And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In India

[RB]

Background
We visited India in March 2007. During the time there we had a tour of Rajasthan, another road trip through Corbert National Park & to Nainital where we caught a glimpse of the Himalayas and finally a combined trip Kochi beach/Tea Country/House Boat at Kerala/Kovalam beach break. While all great experiences, the things that seemed to stay in our minds were the brilliant driver/guide we enjoyed in Rajasthan & our distant look at the Himalayas. In early 2012 a friend rekindled our interest in India by asking for details of our previous trip. We are not bus tour people & our 2007 experience convinced us hiring a car & driver was again the way to go. Soon enough we had re-found our previous Rajasthan driver (Singh is a rather common name though!) and we worked on a plan suitable for travel in Nov 2013. We booked a LM redemption & a 19 day Northern India tour-we did a lot of reading but not a massive amount of planning as our driver has 17 years experience in conducting tours & we knew were in good hands and his suggested itineraries were adjusted to meet our preferences.



PQQ to Syd VA 1188 2A & 2B Nov 1[SUP]st[/SUP] 2013
We opted to sit up the front of the back loading aircraft as we preferred that after we had sat at the back previously on a windy day
Virgin, pushed back about 5 minutes late, went 500 metres & then sat for about 7 minutes for a 2 seater private plane to land!
This was a pretty dull flight but I heard a discussion behind me after a lady behind planted herself in 3A instead of 4D!
Our flight did not show on signage at Syd indicating which carousel our bags were on but they were out by the time we walked past them while still looking for details. A quick walk to the trains, we purchased a ticket & then walked straight on to a train & the 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] stop had us at Central. A 5 minute walk & we were at the Sebel Surry Hills
Review Of Sebel Surry Hills is here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....views/the-sebel-surry-hills-sydney-55834.html

Around Sydney
We had drinks at 99 on York where we caught up with an old mate. We opted for an easy dinner at Chur Burger-(same block as our hotel). I had read they do approx 650 burgers a day. We opted for a burger & a beer (craft/not my preference) & a wine & sat at one of the communal style tables. The burgers we OK but for me I think I could find many better in suburban cafes/shops and the restaurant was very noisy so it was soon back to the Sebel for sleep. On Sat morning we backtracked for Mrs RB to purchase some footwear & tops at the Columbia store that was having a big closing down sale. After our late checkout we were picked up by friends at the Sebel & then parked at the Goulburn St public carpark before a steady walk to the Rocks. Lunch was at The Argyle-a couple of mixed plates of good seafood & mixed meats but way overpriced. The International Ferry Terminal area was busy with a cruise to the Melbourne Cup about to head out. A female contortionist enthralled the crowds with some amazing moves highlighted by her fitting into a small see through box.

I guess no trip report can begin without a few photos-these are from the 1st day in India-our driver was insisting it was mist not smog

 

[kpc]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

I have never had a great interest / desire to visit India....hopefully, your TR will help change my mind

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Prior to 2007 I was very worried about getting crook while over there. I survived (loved) 2007 & this trip has got us thinking of another in a few years to Central India-heaps of options & can go 1 star or 5! Hope you enjoy the TR I am looking forward to reliving the trip & sharing things we stumbled on

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

SQ 242 J SYD-SIN 777-200 14A & 15A

This trip is another LM booking & we were pleasantly surprised to score SIN options with only a 2.25 hr layover that eventually got us into Delhi in the very early morning. Priority check in meant we were served immediately. We saved the priority customs slip as it was so quiet & we were soon greeted at the NZ lounge (Singapore lounge being refurbished) where it was also very quiet. The shower facilities were fine & we enjoyed a slow drink while waiting for the flight.
Priority boarding was in place although you had to hug a narrow gap to get down to the start of the line. There was apparently a light load in Y & J also had a lot of spare seats. We were treated well but both commented on disembarking that the crew seemed to lack the sparkle & precision that SIN are renowned for. Hot hand towels & a Bollinger were enjoyed before lift off & we actually pushed back a couple of minutes early. Our Book The Cook orders of Salmon & Seafood Thermidoor were nicely done, we enjoyed the garlic bread & drinks were freely offered. The seats on the plane although wide required a lot of manouvering to get comfortable for both sitting & sleep-the cross ways positioning required of the body is quite uncomfortable. Mrs RB thought it was outpointed by other J services we have enjoyed although we did like only being woken about half an hour out of SIN. Arrival was on time & we disembarked quickly, caught the internal train & then went to the almost deserted Silver Kris lounge. Our 2 odd hour layover meant we had time for a shower (I must have picked the only one with poor water pressure), a quiet sit nursing a drink & a quick tidy up of emails. We were told the flight would not be called (some others were!) so we headed to the gate when it showed boarding-still a long line for gate security check but then priority boarding was conducted via rows.

Mrs RB was happy with this snap
View of Centre seat
Different angle of centre seat
Salmon entree & garlic bread
Seafood Thermidor (Book The Cook)

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

SIN-DEL SQ 402 J 777-200 14D & 14F
A refurbished plane with only 8 in J & we more enjoyed these seats-straight positioning, angled flat with a bottom foot rest and plenty of spare pillows meant we slept well on this leg. Our personal greeting was very warm & the staff maintained an excellent level of service & organisation on this leg. The welcome drink was a Piper Heidsieck & the hot towels meant we were well settled for our 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] lot of Book the Cook- the lobster thermidor was a nicely presented, tasty concoction that followed an equally fine prawn entrée. The flight was very smooth with only 8 knot winds showing on the flight tracker. Again we were woken very late & offered a juice. We landed very early & disembarked through the front door to (for us) an impressive new airport that had been completed in time for the C’Wealth Games. We enjoyed a separate business class line through immigration (a pleasant surprise & big time saver) & then bought some duty free booze before collecting our bags that were already on the carousel-priority had worked as there were still many bags to come out.
We walked through the Green lane of Customs at Delhi Airport without problems & then got some starting Rupee at an ATM in an area just prior to the greeting area. Then it was the start of becoming accustomed to what it is like to be in India again.
Magan who we had met in 2007 was to be our driver, guide & mentor & he was waiting amongst the throng as we emerged through area 6. The huge expanse of the new terminal with its monorail, bus, car & taxi access was soon evident. The paid parking is now very formalised & we were soon out & on one of the much improved roads (some spots only)- but Indians are still making up own lanes despite lane markings.

Enchanted Garden Changi Airport
Enchanted Garden Cangi Airport
Great Guy-brilliant driver, massive knowledge of all of India, sense of humour, proud Rajasthani, great communicator!

Toyota Innova-plenty of space, very comfortable, bucket seats in 2nd row (I sat in front passenger seat)

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Delhi to Haridhwar
The drive to Haridhwar took us through parts of Delhi we had seen (Diplomat area with impressive gardens, India Gate) & even at an early hour progress was slow.
During our push North we noted a few things:
Breakfast on the road was an omelette (1x chicken, 1x cheese) at apparently the oldest diner in this area - good food approx $3 each including water.
A naked monk – apparently in this area they walk everywhere with absolutely no possessions (and no clothes).
New apartments seem to be popping up everywhere - some $40,000 or so and some being sold off the plan.
Some theme parks, one massive new one serves to increase the traffic on the shocking road nearby.
Indian sugar making plants line the road in one spot, with old belt drives, basic concrete ponds for collecting the product & blaring music-Jaggery/Indian sugar, with no separation of the molasses & crystals.
Neatly made piles of dried cow dung patties line the road for sale.
More motorbikes on the road than in 2007 & at times cold bike riders were pulling up & lighting a fire on the side of the road to warm up.
Despite some improvement in road conditions in some areas there are still times when oncoming vehicles will be ignoring directions & be travelling on the wrong side
Good toll roads for some distance but then back to old standard with huge potholes etc.
A variety of transport modes-tractor, buffalo, horse, donkey, camel, bus (old Govt buses are known as kill bus to Magan with their higher clearance meaaning more predestrians end up under them), trucks, cars etc.
There is an extravagant Yoga centre near Haridwar – huge expanse of garden and looked a little like a palace & run by a TV show yoga guru.
Our trip coincided with a public holiday so there were many inpatient drivers. Many were in the many new Hyundai I10 & I20 & Suzuki Swifts that have flooded the small car market

Diwali-The 5 day Hindu festival was under way & there were masses of Indian tourists using the roads. To quote Wikipedia "The name "Diwali" or "Divali" is a contraction of deepavali which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. These lamps are kept on during the night and one's house is cleaned, both done in order to make the goddess Lakshmi feel welcome. Firecrackers are burst because it is believed that it drives away evil spirits. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends."
For days we braced ourselves for the noise of the crackers & noted the swarms of bees around all the sweets stalls-It was a great time to be there & fantastic to see so many Indians enjoying their holidays. There was heaps of marigold around as the Indians use it extensively in their Diwali decorations.

While a lot of the Tata, Leyland & Mahindra trucks are a bit ramshackle, truck art is a major thing in India. The trucks are adorned with extra paint jobs & jewellery. Some trucks have black tassels to help ward off evil spirits, there are loose lengths of rubber intended to keep the tyres clean and for some families the truck is their entire livelihood.

Cow Patties for sale
One of the sugar plants
Yoga centre belonging to TV host
Everyone trying to make a living
Part of the Highway north
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[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Around Haridhwar
Haridwar is regarded as one of the 7 holiest places to Hindus
We only had the half day & night set aside for Haridwar. We enjoyed a quiet lunch at the hotel, a quick rest & then it was a walk through some of the local shops to the base of the cable car up to Mansa Devi Mandir, Up at the top we clambered up to a rocky outcrop for views back over the Ganges with a better perspective of the main stream, minor arms & the various blocking & redirecting systems that are in place for monsoon times-there is graphic evidence of the June 2013 flooding still on display. We also note a another town joined to Haridhwar township - Magan tells us this area is more “relaxed” in its approach with alcohol & meat available to tourists wishing to have these options. There were a number of chain hotels here with more being built.

With Magan’s experience of visiting the area we position ourselves early in a prime spot for the Har–ki-Pauri-Festival/ceremony (Aarti) devoted to the Ganges. We sat on concrete steps on our purchased plastic cover that advertised M&M’s. According to legend, this is where a drop of nectar fell from the churning of the oceans when the world was created, and a stone wall has Vishnu's footprint. The ceremony is held each evening & this night being a holiday there were thousands of happy holiday makers and pilgrims gathered to worship the river Goddess & they put their diyas (floating lamps) in the river. The sound, light and crowd made it an incredible experience. After the ceremony we regathered our shoes along with all the other attendees & then walked back to our hotel through the hordes of market stalls-they sell household goods, clothes, sweets (questionable milk ingredients according to some), sunglasses, fire crackers, fruit & vegetables etc.

Magan met us at the pre-arranged time of 10.30am the next day & we walked back to the car park while our bags were transported by human driven rickshaw.

Ganges flood management-haze doesn't help the photo
Downtown Haridhwar
Aarti ceremony
Aarti ceremony
Just a couple of the floating lamps-great spectacle

 

[LadyC]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Some great photos there! Having driven through parts of India, I can understand how it is both compelling and repelling at the same time. I'm not sure I'll head back anytime soon but can appreciate how others would. I imagine experiencing some of the religious festivals would have been very interesting but also intense?

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Some great photos there! Having driven through parts of India, I can understand how it is both compelling and repelling at the same time. I'm not sure I'll head back anytime soon but can appreciate how others would. I imagine experiencing some of the religious festivals would have been very interesting but also intense?

I think I am one of the ones who will head back again! The festivals are indeed full on & you get carried along by it-I loved their honesty, loyalty & openness.

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Haridhwar to Rishikesh
This is only a 26 km trip over rough roads but there is a dramatic change of scenery with a change of flat river plains giving way to a river town based at the foothills. The distance covered doesn’t see much vacant land, rather Indian country style urban sprawl (if that makes sense) with a lot of new construction. It is wedding season in India & we see the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] of many vehicles responsible for the music. We get a view down over the Ganges & in Rishikesh the Ganges is much broader & faster flowing-in between the 2 towns though recovery works from the flooding are keeping the main river flows out of settlements & it is only a shallow slow moving restricted narrow mass within the broad banks. The Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh was established in the 1940’s & there are now over 1,000 rooms & facilities for the pilgrims & devotees.

Temple on outskirts of Haridhwar
The Ganges looking back to Haridhwar-a contrast to photos you see of other seasons
Part of the river mitigation works

Wedding Music Machine
Getting around any way you can

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Around Rishikesh-(Yoga Capital Of The World & Once Visited by The Beatles)
We started to enjoy the relaxed nature of our itinerary here-we have a reasonably slack pace set & unlike in Rajasthan where there are highlight monuments to be ticked off & huge distances to be covered, here it is more about the towns & seeing a bit more of Indian life eg Mrs RB went to an early morning yoga class one morning in Rishikesh the world capital of Yoga-apparently they hold the poses longer than what she is used to.
Our first day was a walk over the Laxshman Jhula (82 yr old foot suspension) bridge that spans the Ganges (the bridge is shared with motorcycles, monkeys and the odd cow). This was followed by a walk around the numerous shops – we were briefly entertained by a lost bus full of soldiers who went too far into the old town and had to reverse out – much to everyone’s amusement except the bus driver and the cars behind it. After this interlude we went further & into the quiet of the road with the old ashrams (most now deserted). A long row of benches dedicated to family members from all over India line the road. We then get to the Ghat and position ourselves for another Ganges ceremony - this night Magan organised for us to be part of the ceremony, so we sat on the red carpet with the Monks & after the fire lighting we got to touch the torch (although we were corrected when rotating it the wrong way) along with a heaving crowd of Indians who pushed past little old ladies in their excitement. Our trip back to the hotel via the Ram Jhula bridge was slower than expected-the roads were blocked in parts as there was a practice run for the arrival of Prince Charles & Camilla who are due to visit the next day-extra 600 odd police on duty while they were there.
Much broader Ganges here & a more hilly landscape
Fruit & veggies on display
Indian typically shop every day. Family dedicated benches in the background
The owner was obviously very proud of this pushbike
Ram Jhula Bridge-a zoom might show the cow on the far right of the bridge


I have posted a review of our Rishikesh hotel here http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/hotel-experiences-and-reviews/seventh-heaven-rishikesh-india-55937.html

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

A few shots from the Rishikesh Ganges ceremony. Apparently the Ganges has the heaviest silt load of any river in the world but there are huge worries it is overused, abused & polluted so the sentiments of background signs in the 3rd photo are important-"Ganga is our national River & our Divine Heritage" & "Ganga's Rights are Our Rights"

Charles & Camilla were soon to be in town
The red carpet became much more crowded later
Early preparations
The Diyas (oil lamps) for the Aarti ceremony

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Our only planned activity for the Tues 5[SUP]th[/SUP] Nov (our 3rd day in India) was a drive into the hills for lunch where we are told the food is special. The food was good - a buffet with chicken actually available & Mrs RB also indulges in the strawberry ice cream. The Glasshouse restaurant in Neemrana Hotel about 23km from town is off the main road (Risikesh-Badrinath Rd) that heads north & eventually reaches China. Along the way there are several waterfalls & we are absolutely blown away by the number of tent cities set on the river banks to cater for the river rafting, cliff jumps & kayaking sport tours that have exploded onto the scene-th drivers rushing groups out to the camps were some of the worst drivers we saw on the trip. Apparently the floods in June caught some of the sports groups unawares re saving their tents. The grounds of the Neemrana were also inundated with silt at that time. We end up going about 40km each way & catch great views of the Ganges.
Back at our hotel we seek advice from a fellow guest who is studying yoga in Risikesh. Armed with info we head off to buy a singing bowl- has to be hand made & bought from a Tibetan. Our purchase was apparently sourced from Ladakh & pushes out a great vibrating sound- after about half an hour of instruction . While in Risikesh I also saw a store selling didgeridoos & actually heard some sound coming from them. We dine again at 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Heaven - linguini fungi was a nice dish & our breakfast was again washed down with good coffee.

Getting ready for duties at one of the many weddings
3 generations living in this on the side of the street
Very organised coin dealer
Got the spelling right
Just some of the 1,000's of tents for the rafting

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Rishikesh-Mussoorie (Queen of Hills) via Dehradun

Prince Charles & Camilla are not due in Risikesh until the afternoon so our path to Mussoorie is uninterrupted, but there is plenty of evidence of their imminent arrival-plenty of police, bridges being painted, roadsides cleared, new tar laid etc. The road is in pretty good condition & lane markings are actually obeyed in some spots. We visit a Tibetan sulphur springs leisure area. There are small pools for people to laze in, some rides for children & a funicular up to a peak for district views. We were again stopped to get our photo taken – we are a bit of a novelty amongst all the Indian tourists who seem keen to have a chat. We also break the climb at a monastery & temple & are provided with a free snack of rice & soy beans. The final climb is spectacular although the seasonal haze limits the views somewhat.

Some excellent road for short sections
Fruit & vegie stalls-stocks changed throughout our trip
More than 60 acres set aside for the State Govt to promote the development of the IT industry
Indian tourists enjoying the sulphur springs
Pareshwarnath Temple

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Around Mussoorie
The 2,000 odd metre altitude, a keen breeze & the threat of a storm combine to send the temp south & we dig out a couple of extra layers. The walk back towards the centre is an easy stroll & then we join the throngs (mainly Indian tourists) for a walk along Mall Rd. There is plenty of variety in the market stalls so it is an entertaining walk. Highlights include the slug gun games & a local providing a sharpening service via his pushbike mounted grinding machine that is powered by his peddling. We met a horse called Michael (and his owner of course) used to take tourists up to Gunnery Hill – typical Indian horse with the ears pointing backwards. One hotel proudly advertises it's revolving restauraant thaat apparently doesn't involve any surcharge.
Our driver used the teller facilities at a bank-a slow process & we got photos that outlined the complaints handling process-they really don’t encourage complaints!
Michael & his ears
Peddle powered sharpening service
Revolving restaurant
Part of the bank customer service advice
The rest of the customer service undertaking


I have posted a review thread of our Mussoorie hotel here http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/hotel-experiences-and-reviews/kasmanda-palace-mussoorie-welcomheritage-hotel-55996.html

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

More of Mussoorie
We start our full day in Mussoorie with a pre-breakfast early morning walk around Camelback Road. The town is still waking up and we encounter power walkers, joggers, early morning yoga, old men discussing the problems of the world, workers heading out & schoolkids setting out to the public & private schools. There are some inspiring signs along the route & we also pass an old English Church & cemetery. Also along the track are the town wide secure garbage bins (keeping out the various animals) that are well used by the locals and the town is generally spotless compared to our earlier locations. After breakfast we meet Magan & our 1[SUP]st[/SUP] visit is to the Shedup Choephelling Temple in an area settled by the Tibetans as they sought sanctuary in 1976. Within the area there are residences, a schools, shops and extensive sporting facilities. The temple area features 45 smaller prayer wheels, a larger wheel & various out buildings. There is a billboard re the 11[SUP]th[/SUP] Panchen Lama who was apparently kidnapped by China in 1995 & he & his family remain in “protective custody”. We encountered a distraught macaw monkey whose baby had just been electrocuted & others who were enjoying the garbage facilities.
Our next stop is at the Municipal Gardens. There are nice displays, huge nurseries, a food court & a playground area to amuse the adults & the indulged Indian children -again we are the only non-Indian tourists. We then drove towards Bhadraj, past Sir George Everest House ( George a Welsh surveyor was involved in the Great Trigonometric Survey of India) & disused quarries and headed towards Clouds End for lunch-we caught amazing views but the hotel is being refurbished so our planned lunch did not eventuate. We drove back into Mussoorie through cold drizzle & left Magan at the Ghandi corner. We buy a bottle of beer ($2 650ml bottle) at the strongly secured shop & a couple of sachets of milk for the duty free Khalua. Back at the hotel the views of the Doon valley become more enhanced as the light rain cleared the previously smokey air. It is another quiet night at the hotel & we discover BBC world on the old TV.

There is no shirking hard work. Monkey proof bin in background
Old English church
Prayer wheels
One of many
Clearer view after light rain

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Mussoorie to Chandigarh


This was a long day on the road:
It was clearer on the way down so we got some new photos
We went past major military establishments where Prince Charles had visited the day prior
We encountered a group of Hindu ladies in celebration-apparently they walk/parade for several klms
We encounter large strands of eucalypts-apparently gifted by the Aust Govt-now spreading & not generally enjoyed by the Indians
We noticed a sign for emu farm There are more hydro electric schemes (we see a lot in India) & there is a lot of farm irrigation via a canal system
We enter Himashal Pridesh-another border tax to be paid
We see the Asan Conservation Reserve-444ha of wetland reserve
We end up on a false shortcut through potato farms & chicken farms-massive sheds are required to hold the number of chickens required by the food industry-basically the only other meat you see on menus is mutton & that is usually old goat in reality
We enter Punjab (world renowned food production area)-We have a late lunch (beer available) at the Grand Pacific Hotel-the owner is from Adelaide, our waiter is from Mussoorie-great Asian food-we had Singapore noodles but Western dishes were available
Finally we reached the freeway-however still the locals ignore the lane markings

Chandigarh
We are told this area had a reputation as having the most corrupt police- apparently a story circulated that locals were given a code word (name of a flower) once they had paid a daily bribe. If they were stopped again they were to give the name of the flower to avoid paying more than once a day. Legend goes that the drivers spread the name of the flower to avoid the fines. The story then goes that the police then began drawing the flower on the hand of the drivers but then the drivers began doing their own artwork
We visited Nek Chand Rock Garden-massive recycle use. It began as an individual secret undertaking & soon spread. We were the only Europeans there
Sukhna Lake- again the only Europeans. This is a popular place to hang out, jog, paddleboats, shops amusement park etc
We called at the market at Zone/Section 17-these are actually upmarket brand name shops that cater to the cashed up among the local population. Parking is in very short supply so the locals have developed a solution-if you are parking someone in you leave your car in neutral in the carpark & the people leaving push cars backward & forward until they have created a space to exit the carpark-early parkers are at 90 degrees & the late arrivals park in a line at 180 degrees to them
Although Chandigarh is a planned city & is dramatically different to the others we visit, it just doesn’t cope with traffic at roundabouts during peak hours
In Chandigarh it is very obvious that there are[FONT=&amp] more females driving cars & riding motorcycles around[/FONT]

A clearer view back to Mussoorie
One way of moving the family around
Part of the massive Nek Chand rock garden
Great time at the rock garden-all recycled materials being used

A popular group on Sukhna

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Chandigah to Shimla.

On the way out of Chandigarh we visited the Rose Garden, the largest in Asia-unfortunately we were out of season but there are 45acres & 32500 plants, there is a security patrol in a golf buggy and again people were wanting to take our photo
Our trip took us past an area referred to as Tank-here we saw a Pakastani tank captured during the 1971 war.
The Pinjore Gardens were a highlight-a Mughal style garden with Persian style architecture & spread over 7 terraces. There are pools, fountains and canals. There is a family link between here & the construction of the Taj Mahal.
Along the way we see a huge new dam (no relocation of houses was required), new apartments & the Himalayan Expressway-a short but impressive road construction & another toll. We caught the Timber Trail Cable Car- 8 minutes each way. There was a cricket game on a very narrow flat expanse part way up and a very classy hotel up top with great views
At Solan we saw what was India’s 1[SUP]st[/SUP] brewery, originally producing beer then diversifying to include whisky & rum. A natural spring has helped keep things going for over 150 yrs. I have since read that the owners refuse to advertise, sell at rock bottom prices & rely on the product to sell itself.
We were aware of the Toy Train-the times of the Kalka to Shimla run did not fit our journey-but we got a photo of what was a 1 carriage train that day.
We had lunch at roadside diner-again good food & this time great views of the mountains. Our arrival in Shimla was a Saturday & coincided with many Indians spending a weekend in the Himachal Pradesh state capital. In 1864 Shimla had been declared the state capital of British India

Out of season at the Rose Garden
one of the captured tanks
A rather understated entry to the Solan Brewery
The lone carriage of the Toy Train
Parts of the Pinjore Gardens



I have posted a review of our Chandigarh hotel here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....eviews/hotel-cama-chandigarh-india-56034.html

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

Around Shimla
On the first afternoon we had a walk around Mall, mingled with crowds of holidaying Indians, viewed the Christ Church (2[SUP]nd[/SUP] oldest in Nthn India), saw the Mahatma Ghandi statue, endured a very cold hail storm and saw the crowds using the lift up from bottom-it is car free up top of the town, Amongst the countless market shops we find beers, 110rp per 650ml bottle-Kingfisher Strong comes with a label advising the strength is somewhere between 5.25% to 8%!
We enjoyed a very full day on the 10[SUP]th[/SUP] Nov Full day-the sacred Hindu Jakhu Monkey Temple-108 foot tall Hanuman statue, fighting monkeys and a totally different of snow covered Himalayan peaks after we walked up 2km through deodar trees.
We then set out towards the golf club-there was melting snow on the road which is a back road to Manali-there are workers cutting grass on hillsides-the grass is to feed the cattle under the house & keep the house warm-there are 3 months where the people do not venture outside because of the cold. There are pony rides up to the golf course-we walk up though. The Naldehra Golf club was established in 1905 by a British Viceroy. We had a beer & looked at Honour boards, saw photos of snow on course in winter, browsed Curzon’s Divot bar and admired the all timber clubhouse-they have 600 members 60 starters in their comps & the course is only 4423 yds for the 18 holes but apparently the sloping terrain makes it challenging
We headed to The Palace for a late lunch. This is a winding coughpy road, we passed yaks, there are pull off spots for photos of Himalayas and at Kufri there are masses of Indians having pony rides at about 2,700 metres. We eventually reached the Palace at Chail & had the lunch-perhaps the meal was less memorable than the fact the palace featured in the movie The 3 Idiots-2009 Indian coming of age movie. We had more scenery stops on way back, saw more yaks & visited the Heli pad VIP landing area.


Naldehra Golf course viewed from the clubhouse
We are certainly getting closer to the peaks
In the Jakhu Monkey Temple precinct
I saw this in an article from the National Disaster Management group.-An earthquake of 8 or above magnitude can turn the tourist town into rubbles as 14 major localities are situated on an average slope of 35 to 70 degrees with peak population density of 2,000 to 3,000 per hectare, despite the fact that the city falls under seismic zone IV.
Easy to see where the grass cutters had already been-too hard work for me!

 

[RB]

Re: And Our Driver Said You Need A Good Horn, Good Brakes & Good Luck to Drive In Ind

A few more shots of Shimla town