Leaving the noisy and dirty delights of Dharamsala at 0800 hours we set off with considerable trepidation after seven people, including myself, went down with the dreaded lurgy during the night. On the way there were a couple of quick stops.
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| Dharamsala when leaving |
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| Looking back over Dharamsala |
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| The Wonder World Resort at the bottom of the mountain |
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| A temple seen on the way |
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| Not all houses are the expected village type houses |
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| A village house |
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| An unfinished hotel |
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| Hay ricks with some just a cover for animal dung |
After a long hot days travel we stopped at 1830 hours at Armaan Restaurant. This was an empty building with a caretaker who allowed us to camp on the grass and use the toilets and shower. The inside of the building was a bit rough in parts but for some reason the electricity was still on in the building, the fish tank still had live fish in it and the water cooler/filter was working as well. Really not as bad as I would have expected. The only downside to the location was that it was on the side of the main highway to Delhi and the noise from the traffic could be heard all night.
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| The Armaan Restaurant |
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| Sorting newly picked auergines behind the restaurant |
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| My tent again |
Leaving there at 0700 hours the following morning we arrived in Delhi, near Connaught Road, and then walked to the Hotel Star Palace where rooms awaited, some in this hotel and others in another hotel across the alleyway.
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| The hotel is in the alleyway behind the oxen |
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| The old and new |
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| The Akshardham Temple |
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| Delhi's Metro |
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| Henna painting on the street |
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Alive or dead!
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On the Friday we went to the Akshardham Temple by metro and as could be expected went on the wrong train but eventually found ourselves there. On the first train I thought that everyone was colourfully dressed not really looking any further. Then a lady told us that it was a ‘ladies only’ carriage and that we should move to another one. Then I realised that the colour was all from the different styles of dress worn by the ladies there. Ladies are allowed in the men's part, men are not allowed in the ladies part. The stations and platforms were clean with the underground stations and carriages air conditioned. Messages on the trains told people to get up for the old and disabled, not to sit in the seats allocated to the ladies, not to sit on the floor and not to play music in the carriages. All messages and signs were in two languages, one being English. With regard to the temple we found that cameras were not allowed inside. Even though entry was free we decided not to go inside as it was a very large open complex and with it being 44 degrees C, without being able to use a camera, it did not seem worth doing so.
We had to walk through Delhi main railway station and it looked exactly the same as when we came through here a a family in the mid-80’s. The same hustle and bustle, people sitting all over the place and long trains pulling out, but electric and not steam driven trains this time. The train to Howrah was 27 carriages long with carriages marked for the disabled, luggage, pantry, second class sleeper, AC sleeper three tier, AC sleeper two tier, AC sleeper First Class two tier and for the guard.
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| Waiting pasengers at the railway station |
Your Pics are really adoreable,have you visited Wonder world resort in Dharamshala.It is Discounted hotels Dharamshala that offers a choice of new rooms and suites that stand above all Hotels & Resorts in Dharamshala. All rooms enjoy a spectacular view of mountain ranges, forests and the river.
ReplyDeleteHah, the resturant was just a wall, it had been closed for quite some time, and the 'shower' was a hose, it was cold but refreshing and quite welcome
ReplyDeleteI supoose we did look a rather motley crew, even the locals looked twice at us, do they have refugees in India ?