We caught the early morning express train from Delhi...Its a very civilised affair that includes two waiters per carriage...they served breakfast and then morning tea during the journey...it all comes with the ticket. We had to change trains for a narrow gauge train for the journey up into the foothills of the himalayas. The 100k journey took just over 5hrs on the smallest train you have ever seen (the locals aptly refer to it as the toy train). It was an unbelievably scenic journey crossing bridges, ravines and ridges.
Shimla is much cooler than Delhi...its a chilly 20 degrees C here and its obviously the reason its so popular with the hoardes of wealthy Indians who come here for Holidays. We Found a suitable hotel early enough. 8 pounds a night buys you a room with a 30yr old carpet, plastic chairs on your balcony, mirrors on the ceiling above the bed and a cover with a massive tigers head printed on it....and that was the best room we looked at! Its comfy enough and we have an amazing view down one of the valleys.
We have visited the old Viceroyal Lodge (in the picture above) which was the seat of the indian government over the summer months. The tour round it took in the room where the partition with Pakistan and Bangladesh was signed in 1947ish...Anyway it was such an opulent place with teak and mahogany everywhere. We had to wait a while after the tour finished whilst a group of about 20 indians took their photos with us.
We have also been for a walk which took us through some pretty nice wee "glens" as they are referred to here...
Anyway we have really enjoyed things here and have even managed to plan out most of our trip...The indians produce a phonebook size book called "trains at a glance" which is the timetable for the whole of the indian railways. I hate to admit it but we have both spent a few hours enjoying the read through this....anoraks or what!
We will be getting the bus to Dharamsala and Mcleod Ganj tomorrow...a quick 10hr hop through the mountains....
Shimla is much cooler than Delhi...its a chilly 20 degrees C here and its obviously the reason its so popular with the hoardes of wealthy Indians who come here for Holidays. We Found a suitable hotel early enough. 8 pounds a night buys you a room with a 30yr old carpet, plastic chairs on your balcony, mirrors on the ceiling above the bed and a cover with a massive tigers head printed on it....and that was the best room we looked at! Its comfy enough and we have an amazing view down one of the valleys.
We have visited the old Viceroyal Lodge (in the picture above) which was the seat of the indian government over the summer months. The tour round it took in the room where the partition with Pakistan and Bangladesh was signed in 1947ish...Anyway it was such an opulent place with teak and mahogany everywhere. We had to wait a while after the tour finished whilst a group of about 20 indians took their photos with us.
We have also been for a walk which took us through some pretty nice wee "glens" as they are referred to here...
Anyway we have really enjoyed things here and have even managed to plan out most of our trip...The indians produce a phonebook size book called "trains at a glance" which is the timetable for the whole of the indian railways. I hate to admit it but we have both spent a few hours enjoying the read through this....anoraks or what!
We will be getting the bus to Dharamsala and Mcleod Ganj tomorrow...a quick 10hr hop through the mountains....
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