only a short distance to the border crossing with India so I leave at my leisure towards the Wagah border post. This is one of the most special border posts in the world. India and Pakistan are not friends and residents of both countries are not allowed to travel to each other's countries, with exceptions. It is therefore the only border post on the more than 2000 km of border they share with each other and the gate only opens for a few travelers and during the daily ceremony.
It is not busy when I arrive, there is no freight transport possible, so that immediately makes a huge difference. When leaving Pakistan I am asked for my passport every few hundred meters and after the necessary stamps and exporting my motorcycle with the Carnet I am ready to drive into India. The officer on duty who handles my Carnet even sends me Indian Rupees at a very favorable exchange rate.
The actual border is located in the middle of a huge stadium and consists of 2 beautiful large gates with 3 meters of no man's land in between. I am waiting with my motorcycle right in front of the gate and feel chosen, almost emotionally, that I can pass here. My Carnet is given from the Pakistani customs officer to the Indian customs officer without crossing the border, the gate is slid open a few meters and I am allowed to drive on. What a special feeling!
On the Indian side I am met by customs officers who take me to the necessary desks and counters. They tell me that at customs the luggage will be checked and my bike will go through the X-ray. On the declaration form, I honestly state that I have a drone with me. And I couldn't have done better...
My motorcycle is not scanned and my bags are not checked, but customs have a problem with my declared drone because it cannot be imported. So I shouldn't have been so honest, but I really thought they were going to discover him anyway. Long story short: if I promise not to use it, I can keep it, but I do have to fill in a new declaration form, so that it is also correct on paper. Poe hey! I'm fine with this! After a few more small formalities, a last small gate opens and I am free to drive into India.
The ceremony for closing the gate starts at 4.30 pm and I am well on time, also because I have moved forward half an hour in time. I drive back to the border stadium, where the first Indian tourists are already gathering in front of the entrance.
The stadium slowly fills up and one of the customs officers whips up the audience accompanied by loud music. It really is a big party with lots of cheering and chanting of slogans. On the Pakistani side they do the same, with their own music and jeers. Since I am close to the border gate it is a cacophony of sound!
The ceremony is really a great theatrical display of power in which the customs officers from both sides challenge and 'threaten' each other like roosters, but do shake hands. At the end, both flags are lowered simultaneously and the gates close for the last time that day. A beautiful spectacle that is visited by thousands of super enthusiastic people. Truly an experience!
After the ceremony I drive off at dusk to arrive 30 km later in the dark at my hotel in Amritsar. The hotel is located in a busy alley without a private parking space and for the first time I cover my motorcycle with the motorcycle cover. It feels unnecessary, but better safe than sorry.
