We have an early start today as the car is supposed to collect us at 7am.
7am comes and goes.
At 7:45 our transport arrives. There is some discussion as to whether or not the vehicle is big enough for the five of us +bikes +bags. The driver has a look of disbelief on his face when he sees what he's supposed to transport.
After 2 hours of negotion we cancel the contract. In the process loosing 1400ru of our deposit.
Our host at Hotel Relax - Kumar offers to take care of our transport needs.
Kumar is the closest thing to 'Tony' of the 'Sopranos' that I've ever seen. Everyone worth knowing is a cousin, and everyone's under his thum.
Kumar's vehical is a Toyota Landcruiser with roof racks. More than big enough to transport everything (at a squeeze).
We're loaded and off just after 10am with a 10 hour+ trip ahead of us.
3 blocks later we pull into a service station to check the tyres. Out pile the NZ'ers who then perform their version of a WOF check.
The vehicle fails on one tyre. It's down past the steel belt and the spare is no better. This forces us to zigzag across town in search of the vehicle's depot.
Eventually located 2 tyres are stolen from another vehicle in the fleet.
While we wait Richard tries out a motor scooter belonging to one of the locals.
Then we're off, joining the now 'rush hour' traffic heading North.
After an hour or so broken city gives way to a massive and very smelly rubbish tip, then open fields with rice and sugar.
The journey north is slow, the highway being broken at regular intervals by diversions. Each of these has a quarter foor bump, and traffic slows at each.
In Chandigarh (half way time wise, entry to the hills, and the end of the good road) our problems begin again.
We are stopped at a police checkpoint and held for over an hour while the police decide whether our vehicle has the required permits to operate in their area. (Our vehicle being a Delhi commercial vehicle). Our driver's starting to get stressed....
Once away the trip into the mountains becomes a 5 hour climb very similar to the Akas back in Wellington.
Monkeys sit at the road side and watch us pass.
We arrive at Shimla at around 10:30pm and are immediately set upon by Touts. Dad knows where he wishes to stay (the recommended place is the YWCA) and leads the way on foot with one determined Tout following along.
'WYCA this way Sir' yells the tout as my father stubbonly uses the route he knows. Dad is determined not to let the tout help us at all - as this would then put us in his dept, and require a tip. 'You go that way, and we'll go my way' is the responce.
Unfortunately the YWCA is full, so we navigate to an area of the city free from touts and locate a hotel. (Now dubbed by us as "Hotel Damp").
After showing us to our rooms the proprieter proudly hands out menus.
People place their orders. The proprieter then comes back into the room to inform that the cook went home hours ago - and that all we can have is buttered toast! Which we have.
It's a good, if not somewhat musty sleep.