India Part 11: The Himalayas - Shimla
Trip Start
May 07, 2008
1
16
90
Trip End
Jan 06, 2009
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Shimla,
Himachal Pradesh,
India
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Welcome to our India Trip Part 11: The Himalayas. We visited three areas which were all so beautiful. Seeing the Himalayas snowy peaks fuse into the clouds from your Hotel room is just the most spectacular view to wake up to on a sun-blinding morning.
Apart from a bit of a headache on the toy train, we hadn't yet experienced any altitude sickness. We've had on/off stomach cramps/upset tummies for weeks. My asthma was a little dodge city in places but overall we've been very lucky.
Shimla
Shimla is a big tourist attraction. Set 2,500 metres above sea level with everything built into the side of a mountain, it is a stunning little place. We visited the State Museum - archaeological finds. Then we walked to Viceregal Lodge. Viceregal Lodge, on Obervatory Hill, is just incredible, resembling a Scottish castle!! Now a University, it was built in 1888 as a summer retreat for Indian Viceroys. Gandhi made regular trips here and the whole plan for separation (India - Pakistan) was thrashed out here. The grounds are expansive and woody, overlooking the mountains.
Hey! Guess what?! NO FORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Aren't you all pleased to hear that??!
We walked down 'the Mall'. Blindly thinking this was a Mall that would house big shops and a McDonalds (!) we were instantly thrown into a 4-mile stretch of winding road, edged with a plethora of shops, restaurants and bars thronging with people vying for belts, burgers or beers. In parts, it looks just like an English town with a central meeting point, Victorian benches and above the shops, an iron balustrade promenade selling candy floss and donkey rides to the crowds! Just like Weston Super Mare!! There are also monkeys bold enough to stand on their hind legs and snatch whatever food you may be holding in your hands! David was mugged by one.
Our toy train
It blocked his path up a hill, if he went left to get past it, it went left to block the path; if he went right... so did it! This went on for a minute or two. Eventually he threw an empty paper bag in the opposite direction and was allowed to pass. Scary stuff, if it wasn't for the fact they looked like they were all line dancing!! The views are magnificent from up here. We de-camped after two days so we could explore the forests of Shimla and have a trek or two. From our new Hotel window we could now see even snowier Himalayas making Ben Nevis look more like the Sussex Downs! Absolutely breathtaking.
One day, the rain absolutely pelted down. David said "let's go for a small trek!" I was eager and ready! Like a man to a noose I just couldn't wait! Our Hotel provided us with golf umbrellas and we FINALLY got to wear our anoraks we had been lugging in our suitcases. ROUND OF APPLAUSE PLEASE!! David's idea of a 'little' trek became a turning point for me. The rain was lashing it down and the thunder was bomb-blasting through our ears. Our legs got drenched, our anoraks heroically fought off rain like a swordsman in battle and our umbrellas were large and cumbersome. However, trying to stomp down boggy and craggy undulating paths the width of a breeze block while there is a 2000 metre sheer drop down into dense forest and skull-splitting rocks WHILE also gripping the NASA satellite-sized umbrella against the bulleting rain was something I was not particularly enraptured with. Our marriage was almost short lived! My tongue was an ugly place!
David was like Indiana Jones, thrashing through the undergrowth with his umbrella while praising and urging me forth.
My beautiful husband snoozing
By the end of the 1 hour trek, the sun was glinting through the Cedar Pine branches and raindrops looked like rainbow crystals on leaves. I, meanwhile, had faced my fear. I had survived the stormy 2000 metre precipitous trek and I had proved that I was capable of anything I put my mind to despite any massively petrifying images in my head! The marriage held fast!The next day we embarked on The Real Thing! A 3-hour trek with a mountaineering guide. Our guide was called Sanjay and had climbed all sorts of mountains and camped on peaks not for the faint-hearted. I felt safe with Indiana Jones and Sanjay beside me. The weather was beautiful so there was a gorgeous autumnal leaf-crunching post-rain smell in the air. All in all we walked about 7 kilometres through dense forest, past trickling streams, climbing over fallen cedar pine trees and scaling down rock-strewn banks. Sanjay was a mine of information about all insects, animals and plants. Fascinating man.
Observing our confidence with stomping through forests he decided we were up to the challenge of tackling a fern-tangled path the size of a pinhead with a vomit-inducing drop of 2500 metres right beside us. One little slip on a mossy stone and down we would plummet! Yes, palms were sweaty! We saw the most exquisite spider webs spanning several branches. Wild horses. Ladybirds. Exotic flowers and plants. It was dark and damp and then bright and sun-blinding. Such a wonderful trek.
The next day we met our hired taxi driver who was going to drive us for three days onto Manali and Dharamsala, further up into the Himalayas. Sadly, we had sort of miscalculated the latter days of our India trip somewhat so ended up with only having 1 night in Manali and 1 night in Dharamsala. Annoying, as these two places completely sold India to us. After our hysterical and horrendous experiences so far, eventually we reached Indian utopia!!
Love Lois & David xx
Comments
Lopo you ARE HILL-AIR-RE-US!!!!
Lopo,
I have laffed my socks off at this ( get it ...love the pic with you and socks), you are going to look back at this in a few months time and miss the smoggy, heat, hassle, donkeys, smells and trama- promise.
Keep smiling ;0)
Anita xxx
Lopo you ARE HILL-AIR-RE-US!!!!
Lopo,
I have laffed my socks off at this ( get it ...love the pic with you and socks), you are going to look back at this in a few months time and miss the smoggy, heat, hassle, donkeys, smells and trama- promise.
Keep smiling ;0)
Anita xxx