My train from Delhi took me to Kalka, where I was to wait for another six hours. Then, I took the scenic toy train up to Shimla. Winding its way up the mountains I was welcomed to the Himalayas with a great sunrise.
Shimla itself is a pretty and clean city. Besides emergency vehicles no other motorists were allowed in the center. Spitting was forbidden and people actually abided to that. There were many markets with nice little shops. And best of all, there were great views all around Shimla. The only problem for me was, that it was quite cold.
I wanted to do a trip to Kufri, to see some more of the area. I set off fairly late to go to Kufri and three people had told me it's not possible to reach it that day. However, when I asked at the big bus station how I could get to Kufri, I was pointed to the bus right behind me. So that was easy. I was slightly worried about how easy it would be to get back, but concluded I should worry about that later.
Kufri was a only a very small village. It was a few degrees colder and there was even snow on the ground. Apparently there is a skiing slope close to it as well. I had a walk up the village and then wanted to take a chai before looking for a bus back. And just after I had finished my tee, I saw a bus coming towards us. I waved, stopped it and got on. So the way back was easy too.
As there was not much more for me to do in Shimla, I headed for my next destination. Taking four buses I reached the village of Kasol in the Parvati valley after a full day of travelling. This place was much further north. I liked gazing at the snow-white mountains that looked pretty close. Surprisingly, it was also a tiny bit warmer in Kasol, but still too cold for me.
Unfortunately, I was feeling a little bit ill. So most of the time I was at the hostel. I did a short but beautiful walk along the river forming the valley. The river had some hot springs and they were not warm but really burning hot. It's the first time that I've seen that.
Another day Shubham and I planned to go to Malana. We were joined by Nav and Sam. All were from the hostel. We took a bumpy cab ride towards that village. Then we would have to walk up to it ourselves. It is believed, that the people of Malana are descendants of soldiers of Alexander the Great. Inside the village photos were strictly prohibited though. We went to a guest house behind and enjoyed a tea together with a fantastic view.
The next day I left Kasol again. I was still not feeling great so I wanted to get out of the cold.
