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Day 1 - From Plain to Mountain (Delhi to Shimla)

 July 9, 2007 - We started the long drive from New Delhi into the Himalayas.  Here is a sampling of what we saw and did along the way. 

Adding a roof rack Dad helped our driver install a roof rack so we would have space for luggage. It was a long, hot day bargaining for one in Old Delhi, hauling it home, and bolting it on - but it will come in handy...	Our bags are packed Mom took this pic as we departed at 5:30 AM to beat Delhi traffic jams	Delhi Beltway At 6 AM the outer ring road of Delhi is relatively calm. Highway modernization is a big effort in India today, albiet slow going
Delhi fitness cyclists This was a rare sight - people riding bikes...for fitness! This would be impossible during the day, both for heat and traffic	Durdarshan Tower That's Hindi for television tower - this looks impressive from afar but looks very primitive up close	Begging for a Beep Indian cargo trucks are highly personalized with all sorts of religious or comical quips in Hindi and English - some of the English falls short, but it is always entertaining
Elevated highway in work This scene stretches for miles and miles, as India is trying to create a true highway system. But I only ever saw about 25 guys actually working on it!	Get a load of that I have no idea what commodity is in the bag, but he's determined not to make a second trip...	Horns in traffic It's for real...cows are everywhere. This one was walking right through our traffic jam when even motorcycles couldn't get through.
Bursting Tuk Tuk India is all about maximizing whatever scant resources you have, be it space or fuel. I hope they weren't going as far as we were...	Pachoderm in the slow lane We were hoping to see and Elephant in traffic - Delhi did not dissapoint!	Pipe Dream 'Burbs These elaborate signs advertising neighborhood straight out of the Jetson's were all over. Most appeared to be elaborate gates with more of the same cement homes behind them.
Chicken at 60 mph This scene of near head-on crashes is "business as usual" for Indian traffic. Although the safety margin is virtually zero, it makes traffic flow quite efficient.	Bring it on We are doing about 120 km/hr, the tuk-tuk probably about 60, making closing speed about 110 mph. But after the 50th time, it was no big deal. Don't know if that's good or not...	Punjabi Ad As we neared and passed through Punjab, the signs and ads changed to Punjabi. Hindi was still there but much less.
But please don't abuse me English signs in India sometimes suffer from weaknesses in "transliteration" - but can be quite funny!	Pinjaur rest stop A bit of a tourist trap, but very pleasant and realtively clean, we are lunch here on our way to Shimla.	Pinjaur Bats The bats above the rest stop were loaded with giant bats - presumably fruit bats, but quite ominous in appearance
Who the heck are they? A very common occurance is for Indians to walk up and ask for a picture with you - without so much as an introduction! It is fun, especially when I reply in Hindi - we seem to make friends everywhere!	Pinjaur Camel Rides After lunch they had a camel for hire for a quick jaunt around the grounds. The price was right at less than a buck each, so why not?	Camel ride at the Palace
Mom and D ride too	What a blast!	Camel turns around
Bat Close up As I chased the camel for pics, I look up and there were more bats just above us - sweet!	D waves to our Driver	First sight of foothills Just as we got to the Himachal Pradesh border we caught sight of the foothills
Hindu Mendicants Hindu life philosophy reveres the repudiation of worldly belongings and attachments, particularly in later years, in search of enlightenment. Known as mendicants, they are respected, not looked down on.	Welcome to the Himalayas! (You have to imagine John Ratzenberger's voice, like that scene in Monsters, Inc.)	Indian Trucker Rig Truckers here love to elaborately paint and bedangle their trucks. They have awesome (and loud) musical horns too - fun!
Monkey Stare There were a TON of monkeys in the forested areas in Himachal, mostly on the outskirts of towns and at "truck stops" (wherever a truck happened to stop).	Himalayan Foothills Great views emerged as the road gained altitude.	Hotel Balcony View At the Hotel White in Shimla, our room's view was breathtaking. This pic looks north into the higher mountains
D shows his feet Actually in "time out" for misbehavior, D shows his personality cannot be supressed!	Z at the Hotel White	Evening in Shimla
Shimla Monkey This critter made quite a racket on the hotel roof, but paused outside the kids window for a snapshot!	What, a toilet? This was actually a welcome sight to what most hotels offered (a hole in the floor). I, for one, was grateful to have this particular model...	...and a shower, of sorts The shower was just a spigot with a hose and nozzle. The shower area was the bathroom, all with a single floor drain for all liquid. The scene out the window was great, too
Dingy but doable This was a mid-range hotel room, costing about 20 bucks a night (1600 Rs). It was workable for us, but we decided to go to upper-end hotels for the next nights (we're just breaking ourselves in!)	Gandhi in Shimla Town square wouldn't be complete without his "murti" (statue)	Christ Church in Shimla Supposedly the second oldest Christian Church in North India, it still has services each Sunday
View from Shimla town center Shimla has a town plaza on a high mountain ridge that affords great views north and south.	Indira Gandhi's here too She was Prime Minister for many years, and quite controversial for some semi-dictatorial actions in the 70s and 80s. She was assassinated by two of her own bodyguards in the mid 80s.	B and Shimla sunset Very beautiful, and so was the sunset!
Dinner in Shimla We ate at a littel restaurant built under the town square, with window views to the north. Good Murg Makkani and Subzi Biryani!	Father of the Nation Impressive sight at night on the town square	Mom shops Lakkar Bazaar The night was cool and fresh, and the shops were abuzz with light and great finds. A found some great gift items that night
Family in Lakkar Capre ki Dukaan This colorful cloth and garment store was a great backdrop for Z's pic of the family	D sweeps up	Making Puri at night The street vendors were very active making quick meals for passers-by
Day one ends Wiped out! It was a long, sometimes miserable, but very memorable day. They zonked as soon as their heads hit the pillow