The fall of Raj - Shimla 17th April 2006

I went to collect my bike from the car park at around 09:30; I decided to take the road down to the town, as that should give me a route for brining my bike back up the hill. I was going to leave earlier, but I couldn’t find my motorbike keys, despite turning my room downside up and outside in. Just as I’d set off, I bumped into Gulshan coming up the hill heading towards the hotel, and despite having already been downtown, she set off with me. It took about five minutes to reach the town. I’m glad to say that my ‘bike was still there and I was able to start it using my spare set of keys (better not lose them!). Gulshan and I rode up to the town, parked the bike and went to get a coffee, only to find the coffee shop closed. They appear to be late starters here and not a lot is open until 10:00, must be the cold.

I found a music shop that was open and I went in there whilst Gulshan went into a clothes shop. I walked in and started looking at the Hindi movies (DVD & VCD) which had English subtitles and I was accosted by the proprietor who started picking out DVD’s for me and telling me that I wouldn’t like the ones I was looking at! I asked him how he knew that I would like them and he handed me four DVD’s and told me that these would be good for me! I went through the motions of reading the backs of the DVD’s that he had handed me, then put them back on the shelves and chose one of the films I was looking at originally – I hope it’s not too crap! Gulshan came into the shop then and she got the same treatment. I then started looking at the music CD’s and the assistant in the shop told me that I wouldn’t like the music as it was “Devotional”, I told him that I knew that (the big sign over the section gave it away!), I went upstairs then, where I was told that I was looking in the “Classical Indian” section, I know my Hindi is no good, but I’m still able to read the English signs. I ended up buying a Ravi Shankar CD, a Hindi movie, Guide, Citizen Cane (VCD) and the first two seasons of Yes Minster (VCD).

We went back to the coffee shop after that, but they didn’t do breakfasts, so we went to their adjoining restaurant and I had a mushroom omelette and Gulshan had butter toast – It was the first bit of food I’d finished in days! We got back to the hotel and checked what the others were up to. Carol hadn’t slept as her mattress was paper-thin, actually, they all are, but I don’t mind a thin mattress. Carol wasn’t happy though and checked into the hotel next door. Both Mairead and Rajen had been up most of the night with Delhi Belhi, so we’d all been through the mill in the last couple of days. Mairead felt well enough to come out with us though and we agreed to meet up and go get some lunch down town later.

I went back to my room to try and find my motorbike keys, but still couldn’t find them, so I decided to watch one of the VCD’s I’d bought. My laptop made some really unpleasant noises when I put the VCD in and proceed to spit it out after about thirty seconds. I tried to play the other VCD’s and DVD, but the laptop didn’t like them either. I then got a DVD from my rucksack that I know works and the laptop spat that back at me as well – not good! Looks like the CD / DVD player on my laptop is kaput; I had a quick check in the owners manual (saved to hard drive) to see if I could run a hardware diagnostic and found out that I could. All I needed to do was to insert CD 1 that came with the laptop! Slight problem there as that’s back in London, damn. I did buy extra worldwide cover which will enable me to get my laptop repaired and Apple do have a presence somewhere in India, so I can check out their website and get it sent for repair, more hassle though and not what I need after my camera and USB memory failed.

I met up with the others around 13:00 and we went for a walk into town, we went a different way to the one I’d gone before and it was interesting to see the main road from a different angle. The town is like an old English village with Mock Tudor buildings and wood fronted shops, there were even two red fire engines hanging around (must be waiting for a fire to happen..), it’s unlike any Indian town that I’ve ever been in. It started to spit rain so we went for lunch, I had a nice chicken club sandwich (the last food I would have that day), Mairead managed butter toast, Gulshan had some cookies and Carol had minestrone soup.

We had a walk back up the main street, The Mall, and I bought a pair of gloves, as it’s bloody cold, not just cold, when I’m on the bike. I got a “fetching” pair of black gloves with black fur lined cuffs! I’ll have to get my penknife out and get rid of the cuffs pronto! Carol got a couple of nice pashminas for about £7 GBP after bartering (or should that be battering) him down from £10. We found an Internet shop a couple of doors down and I managed to check a couple of emails before the power cut out. We stayed there for about half an hour and the power cut out about three times on my computer. Didn’t get up to much for the rest of the day, I was a bit knackered after the walking up and down hills and went back to my room to do a bit of work on my computer (the DVD is working ok now!) and ended up crashing out for the rest of the evening.