Em & Tola's Travel Blog

When we finally reached our destination for the night, Dehra Dun, we did not have the energy to do much. After dinner we did run into what we think was a wedding precession with loud trumpet music and dancing. We also passed a few weddings with the bus and they all seemed out of control. People that normally are reserved seemed to be dancing and screaming like crazy.

We did not get many hours of sleep in DD as our bus for Shimla left at 6 AM the next morning. We got there early to get good seats on the bus, but it also meant that I had to get up on the roof of the bus to help people put their extremely heavy luggage on top of the bus. The trip to Shimla seemed to be going smoothly as we started climbing up the mountains, but then after 5 hours the bus broke down in the middle of the road. We could not do much more than be patient (something we have had to work on a lot in India), and after 1 1/2 hours we were on our way again. The bus ride up the mountains never seemed to end as we again stopped every 10 minutes to let people off and pick up new ones, but after 11 1/2 hours, we reached Shimla.

The city of Shimla with its 150 000 inhabitants (doubled during Indian tourist season) is situated at an altitude of 2200 meters above sea level (7000 feet). This makes it the highest point that I have ever been (Sweden's highest mountain, Kebenekaise, is 2100 meters high). We felt the altitude in our lungs as we had to walk up a steep hill for 30 minutes, with our bags, to get to our hotel. Even later in the evening when we had no bags, walking up a small hill felt like conquering a mountain. All the work we had put down in getting to Shimla was worth it when we saw the beauty of the area. As we saw snow capped mountains in the distance it dawned on us that we were actually at the foot of the Himalayas.

Right away Shimla felt like a place where we wanted to be. They have laws against plastic bags, littering, spitting and smoking. This sounded too good to be true to us, but it actually worked. Shimla might be the one city in India that is very clean. Also, aside from the occasional "-Sir, madam, hotel?", we were pretty much left alone. It felt liberating not having to say "-No, thank you" for a while.

The people in Shimla felt a lot friendlier than in other places; very laid back and easy going. This is something one can not say about the the city's monkeys though. One can find them everywhere in Shimla. Sleeping in trees, hanging around eating bananas on balconies, digging through trash cans, or just walking the streets. We were warned that you should not look at them or get close to them because they bite and sometimes steal whatever is in your pocket. We also got the advice to walk around with a walking stick so you can fend them off if they would get too close.

After having spent a day just wandering around town enjoying the cool air and the beautiful mountains, I decided to cut my hair for the first time in a few months. We went to a small hairdresser that was named "Deluxe." The hairdresser impressed me a lot and it was probably the most thorough cut I have ever had. It took around 40 minutes and cost me 120 rupees (20 kronor or $2.50).

After another restful day of shopping, we felt like it was time to get active. We decided to go on a hike around the area with our guide Nazir. He convinced us to take a long walk around the city because there would be no Indians tourists. This amazingly turned out to be true. We walked through a beautiful pine forest where we enjoyed the smells, sights, and tranquility of being alone in India for once. Emily seemed to have left on her safari goggles because she spotted a deer around 30 meters into the forest. This was according to our guide, a rarity in these parts.

2 hours into the walk we reached a viewpoint where we looked over the beautiful landscape. It was a bit hazy, so we did not see the snowy mountains, but the view was still amazing. After another hour we reached the city fort. Shimla used to be the summer capital of India during the British rule, so the town is filled with old colonial buildings such as churches, schools, and a fort. The building was of huge historical significance as it was here that the British gave India and Pakistan their independence. We got to see the table where it all was signed and the table itself is divided into two parts, the Indian and the Pakistani sides. A lot of famous people have spent time in the fort, including Gandhi.

After the 5 hour hike our bodies felt battered, so for the rest of our time in Shimla we rested and enjoyed the summer festival that started that afternoon. Watching happy and singing Indians enjoying their holiday was a great way to end our time in Shimla. Next we are heading deeper into the Himalayas as our destination will be the small mountain town of Manali.