Monday, November 16, 2009

Shimla

Remind me to not take a night bus EVER AGAIN. I've never really learnt how to sleep on the things, and tonight trip from Dharamsala to Shimla was no exception. To make matters worse, the bus actually arrived ahead of schedule, at 5.30 when it was still pitchdark. Not the best of times to try to look for a hotel in a town where basically everything lies uphills. To add to the surreal experience, I was greeted to Shimla by two huge Rhesus macaque monkey casually copulating on the roof top ahead of me.



Stupidly, I was persuaded to let a porter lead me to a hotel I had chosen, despite knowing that often these porters take you to other hotels where you promptly get to pay double the price for their kind services. I thought that if the porter took me to where I wanted I would avoid this whole dilemma. Unfortunately, my chosen hotel was shut down and out of business, which I could see for myself after 5 min strenous walk towards the city centre. So defeated, I let myself be led to a ramshackle, filthy place, where I stayed for only an hour before deciding that I would rather chew off my foot than keep on staying there. I stormed out with my money (well, most of it anyway), and spent half the morning walking up on Shimlas ridge looking for another decent room. I just hate being tricked, especially when I tried my utmost to avoid it!
And why is it that is seems impossible for Indians to CLEAN a room properly? I can't recall other places throughout the world to have that same feeling of dilapidation and decay.


Shimla is a gorgeous city lusciously draped over several mountaintops. In the early hours of dawn the valleys below were still shrouded in fog, with the glistening white peaks of the Great Himalayan range in the distance. It is no wonder that the British set up shop here, creating their own little mini-summer capital with typical British-era houses. This is therefore the city in India which mostly resembles "home", or at least Europe, and it is only adding to the growing urgency of wanting to go back. I think I'm done with India. At least for now.

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