Day One, Part Two: Museum, Guns and More Tanks!

After dusting down ourselves (post-tankride), we bathed, breakfasted and set off to explore what army life in Ferozepur is like. First, we went to the Special Ops Room, which is this cool, underground wartime planning space straight out of a movie. It's so secret that no one knows where it's located. So secret, that I wasn't allowed to take pictures. So secret, I forgot we went there!

Well, almost.

So you'll have to imagine the cold, steel offices, and the mess where food magically appears from the heavens, and the conference rooms with their maps and giant LCD screens. (I bet they watch movies there sometimes.)

Anyway, after all that excitement, we whisked off to the Army Museum, where we exchanged listened to war stories and I realised that the army is important outside of war. Delivering food to natural disaster zones, building bridges overnight, and all that. Good to know that someone's got it covered.

Then, we checked out artillery guns, which is basically what the army calls cannons. These are so heavy I couldn't even open the loading shaft so heavy they need nine-member teams to operate them. Here's the view looking out through the muzzle. Happy trees and leaves and things, right?

Here are the oily rags they use to clean the thing.

And here's looking through the viewfinder that shows you whatever is right behind you.

(Does anyone else think that it's easier to just turn around?)

After that, we got to my favourite part of our noontime adventures: the shooting range! I was so excited about shooting with an actual gun, that I didn't shoot with (my) Canon.

I wish I could show you my target-card, though.

Finally, we went to take one more tank ride, this time on smaller, bumpier tanks that the army uses to transport foot-soldiers over long distances. Above, you can see where they sit, hook up their guns, look out through the periscopes, and fire like crazy. You can also see the smokescreen-makers (the three cylindrical things), and the guy who explained it all to us.

And then we set off for lunch, which was this elaborate, buffet-style thing with lots of mayonnaise. And lemon souffle!

Next time: More historical/political stuff!