Where's the party tonight?

Cyrus Dadachanji & Mohit Midha
27^th-28^th March, 2007, Ramnagar-Lahore

Today is the 14^th day of our rally. We have covered 4800 kilometres till date and have around 4200 to go. We arrived in Chandigarh from Ramnagar last evening after a pleasant drive covering over 455 kilometres. The drive yesterday was mainly on the plains with a small section through the hills. In the evening, we attended a party hosted at the lakeside in our honour. In the true spirit of SAARC friendship, the Lt. Governor had invited 20 Bhutanese students who were studying in Chandigarh to meet the Bhutanese team. As the Bhutanese team melded with the students, it seemed more like a Bhutanese reunion in Chandigarh.

The party really got going when a bunch of Bhangra folk dancers pulled the Bhutanese students and other guests on the stage. It was a heartening sight to see the Bhutanese sway to the heady Bhangra beat and dance along with the colourfully dressed Punjabi folk dancers. Soon, we had team members from all the participating countries getting in to the groove. This rally and the cultural events associated with it has really helped break barriers and connect people in an unprecedented fashion.

Everyone loves a good party. And when there’s a birthday to be celebrated, it always adds a special touch to the celebration. This time around, it was our dear Marshall, Renuka Kriplalani or Romeo Kilo who we decided to surprise with a pre-bithday treat. The look on her face was priceless as we wheeled in a giant cake with the words 'Happy Birthday Romeo Kilo' was wheeled in. With a round of enthusiastic singing and applause, we wished Romeo Kilo a Happy Birthday, before parting for the night. Tomorrow, the party will be somewhere down the road - in Pakistan to be exact.

This morning we were flagged off from Chandigarh and drove towards the Indian border with Pakistan. The Wagah Border is the most prominent border that the two countries share, as most of the peace initiatives including the Peace Bus from Pakistan to India passes through this border. As a result of being in the media spotlight, this border has special significance for the SAARC Rally too. Today, the rally would be making history, as we would be the first Indian registered private vehicles to cross the Wagah Border into Pakistan.

The cross cultural bug has hit the Rally participants hard. Being in Chandigarh, the Bhutanese team opted to wear turbans through the day. As this is Hari Singh's home town, he had arranged for eight turbans the previous night and sportingly arrived at the hotel to help the team wear them. Hats off to the Bhutanese. Resplendent in their new headgear, they carried them off with élan, and even smiled back at curious onlookers.

Around two hours out of Chandigarh, we stopped at a resort called Haveli. The rallysists enjoyed a taste of life in rural Punjab with demonstrations of Bhangra dancing, pottery, a magic show and tableaus of rural life. The décor of the resort matches the rural theme, and local snacks added to the experience.

Refreshed and recharged, we set off for the border. We had lunch on the Indian side and waited for the go ahead from Ajay Sharma who had rejoined us last evening. The crossing in to Pakistan was everything we expected it to be and more. A marching military band, smoke machines, confetti, paparazzi and a thousand cheering school children. As we crossed the border, we had mikes shoved into the car with questions being fired away. "how do you feel", 'what was your trip like', 'any special message' - the same questions seemed more dramatic as we crossed this special border. It was a high that cannot be described. Especially for an Indian, this border crossing has additional significance. The warmth with which we had been received, coupled with the pomp and pageantry and the fact that we had made history, all combined to make this one of the high points of our journey so far.

Later in the evening, we were escorted to a restaurant called Peeru’s. This theme restaurant has Pakistan's only Puppet museum with puppets from over 40 countries. After a quick tour of the facility, we found ourselves enjoying a Sufi Music concert at an auditorium in the complex. Before we could leave, an announcement was made that it was Renuka's birthday. A loud cheer went up as she was called on stage. Embarrassed with the affection, she called all of us on stage to share this moment. As she cut the cake, and passed it around, it dawned on us that she had celebrated her birthday in two countries in 24 hours! That's the SAARC spirit on the move – and we're delighted to be the torch bearers!

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