An Escape to the Mountains

The alarm bursts into life – 4.00am – time to pack up and head for the plane – the driver arrives on time – we head for the airport – it is Monday morning – the traffic resembles that which we would encounter in Melbourne at 4:00pm – still by Delhi standards the trip to the airport is the equivalent of rapid transit.

We arrive at the airport – 5.00am – Indira Gandhi International Airport announces herself as the number one airport in the world – she may not be exaggerating – she certainly looks impressive – we find the Air India check-in and join the huge queue – lots of young business people heading out for the working week! – everything works with relative precision and good process.

We arrive at border control – a young Indian absorbed with his phone short cuts the queue – the men stand back  and let it happen – the pair of young Indian business women will have none of it – they dress him down and dispatch him to the back of the queue – they spot another young male – they are in the mood to dress down any male that crosses their path – this time he protests his innocence – it is only when another women steps in to defend him do they reluctantly desist! – clearly a sign of modern India – a good sign of modern India!

We wait at the designated gate – we wait – we wait just a little more – 30 minutes after scheduled departure time – we hear someone mention something that sounded like Shimla – we ask the desk – yes – yes – that way – a bus in the Regional Express manner – An aging Sabre that could have been a REX hand me down – a smooth flight towards the Himalayas and landing at 7000 feet in their insignificant foothills – the Shimla airport – the only vaguely level ridge in the vicinity of the old summer seat of British rule.

The guide and driver collect us – today will be a day of recreation in Shimla – an interesting time – visiting tourism spots is apparently not recreation! – I think they are correct in the making the distinction!

We head towards Shimla - the first thing we see - Eucalyptus trees!

The 20 kilometres to Shimla proper involves the negotiation of narrow – narrow – narrow – crowded mountains roads – travelling on these roads between 9 and 10am is not recommended according to the guides – “schools and businesses start at 10.00a” say he – we reach town centres – the buses stop therefore the traffic queue stops – two buses encounter one another – a  major traffic manoeuvring operation takes place – people mostly patient – local traffic police make vague efforts to assist.

Immediately we note the relatively cleanliness of the environment – a distinct reduction in the volume of plastic and construction debris – there is clearly pride in appearance – we pass school children all neatly dressed – we pass neatly dressed professional workers – we pass modest but impressive multi-storey dwellings perched on the near vertical slopes – we pass much more modest dwellings and business premises which, though modest in the extreme (by Australian standards) they are nevertheless superior to their Delhi counterparts.

Though this is a recreation day the Guide decides we should visit the summer residence of Mahatma Gandhi – we enter the University at Summer Hill where the residence is located – The photos on the walls say it all.

Outside the building an Indian Doctor and his new wife are visiting – the aging Australians are requisitioned for a tourist photograph!

Onwards on the mountainous crowded roads – neatly dressed people walking – riding motor scooters – riding buses – all on the way to work!

Into Shimla proper - We pass the Indian High Court Building – "lots of things go in there but very few come out "says the Guide - the building yet another obvious relic of the British occupation – clearly there were senior members of the Rajah who only ventured down onto the planes during the very depths of winter – “we get a number of British who want to see where they or their parents were born or went to school” says he

The car drops us off – the guide takes our bag – we take the long, inclined pathway to Clarkes Hotel located at the start of the Shimla mall – take it easy advises the guide – you are at 7000 feet - a vehicle free shopping and tourism strip.

We comment on the High Court Building  – “the rajah ran the government here for a lot of the year because it was too hot for them elsewhere - “you can get here by airplane now but best by train or car” –  before the Toy Railway was built from Kalka to Shimla in 1903 it would take the Rajah about three weeks to travel from Calcutta to Shimla – “gin and tonic – camp – some more gin and tonic camp – some more gin and tonic ” says he with a smile.

We reach the hotel - we are greeted as if we are royalty - The Guide departs – the hotel staff take over

None of this checking at the front desk business! – the hotel reception comes with us to the room – there the formalities are completed and the hotel briefing effected - one could not fault the service – the hotel old but regal – we are upgraded to a suite – huge bedroom – huge lounge room – large office – half the size of our Albury house - Ah for the life of the Rajah!

We sleep a while – this is a recreation day – we rise – its 1pm – we walk the mile – the temperature perfect – the mall a little steep but pleasant – pleasant – we stand out from the tourist crowd – no other westerners save for a group of three English women.

We stand out so much that this group of Indian Tourists also demand a photograph with the geriatrics.

Shop keepers delightful – hawking almost non-existent – Bernie acquires the pashminas at prices she deems entirely reasonable.

Like the shopkeepers the people polite – beautifully dressed – their only apparent vice – a desire to be photographed with aging Australians

We progress along the Mall to Scandal Point - we look at Christ Church - just a Church! - we admire the people - the place - atmosphere.

   

The environs clean – Shimla is dubbed the Bellagio of India – it may not quite be Bellagio but it has all the same characteristics save for a lake -  characteristics of a  Indian rather than Italian kind.

Split off from the larger Punjab, the State of Himachal seems very progressive by Indian standards - plastics bags have been banned - spitting in the streets - banned! - cutting down of trees - banned! - smoking in public - banned! - ownership of land by anyone other than a Himachal resident - banned! - full employment at least by Indian standards  - the result? - an environment remarkably different from that which we have experienced elsewhere in India. The signs tell the story:

Back to the hotel - into the bar - correction - this is a Raj establishment - the lounge! - some Brits have arrived -  the descendants attend to the descendants! - nothing has changed!

We let the empty gin and tonic sit while we marvel at the old British cutlery.

We dine watching the sun set over the Himalayas.

A great day.