Hello from the Himalayas! First thing to note - they're big. We've worked our way up through the foothills today by express train through the shallow bits and then toy train to gain 2000m of altitude this afternoon! Photos of the trains to follow in another post :)
We're in Shimla for 2 days - partly to acclimatise and break up the long 2 day journey from Delhi to Manali (the trekking hub in the Indian part of the Himalayas). But partly to take in the town that Indians honeymoon to and was the summer retreat for the Indian government, harking back to the days of the Empire.
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| Looking South, out of the Himalayas and into the foothills |
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| How's this for a bedroom with a view?! |
Absolutely loving it here - the air is clean and fresh, the pavements aren't piled with litter and there's a ban on car horns! (Indians honk their horn every 20s or so, as a warning of their presence - this is quite tiresome after a while). It's been great to wander round the old town, enjoy the views (even from our hotel room) and get out for a decent day trek at last. Down the mountain side, past forest clearances for polo fields (?!), through tiny villages with lots of schoolkids who all want to shake hands and to a beautiful waterfall. Manali promises bigger mountains and better views - we can't wait!
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| Shimla Mountain Station |
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| A treat! Eggless cakes |
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| On our first proper trek of the trip - with crisps exploding at altitude! |
We rounded off the day with some great news from back home, the safe arrival of Esme Beth Cope to the proud parents Chris & Ney. Congratulations guys, we couldn't be a prouder Auntie & Uncle. And to mark the occasion we had our first alcoholic drink of the trip! Cheers, Esme!
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| A very proud Auntie (and Uncle!) |
Shimla is giving you perfect destination for your honeymoon that you can easily make yours. This place is wonderful for the honeymoon couples.
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