Shimla

We set off to Shimla from Delhi yesterday. The road was awful to drive. So much traffic and psychopathic anarchists on the road. I yelled a lot. Not at them - just into the helmet.

We drove through Chandigarh. Chandigarh is completely characterless. A huge grid of roads, three lanes in each directions. Traffic circles every kilometer or so. It had a bizarre rock garden. Several hectars. Some guy just made paths and buildings and sculptures and spaces out of rocks. It's like a maze.

The drive up from Chandigarh (foot of the mountains) to Shimla was - fantastic. We rose from about a height of a hundred meters, to 2200 meters in a 130km of road (three hours). Lush pine forests, mist, windy roads, and sheer drops. Trucks and buses often drove faster than us.

Shimla is not humid. It was chilly at night. We arrived so dirty (all the exhaust fumes and grime) at an eccentric guesthouse in the hills, run by an even more eccentric mother daughter team ("Oh you are from South Africa. We had a gentleman visiting here not too long ago, and he had bought a little accordian there. And he played it so beautifully with these little keys. Do you play piano? We have a piano here and we love to find people who play ..."). They are nutcases. It took a good hour to explain how the taps work, and the boiler, and the shutters. And we had taken too long to sign the guest register (in triplicate) in time, they padlocked our door (when we were out for supper), saying it was 'absolutely crucial' to sign the register.

Washed up. Felt clean for the first time. Strolled around town. So so British. No cars, no hooters, no pollution, no tobacco chewing, no continues greetings fromn strangers, no hassling. Traditional town hall, and theatre. Some houses even look Georgian. Many men walk with their hands behind their back. Tweed jackets. Boutiques selling English cardigans and pipes. Benches in the town square to watch people stroll by. Still has traditional bazaars, but they're so much cleaner. Windy roads. Everything is in levels. A lot of stair climbing.

Went to a hospital late at night (I burnt my leg on the silencer of the motorbike during the day). Chatted to the doctor about South African salaries and prices. Sat on a filthy bed, and had my wound dressed. The security guard was incredibly irritating, as he kept on repeating things over and over, and explaining to me that I met him outside and that he then introduced me to the doctor (I said he was 'instrumental') and that I am busy getting medicine from the pharmacy etc. He must have been mad.

Slept late today. Strolled again. Looked at the views. Bought rain jackets. Mine is sort of camouflagie, Sarita's is a hideously cut black (with a big 'Fantasy' logo on the left chest.)

Sarita got mugged by a monkey. She's ok - she only lost a Mango. We walked past the spot earlier again - all that remains are scattered peel.

Off tomorrow to Manali.