Shimla, India, 29-30 August 2008
Our train from Jaipur got us into Delhi late (11pm) and our next train got us out of Delhi early (7am) just the way we wanted it! We had deliberated over whether to simply fly to Nepal, in the end we decided to give India the benefit of the doubt, & get off the major tourist route of the Golden Triangle and head north into the foothills of the Himalayas.
Our train took us first to Kalka (5 hours) where we then changed platform & boarded the "toy train" to Shimla (5.5 hours). It was called the toy train because of it's diminutive size and narrow gauge on which it runs. The train quickly started climbing into the hills. Hugging the mountainside it offered outstanding views of the valley below. The line was completed in 1903 and runs the 97km from Kalka to Shimla. The steepest gradient is 1:33, there are 107 tunnels covering 8kms and 969 bridges over 3kms. Ah, that's more like our romantic image of India. Sitting across from us on the train were a middle class Indian couple, they frustrated Claire because during the entire journey they would dispose of their crisp wrappers, empty bottles etc out of the window into the countryside. What chance does India have to stay green and keep clean?
Arriving in Shimla at 5:30pm after our new "personal best", three 5 hour train journeys completed in 24 hours. We should take some time out to complement the Indians on their rail network (or perhaps the British). Of the five journeys we had taken at this point they were punctual, comfortable and reasonably clean. We had travelled Air Con Chair Class, 2AC and 3AC. We had even inadvertently sat in a 1AC private cabin for about 30 mins before realising we were on the right carriage but the wrong section. We knew it was too good to be true. They also have an efficient online booking system airline style so you can do it all yourself and then print out your confirmation receipt. Bravo!Shimla was a breath of fresh air both literally & metaphorically. For the first time we were in a town that had a coherent centre. We checked into a very nice hotel and went out in search of food. Claire was hopeful we could find somewhere serving safe western food. I didn't fancy our chances but then there was shining like a beacon on the main street Dominos Pizza! Had it just touched down in answer to our prayers or had it been there all along? Either was we didn't care it was the best pizza we'd had in a long long time.
In the main plaza there was an attractive Church (Christ Church) and statues of both Mahatama & Indira Ghandi & gringos can walk around reasonably unmolested by touts & Indian tourists wanting to take there picture. We walked the street until we felt a drop of rain & then another one. Next thing we were dashing for cover from a torrential downpour. Fortunately there was a nice coffee shop where we could sit in comfort and look out on the poor sods still dashing hither and tither. The rain didn't last long & after we had booked our tickets for the Dharmasala (for the next day) we walked the steep uphill climb to Jakoo Temple. Alas, we didn't heed the warning advising that one should hire a stick to ward off the aggressive red faced monkeys. As we got close to the entrance one frightened the life out of Claire as he appeared to make a real attempt to take a bite out of her ankle. He chased her, teeth exposed while she ran in a most animated fashion back down the hill. After that wild horses couldn't have dragged her back into the temple so we cut our losses and strolled, acutely aware of our surroundings, back downhill.After a reconnaissance mission to the bus station we pottered through some local markets (disturbing experience) before ending up in an internet cafe where we enthusiastically booked our flights out of India. We would spend the following few days moving west before travelling 1AC (1st Class) taring for Amritsar to Delhi & then catching the flight to Kathmandu.
Luxury Coach "Indian Style"
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