Shimla

I just got back from Himachal Pradesh, investigating water issues in the Himalayas, and it was a mixed bag. We only spent a week total, instead of the 2 weeks that we had tentatively planned, but I am thinking of going back to get some water samples, if I can find bottles for that. Anyway, here's a recap (in parts):

Shimla

We left on the day after I last posted and got on a bus for Shimla. Jessie took motion sickness pills (which put him to sleep), because the road is quite twisty and rough, and we were packed in the bus like sardines, so I didn't get to see much or talk to anyone while on the bus. We went from the plains into the foothills of the Himalayas. The most obvious differences were that we were now in a pine forest, and the weather was cooler. The air was only a bit cleaner, which was disappointing.

I suppose Shimla would be just another little valley hovel if not for the British, who built it up considerably. It is currently a tourist town, and the tourism is mostly domestic. When we were were there, it was during Diwali, so the town was packed. (Diwali is a big Hindu holiday. People are supposed to put lights in the windows, and they set off fireworks, which would be nice but they mostly do the loud explosion kind rather than the pretty lights kind. Anyway, it's a VERY big holiday, and lasts for three days.) The main street is called the mall, and it has a lot of fancy shops (including an excellent coffee shop).

The only other thing I have to say about Shimla is that there were a lot of monkeys there. They have signs that say something like "Help combat the monkey menace -- do not feed monkeys".