Shimla - home from home?

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Many have heard of, and many praise Shimla for its British heritage. It was an old hill station when the British were in residence. To be honest, we weren't that impressed. If we'd visited it first then yes, we would have liked it. But after visiting the beauties of Leh and McLeod it didn't match up. It has an old British style Christian church, and oddities like a small 40's style 'Gaiety' theatre (which we would have loved to see used) but we had more issues of misunderstandings with language and dodgy food there than any where else. It has its charms and we do have fond memories of some aspects of it but - lets move on.

We left Shimla 9 days after arriving (yes, it's a long time when we weren't keen but Gill got the runs so we couldn't leave even when we wanted)!! We left on the toy (narrow gauge) train for the 6 hour journey down the mountains. Very pleasant - and travelled down with a nice girl, Lily Cole (Hi if you're reading)- who we later found out is a Vogue cover model and hailed as the next Kate Moss (and we paid for her lunch)!

After the journey down from Shimla things become a little more mundane. A little because of travel fatigue, and a little because of the touristy, sweaty, 'hasslesome' areas we visited.

Kalka, where the train ended, was - erm - a place! Mathura was a pit (sorry) but don't go unless you're a Hare Krishna (apparently many go from western countries to study). Then it was local bus again to Agra.

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