Shimla

I picked up my dad from the airport- it was so great to see him. I am so excited to explore northern India together. We stayed one night in Paharganj- Delhi, and walked around that area of the city and shops despite the heat- it is so great to have a travelling companion. It is a completely different experience. I was so excited to show him all of my favorite spots, food, etc. We stopped at a local barber shop so my dad could get a haircut- mainly for the experience. For 60 Rupees (a little more than a dollar) he got a great haircut and a 10 minute head and shoulder massage. I wish I had that luxury when I got off a 14 hour flight!

The next morning we caught the train to Kalka (4 hours north) and from there we took a local bus up to Shimla- a very cool city in the foothills of the Himalayas. The bus ride was awesome- we went up steep, winding shelf roads through the mountains and could feel the air getting cooler and cleaner as we got higher and higher.

When we arrived at the bus stand it was a bit chaotic as Shimla is a big summer destination for Indians wanting to escape the heat. It took us a bit to collect ourselves and find a hotel but once we did we could take it all in. The beauty the old buildings built on the steep mountain slopes, the pine covered hills, and the fresh cool air- it was quite a change from smelly Delhi (as I am calling it from now on). We have an amazing view from our hotel and watched the sunset before getting dinner.

The next morning we woke up around 5:30 am and hiked up to the Jakku temple at the top of hill. It was so amazing. No one else was up there but one man meditating and a few others ringing bells and playing drums inside the temple for morning prayers. The temple is informally known as the monkey temple as there are many monkeys that hang out there. Some of them came over and sat next to us as we watched the sunrise, continuing to groom each other as if we were not even there. One mischievous monkey came over and tried to unzip the zippers of my bag that I was holding in my lap. He definitely knew the mechanics of zippers and I had to hold my hand over it and hold on to my sunglasses or he would have taken them. We had really great chai and headed back down the hill to have breakfast.

Today we are off to Kashmir to go trekking in the Himalayas. We will mostly be in villages and camping so you may not hear from us for a few days up to a week. We are really looking forward to getting some elevation and experience the majestic Himalayas!