Delhi and Agra gave us the first feel of India. These two days helped us to get ourselves adjusted to the country. We got up early and started the journey to Shimla without even having the breakfast. On the way we stopped for breakfast. The road from Delhi to Shimla was long and winding. Some of my friends became nauseate because of the bumping road. When we reached Shimla, it was already night. But on way we were lucky to experience dusk from the car where the sky gave shades of orange, red, yellow making a beautiful art. We were to stay in Shimla for 2 days. We all were tired and went to sleep as soon as we came to the inn.
The following day, after breakfast we went to engage in adventure activities. This was our first experience of snow. Either side of the road were covered with ice and here and there were piles of snow. Our driver advised us to go early as possible as there would be a queue for the adventure park.
The scene we experienced was totally unexpected. There were individuals that sold adventure packages such as zipline, confidence jump etc. We had to take a ride on a mule up to the park. The road was covered with snow and muddy. We were given separate snow suits to wear like that of Eskimos and shoes. We got into the mules and then the animals started taking us uphill. That was one of the worst experiences ever because of the torture on the animal. It had to climb uphill bearing the weight of the human on muddy snow. I wish that they had cable instead, but this was a source of income to the owners.
We got down near the gate and were asked to phone a number on the ticket once we were done with the activities. Off we went into the park first time walking on snow. There were yaks and Angora rabbits which were common in Himachal Pradesh and people can take photos holding or riding on them for money. Another common product in the region was Kesar (Kind of orangish spice that is believed to give beauty and good for pregnant ladies). This is mixed with Biriyani to give that special flavor. I wanted to buy one and one of these guys were coming after me to sell it. The genuine one is about the smell and colour. The sellers try to sell the product by rubbing it on your hand and then asking someone else to touch the hand and smell the aroma. I didn’t buy from there but instead brought from Manali.
Everything there was about money. Even having a view from a summit point you need to pay something extra. We had booked an adventure package and a 4 wheel took us to the starting point where the activities took place. First, we walked on snow and entered a snow filled area which was a kind of play and rest area for people to enjoy snow. Many were throwing snowballs, so we also did through small one like as if it was customary to do so. I really wanted to take off my shirt and experience the cold but did not want to take a risk and get sick as it was only the beginning of our journey.
After spending some time enjoying the snow, we engaged in other activities like zipline and parallel rope crawling. The space was known as the apple garden as it is covered with apple trees during summer. The scenery would be I am sure an entirely different one and indeed something to look forward to.
After the adventure activities we headed back again on the same mule which was now downhill. The crowd was mainly local, and most were shouting because of excited and some because they were scared. From there we went to observe the green valley which was a viewpoint of green trees and valley. We had our lunch from a restaurant and headed towards the inn.
After a small break we went to bazaar which was the marketplace. Although the inn we stayed was in a gloomy dark location, the bazaar looked bright and glamorous. It had two regions one with ordinary shops and one with branded ones. You get all sorts of brands of clothing, shoes, food items. As it was Christmas people were getting ready. There was a church which was unfortunately closed when we went. We also visited a temple of Kaali and even at that time of the night people were singing Bajan. The town also had monuments depicting its history. I saw notices saying not to spit specially as many Indians chew betel this was a measure to keep the city clean. The crowd was mainly locals.
It was such a pleasant view to see the lit city of Shimla at night like a series of bulbs on a black canvas. The town showed a festive look and many shops offered discounts for the season for their products. We had some peanuts and coffee on the way and headed towards the Inn where we stayed and had our dinner and went off to bed to get up early to prepare ourselves for the journey to Manali the following day.
Some thing to note for those that plan to travel. If it is winter get your winter clothing depending on how you can withstand cold. The condition of the hotels vary for deluxe to super luxury and what you consider as deluxe is not what is expected in Sri Lanka but something below. So if you want to have better conditions go in the higher range. Most rooms are not heated. You can either buy a heater for a small value or rent it from the hotel for extra money. Most of the booking in the hotels are with breakfast and dinner but they are vegetarian and mostly Indian food. Sometimes you will get sick of them. But there are enough shops and restaurants from which you can get a decent meal.
If you really want to experience snow try going after December. The next article will be on Kullu Manali and until we meet again stay safe..
Chitta
The following day, after breakfast we went to engage in adventure activities. This was our first experience of snow. Either side of the road were covered with ice and here and there were piles of snow. Our driver advised us to go early as possible as there would be a queue for the adventure park.
The scene we experienced was totally unexpected. There were individuals that sold adventure packages such as zipline, confidence jump etc. We had to take a ride on a mule up to the park. The road was covered with snow and muddy. We were given separate snow suits to wear like that of Eskimos and shoes. We got into the mules and then the animals started taking us uphill. That was one of the worst experiences ever because of the torture on the animal. It had to climb uphill bearing the weight of the human on muddy snow. I wish that they had cable instead, but this was a source of income to the owners.
We got down near the gate and were asked to phone a number on the ticket once we were done with the activities. Off we went into the park first time walking on snow. There were yaks and Angora rabbits which were common in Himachal Pradesh and people can take photos holding or riding on them for money. Another common product in the region was Kesar (Kind of orangish spice that is believed to give beauty and good for pregnant ladies). This is mixed with Biriyani to give that special flavor. I wanted to buy one and one of these guys were coming after me to sell it. The genuine one is about the smell and colour. The sellers try to sell the product by rubbing it on your hand and then asking someone else to touch the hand and smell the aroma. I didn’t buy from there but instead brought from Manali.
Everything there was about money. Even having a view from a summit point you need to pay something extra. We had booked an adventure package and a 4 wheel took us to the starting point where the activities took place. First, we walked on snow and entered a snow filled area which was a kind of play and rest area for people to enjoy snow. Many were throwing snowballs, so we also did through small one like as if it was customary to do so. I really wanted to take off my shirt and experience the cold but did not want to take a risk and get sick as it was only the beginning of our journey.
After spending some time enjoying the snow, we engaged in other activities like zipline and parallel rope crawling. The space was known as the apple garden as it is covered with apple trees during summer. The scenery would be I am sure an entirely different one and indeed something to look forward to.
After the adventure activities we headed back again on the same mule which was now downhill. The crowd was mainly local, and most were shouting because of excited and some because they were scared. From there we went to observe the green valley which was a viewpoint of green trees and valley. We had our lunch from a restaurant and headed towards the inn.
After a small break we went to bazaar which was the marketplace. Although the inn we stayed was in a gloomy dark location, the bazaar looked bright and glamorous. It had two regions one with ordinary shops and one with branded ones. You get all sorts of brands of clothing, shoes, food items. As it was Christmas people were getting ready. There was a church which was unfortunately closed when we went. We also visited a temple of Kaali and even at that time of the night people were singing Bajan. The town also had monuments depicting its history. I saw notices saying not to spit specially as many Indians chew betel this was a measure to keep the city clean. The crowd was mainly locals.
It was such a pleasant view to see the lit city of Shimla at night like a series of bulbs on a black canvas. The town showed a festive look and many shops offered discounts for the season for their products. We had some peanuts and coffee on the way and headed towards the Inn where we stayed and had our dinner and went off to bed to get up early to prepare ourselves for the journey to Manali the following day.
Some thing to note for those that plan to travel. If it is winter get your winter clothing depending on how you can withstand cold. The condition of the hotels vary for deluxe to super luxury and what you consider as deluxe is not what is expected in Sri Lanka but something below. So if you want to have better conditions go in the higher range. Most rooms are not heated. You can either buy a heater for a small value or rent it from the hotel for extra money. Most of the booking in the hotels are with breakfast and dinner but they are vegetarian and mostly Indian food. Sometimes you will get sick of them. But there are enough shops and restaurants from which you can get a decent meal.
If you really want to experience snow try going after December. The next article will be on Kullu Manali and until we meet again stay safe..
Chitta
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