Shimla: Green land of serenity

If you're someone who is fascinated by the blueness of the mountains as I am, then you'll find many a reason to stop and stare (if Davies fuels your thought), while in Simla. Also called Shimla by the locals, some of its yesteryear charm lives on - in is colonial lodges, wooden cottages and charming alleyways - from the time it has inspired Rudyard Kipling's Kim, to giving a peek into mountain life through Ruskin Bond's tales. And I took a summer break there to discover that the hill station is alive with more than the sound of music, today. Green welcome We (my parents, sister and I) flew in from Delhi, a little craft that landed into what would be on of the smallest airports I've ever seen (you think you're landing in the mountains, the small runway is so hidden here). Simla is sprawling over seven hills, so if your arrival is on a clear day, get ready to be be welcomed by a dhurrie of green and brown. I went to stay in a place that was a one-storied house in 1883, and said to have been frequented by Kipling. An hour or so later I decided to make a trip to the place where the action was: Mall Road, a pedestrian promenade (every hill station up north really, has one by th same name), and being the advent of summer this was a jamboree of everyone from honeymooners to Himachalis (as they call themselves) who were 'down' for a break, to city goers cameras in tow, and more. To a person like me who loves the mountains, I just sat there watching the melee, eating hot corn and ice-cream...as touristy as it got! Simla is buzzing with expansion so obviously everywhere hotels and little cafes have sprung up adding to the noise and unfotunately, commercialism too. You can go on nature walks here - the miles of hillside are apt for it and the meadows make for inviting picnic spots.Tourist guides who hang about the buzzing market avenue, can tell one more on the subject. On a ropelift and a prayer Once you're slightly settled in you would want to explore around. Shopping for little artifacts and take home gifts can be done at the Mall Road which is in two levels. There's steep drive up toward it, but I decided to go the beaten path and take the ropelift. Now this was painstaking. For one, it was crammed with people and two, if the electricity had to go (which isn't uncommon for Simla), one would stuck till a generator kicked life back into it. I was on tenderhooks every time I stepped into the lift, but luckily, the ascent was smooth and uneventful. The Ridge, atop the Mall Road, which is has the Lakkar Bazaar (selling little wood knock-knacks) and Scandal Point and also houses the lovely Neo-Gothic architectured Christ Church, that makes for a pretty backdrop against the mountains. A stroll down the shops had my pockets lighter after I bought some shawls and sweaters (I would hardly make use of, back in Mumbai)...but all the same, fun! The light lingers on in the bazaar till a little past ten, so its nicer to do the dinner scene early and then linger over some hot chai or brownies and ice-cream. Kufri and Mashobra The best part of being in Simla is that it's the beginning of the Himachal belt, so quieter and lovelier places are just a few hours' drive away. With my parents I drove to Mashobra and Kufri early one morning. It was unfortunate that I had forgotten my camera; but what I witnessed that day is going to stay etched in my memory. There is nothing that you can think of saying as you drive on the Hindustan-Tibet Road toward Mashobra that was once built by Lord Dalhousie. The cedar and oak trees, crisp air, and ribbon-like road seem to fly past you as the vegeation gets thicker and the altitude higher. Kufri (also known as Simla's winter sports capital), enroute, is about 16 kms away towards the east and you'll know you've reached once the Alpine-like meadows appear. I was hoping to catch some snow as I had heard so much about the sledding and tobogganing here, but it was a little late for that. We simply walked about and enjoyed the scene as many tourists also took horse rides around the place. For now, this is all that makes for the four-day trip, but of course, I hope to gear up and take the adventure bug in me northwards someday, maybe towards Kullu, Lahaul and Ladakh, and finally east into the valleys of Kinnaur and Spiti. That will truly be like heaven on earth. Best tme to visit: March to June. How to get there: - Take the train from Kalka. - There is a daily flight from Delhi. Places to see: - Vice-Regal Lodge - now the Institute of Advanced Studies, has beautiful architecture - Naldehra - famous for its golf course - Chail - highest cricket ground in the world