Shimla

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After a short night in Delhi following our late arrival on the plane, it was an early morning start to catch the train to Kalka and then drive to Shimla a lovely tourist town in the Indian Himalayas, which is the capital of the Himanchal Pradesh (State).

The weather was very very foggy, so we detrained at Chandigarh and drove from there to Shimla - around 100km, but about a 4.5 - 5 hour trip by car. The road is very windy and keeps going higher and higher ands deeper and deeper into the mountains. On the way up, there were no large rivers like in Nepal, where we hugged the edges of river gorges, but it many ways it was as picturesque, if not more so - there were many more trees and hills covered in wooded forests...particularly the closer we came to Shimla.

Shimla is an old British hill station, which clearly shows. The viceregal lodge which has been the location for a number of important events in Indian history was built in the Scottish baronial style...How they managed to transport all the materials over the hills in those days ...a huge undertaking!

The main highlights for us in a very rushed stay werethe visit to Kufri- which wasn't far away - the views are amazing from there , as you can see...and we got talked into a Yak ride..(bit nostalgic for the yaks in Mongoliawhich we saw in the wild, and pulling the carts to shift the families and their gers to their winter pastures). Also the Vice Regal Lodge built in the Scootish baronial style and the location for many important events in Indian History..also Jakhu temple (lots of beautiful views from there as well). The Himalayan animal zoo at Kufri was also a nicewalk through timbered mountainsides...didn't get to see all the bears as they were in hibernation.

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Photos

Shimla
6 story and up homes and buildings built up cliffsides all around the mountain slopes.