Leaving Dehli and an exciting train trip to Shimla

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We were collected at 630 am complete with a lovely little carry bag of breakfast and lunch items provided by the hotel. The early morning traffic was light and we arrived early at the station....the place was a heaving mass of humanity (basically trains run 24 hour a day) and if we hadnt have had our guide Ashad it would not have been easy to find where to go.While on the platform Ashad gave us all sorts of useful info like how much to pay the red jacketed guys who loaded the bags on etc. We even had the zip on one of our bags fixed...just needed a new handle on the zipper. The train arrived and we got onto our AC executive class car...the step up is built for tall people and plenty of the locals are tiny so dont know how they manage. So we settled oursleves in and just across from us was an Australian couple from Newcastle who were also going up to Shimla. The seating was quite comfortable but the unknow was the "TOILETS"! So as soon as we were on the way JG went to check on the said toilets. There was a western toilet and JG said was fine. Slow trip out of Delhi as the place is so big.....many people scavenging along the tracks and living there in hovel. I have a lasting image of a mother sending her child off to School in a very smart uniform from outside a plastic and corrugated shack amongst mud and rubbish. As we cleared Delhi the speed picked up and the trip was quite comfortable. Men kept coming along with tea and snacks all free. Reached Kalka about 12 and made our way by ourselves across a couple of platforms to The Toy Train. On the way there was a poor little lady and Sandra gave her the food bags the hotel had given us...she was so happy. So we found a couple of red jacketed men to put our bags on the train and I gave them 60 rupees each which to me seemed over the odds bur they weren't happy and I thought they may throw the bags off but they left muttering and grumbling . Sandra and I did not have seats together...I was among a couple of families and Sandra was next to a young man who over the course of the trip offered to be her boyfriend and gave her a kiss goodbye when we reached Shimla. Boy the trip was a he'll of an experience. ...the bench seats had totally straight backs and gave my back he'll. Every time I got up to stretch my seat was taken by kids so I spent a lot of time standing or finding a space on a bench to fit one cheek. For those who have been through NZs Raurimu Spiral this was like that but on steroids and it took 6 hours to travel 90kms. The wheels seemed to be screeching the whole time and we seemed to be teetering on the edge of 1000 ft sheer drops.
We eventually reached Shimla and said goodbye to our fellow travellers and set out looking for our driver Veeru. He had set off or midnight the previous night to be in Shimla to collect us off the train. In 5 days time we found out why the drive up through the foothills of the Himalayas took so long...the appalling road. However that is another story.
We reached our Hotel The Woodville Palace which was just outside the hustle and bustle of Shimla set among beautiful fir forest. The place was absolutely beautiful...built in the 1930s for the wife of a local Maharajah. We checked in and we're lead down a long corridor where men were plastering and up stairs to the room. Sandra was not happy so I went to reception and asked for an upgrade. The Royal Suite was available for the 5 nights and I asked how much and they manager said don't worry we will work something out .So I followed him up more stair at the other end and nearly fell over when he opened the door..it was huge nearly as big as our house so I said that will do. It cost us r2000 ($50) more per night but also meant a very happy wife. I later asked the manager the normal rate..it was r17000 per night about $ 400. I reckon we paid half that....!
So began a very lovely 4 days in Shimla...

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