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Published: June 29th 2018
It's hard to relax on a bus in India. During the 10-hour bus from Manali the driver only had to slam on the brakes causing luggage to fall 6-8 times, and we only passed one overturned van (see photo).
The City Shimla is an attractive city that seems to hang off the hills. It reminds me of Valparaiso, Chile. Roads stretch along the slopes horizontally, switchbacking on the edges, while staircases and lifts cross vertically. 7K, pedestrian-only Mall Road is a nice escape from dodging vehicles (though there still is an occasional car), and the Lower Bazaar that runs parallel is an entertaining scene to stroll through. Almost all the tourists in Shimla are Indian, so the town offers more chain stores and expensive, formal restaurants, rather than craft markets, cafes, or bars, like in Manali. The first night we stayed right in the middle of it all, at Treebo Varuna, which was okay, except for the beeping from the road below.
"BLOW HORN" Just about every truck in India has this phrase painted on the back, in bold, bright, elegant lettering (see photo, but it's a weak example), and then in smaller lettering, "Use Dipper
Almost Left Behind
This boy got off the train at a short stop, and the station manager is yelling at him to get back on quickly!at Night." They're sort of works of art. But the first suggestion is utterly futile and the second - which means to flash your lights - is universally ignored. While making some noise admittedly helps out truck drivers when you're in their blind spot, beeping and honking (I've concluded that a honk is more aggressive than a beep is) in India is as much a part of driving as the steering wheel is. Still, some take on the Sisyphean effort of combating the constant noise, usually by posting a decal - a trumpet with a circle and line through it - on the rear window.
Beep 2-3 times when passing a car, motorbike, or auto rickshaw, which is pretty much always; beep to remind a car drifting into your 'lane' that you're next to them; beep to inform a pedestrian that you're about to hit them, but right behind them so there's no way for them to dodge anyway; give short successive beeps at herds of sheep and/or goats; beep politely at cows; blare honk when two incoming cars cannot pass on a narrow road, and continue as more cars arrive and add their own blares, crescendo-ing into a
Overturned Van
"How could this have happened?" cacophony of discordant honks, until someone reluctantly agrees to back up; give long repeated beeps when careening around a blind turn instead of just slowing down or staying in your lane; long honk at buses, vans, or cars who have stopped on a busy road for no reason; beep to say hi to a friend, and then stop to talk, prompting other drivers to blare honk from behind for 2-3 seconds, then rest a few beats and repeat, usually only 2-3 times before they wrap up their conversation and move on. The most incredible thing is that really none of this is done in anger or frustration. And not everything deserves an obligatory beep: humans pulling wagons, as well as dogs, camels, and elephants, are exempt from this treatment.
Aapo Aap Though it's nearly impossible to pronounce, this homestay about 30 minutes from downtown Shimla is like staying at a palace. It's inexpensive, comfortable, and quiet (hardly any beeping!) and offers excellent views of nearby Panthaghati and other settlements. We booked it on Hostelworld.
Exploring the Panthaghati area is worth a day. The road below the homestay is good for a relatively flat run. Descending deeper into
the valley is tricky, but staircases can be found that lead to the farms and newer construction below. The cook at Aapo Aap was out of town during our stay, but 3km from the homestay is the reliable restaurant Taste Buds. There is also a Tibetan monastery and stupa about 2km away, and a refugee center where you can see women weaving beautiful carpets that Peggy and I wished were easier to carry home. The man who showed us around said that they'd love to teach young people the skill, but that no one has the patience to learn anymore.
Toy Train Shimla was built to accommodate the British escaping the sweltering lowlands during summer, so a railroad cuts through the mountains from Kalka in an impressive architectural feat. We had wanted to take this train all the way from Delhi, but it was booked up. In the end, the shorter, 6-hour trip to Kalka was ideal, especially since our car was nowhere near full.
The views were spectacular and the absence of beeping, jerking, and swerving was refreshing. Our car had half a dozen or so kids in it, and I think they cheered in all
Hauling Cement
The next time my students complain about workload, I'll probably show them this photo, of men and women carrying bags of cement up a hill for probably next to no pay. 103 of the tunnels we went through. The stations are well-kept by the station managers, complete with quaint gardens, very British signage, and other relics from the colonial days.
A meal was even included in the 6-hour, 6-dollar trip. The chapati was rubbery, but the dal was fine. Most people then threw their trash out the windows, so thousands of tin trays along the tracks glittered in the sunset as we weaved through the hills.
From Kalka we took a 30-minute taxi back to Chandigarh to spend the night before our flight to Jaipur the next morning.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Shimla
I'm laughing because your driver used the breaks 6 or 8 times. Generally I find they don't use them and .... you sometimes want them to.