Part Three - Shimla

So… the journey from Dharamshala to Shimla is gruelling.

Our driver Sushil, takes a detour to avoid many miles of road widening works such as we experienced on the way to Dharamshala.

This involves us travelling through the green and peaceful rural farmland of Himachal Pradesh and it is lovely to see.

But when we rejoin the highway it’s back to road building, lorries, hooting horns and dust and as we begin the steep, winding climb to Shimla these lorries really slow us down; by the time we reach our hotel we are exhausted.

The hotel, Snow Valley Resorts Shimla, is just what we need - a clean, modern and fully up together retreat.

We eat well, sleep well and wake up refreshed and ready to do battle with Shimla.

… although at breakfast, Nick discovered that coffee paste on toast isn’t the same as peanut butter. A label was quickly positioned when this blunder was spotted by staff!

The erstwhile summer capital of British India, this former hill station is now the capital of Himachal Pradesh.

While there are a few remaining vestiges of its British history, it has exploded into a sprawling urban mass, clinging onto the face of every hillside.

The first thing we discover about Shimla is that the traffic is the worst we’ve ever seen anywhere. It’s really difficult to get about and takes ages - over an hour to travel the 4km from the hotel to the centre of Shimla… which is a shame as it makes the prospect of trying to go anywhere quite unattractive.

There are numerous police officers valiantly trying to keep things moving with much whistle blowing and frantic hand gestures.

Some of them are sporting very impressive hats which would look more at home on a Village People tribute act.

The other thing we discover is that at this time of year there is a permanent haze hanging in the air meaning that the far reaching views of The Himalayas that we had anticipated are non-existent… which is a blow.

Our first day in Shimla doesn’t start very well to be honest; there is a lot of driving involved and we visit places which for us don’t merit such a long time in the car after yesterday’s marathon. Sushil very much wants us to enjoy ourselves and does his absolute best but the traffic is a killer.

There is one highlight however when we see some well groomed yaks by the roadside and Nick hops up into the saddle for a photo! They’re not indigenous to India, but they’re the first we’ve ever seen.

Things look up in the afternoon and evening when we visit Shimla’s centre.

Things revolve around a large Piazza known as The Ridge. It’s thronging with people - both Indian tourists and locals out for a stroll but surprisingly no western tourists.

It’s a really lively atmosphere and there’s even the opportunity to go for a horse ride! The horses are beautiful, most are snow white and all have unusual inward curving ears.

Were told that these are Marwari horses, a rare breed from Rajasthan.

A famous Shimla landmark,  Christ Church dominates The Ridge. It is a prominent building in the city as it towers above the rest of the skyline.

The church and what is now the public library next door are very British in design as are the buildings at the other end of The Ridge… all remaining from the time of British India. We wander in that direction passing the Gaiety Theatre and come to Scandal Point, so named after the Viceroy’s daughter eloped from here with a Maharajah in 1892.

Plunging downhill from The Mall through narrow gaps between the shops are long and ridiculously steep flights of steps.

We make our way down and find ourselves away from the glitzy shops and in the midst of the bazaar. What fun!

Janette gets some jewellery for the wedding, we’ve been reliably informed that you can’t have too much bling at an Indian wedding!

We then need to find some more outfits. We need yellow outfits for the Haldi, a traditional pre-wedding ceremony which will involve the bride and groom being smeared with Turmeric paste.

We’ve also decided that Nick needs a more formal outfit for the wedding ceremony itself.

We have great fun with Nick trying on various outfits and we are assured that these pantaloons are the height of Indian fashion - let’s hope so!

We agree with Sushil that we’ll keep driving to a minimum the next day. He advises us that the former Viceregal Lodge, now the Institute of Advanced Studies, is a must-see.

He’s not wrong. What an amazing place this is, an English stately home in the Himalayan foothills!

It was built in the 1880s using stone from a quarry five miles away and which was carried to site by mule!

The interior is clad with cedar wood; our guide tells us it has never been treated or polished, it looks pristine and is very impressive.

There is a small exhibition in the lodge showing photos of the Shimla Conference which took place in 1945.

This was a meeting between the then Viceroy Lord Wavell and Indian political leaders to discuss and make a plan for the government of India when the British left.

Talks stalled on the issue of the selection of Muslim representatives in any future government and perhaps the last viable opportunity for a united, independent India was lost.

The gardens of the Lodge are as you would expect of any English “big house” plenty of herbaceous borders, manicured lawns and even a rose garden.

There is a man whose sole job it is to make sure no one sets foot on the lawn at the front of the Lodge. He has been issued with a whistle and he takes his job very seriously. This being India, he has his work cut out and his angry tooting is a constant backdrop - people find it hilarious which isn’t the idea at all!

As we leave, a family of monkeys kindly put on a special show for us. As Janette explained to the mother ‘You CAN just say NO’!

Tickets have been booked for us on Shimla’s Toy Train; a 96 km narrow-gauge railway built in 1903. The track runs through 103 tunnels, 24 bridges and 18 stations.

Prior to construction of this line the only way to get to Shimla was via a winding and steep track, with luggage, supplies etc. carried by porters or horse drawn tongas.

As the tickets have been booked for a a mid-afternoon train, we decide to give it a miss. We would only be on the train for about 90 minutes during daylight, followed by a couple more hours travelling in the dark and then a drive of another two hours in the dark to get back to the hotel. It’s a shame not to have experienced it, but at least we’ve seen it.

Instead we opt to visit the Jakhu Temple situated on Jakhu Hill, Shimla's highest peak at 2,455 m (8,054 ft) above sea level.

The drive is even more steep and winding than anything we’ve experienced so far. There are some bends that are so sharp that the car grounds and it takes several manoeuvres to make the turn.

We are dropped off in the car park and to our surprise the final ascent is via a couple of escalators, not what we were expecting!

The first thing we encounter, the head of which can be seen from The Ridge, is a 108 feet high idol of Hanuman. This is a modern addition from 2010. It’s impressive, standing at 108 feet (33 m), it is taller than the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio which measures 98 feet (30 m).

The temple itself is decorated with lots of tinsel and fairy lights and there is a queue to see who we assume is the priest. The footprints of the god Hanuman are believed to be housed in this temple.

The whole place is overrun with monkeys who are quite intimidating. They aren’t shy about approaching people and trying to take things from them.

We’ve read that some have been trained to take phones and specs and hand them over to a “helpful” local who will “rescue” them and return them for a fee. While we’re there a monkey does attempt to take the glasses from a man standing next to Janette!

Today we’re off to our next destination, leaving Shimla and Himachal Pradesh behind. Sushil will drive us the few hours to Chandigarh where we’ll embark on a train journey to Jaipur that will take seven hours - yikes!

The drive is ok and we make it to Chandigarh a little early so Sushil drops us off at the poshest shopping mall we’ve ever seen. You have to go thought security and be scanned before you’re allowed in and photography is banned - Nick always see this as a challenge!

We decide to get some fast food for lunch which turns out to be very slow food… Sushil is very stressed about getting us to the train on time.

He wants to come onto the platform with us to make sure we get the right train and we push and shove our way through the crowds as the train arrives.

We bid Sushil farewell and see him running back to his car which we assume he has had to park illegally in the rush.

Some things on the railways have moved on in the years since we last visited India but other things have stayed just the same.

The train has certainly changed, it’s modern, air conditioned, reclining seats with charging points - and it whips along at 120kph!

The crowded platforms thronging with people and freight are just the same. We find the whole experience exhilarating.

Our first class tickets cost the equivalent of £13.50 each including snacks, water, juice, tea and dinner! The train is clean and on time - Network Rail eat your heart out!

As darkness falls, we can see, right by the side of the track, a whole community has been established. The shops which consist of all the local neighbourhood shops you would imagine, face the track and people are walking and even sitting on the tracks!

When dinner is served, we become the focus of attention of a group of teenagers who are returning from a field trip. Apparently the way we are eating is causing some amusement.

We strike up conversation and they show us how to eat with chapatis properly. This generates interest from the rest of the group - and before we know it…..

we’re exchanging information about where we’re from, where we’ve been, where we’re going… and we even get an invitation from the teacher to her house when we’re in Pushkar!

Train travel is such a lovely way to get about and the things you can see as you whizz through the countryside and towns are fascinating. We arrive in Jaipur safely and head to our hotel, excited to meet our friends and the other wedding guests.