Our plan while in the Himalayas was to see snow - and see snow we did !! It was beautiful, powder snow at least 50cm deep - and the boys were in absolute heaven.
Day two of our holiday and we headed up further into the mountains to Kufri where there are higher peaks and better snowfall. Our mission - to build a snowman, Olaf to be exact. (for those not in the know, that's the snowman from the movie Frozen) The boys had a ball building their snowman and then rolling around in the powdery snow - even making snow angels. The red carrot (already pealed by the chefs at the Oberoi hotel) just made it that little bit more Indian in nature.
Seeing India in such a different way was fabulous for us all. We have been so used to the hot, humid, dusty, crowded India - but this new version, all white and fresh was spectacular. In saying that, there was still so many Indian aspects to the trip that still made us laugh and shake our heads - or in Max's case, wobble his head. Here are just a few:
1. Sandals were still considered appropriate footwear, even at -4 degrees. Socks were an occasional added extra.
2. The salting of roads was optional..... even if it was a main highway. In fact, the use of grit on the mountain roads was also rare.
3. Young Indian men are still kids at heart and give them the option of a snow fight, they return to being 6 years old.
4. It doesn't matter if you have a Suzuki Swift from 1990 or a 2 tonne truck that hasn't had a roadworthy certificate done for 1o years, surely it'll be fine in the sudden snow fall, whilst heading into the snowy mountains.
5. Sweet sweet coffee is the answer for everything - and I mean SWEET !!!!
6. Where theres a will, theres a way. Indian's have solutions for everything. The truck cannot deliver the gas bottles due to the steep hills in Shimla, so they have men carry the gas bottles on their backs up SUPER steep hills.
7. The snow is just covering up a whole lot of garbage...... but at least it's pretty for a couple of days.
8. Why bother removing the snow from your car roof - surely driving around with 50cm of snow on top won't be an issue.
9. Ice skating was quite the Indian affair - no rink needed, or skates for that matter, just slide around the compacted snow outside the front of the local church...... so very very Indian.
10. Food - 'this' is the weather for a good hot curry !! Warm you up from the inside.
11. Less dogs up north but they were replaced with monkeys - aggressive, hungry monkeys !!
12. If you can't get through by car due to the ice, then there is always a Yak ride or house ride to get you to the top. We kindly declined with the horses looking like they would collapse from lack of food.
13. The more remote you travel, the more 'first-time flyers' you come across...... and that is not fun in any culture !!
14. Peanuts, peanuts everywhere..... poor Jack, and my poor blood pressure !
Day two of our holiday and we headed up further into the mountains to Kufri where there are higher peaks and better snowfall. Our mission - to build a snowman, Olaf to be exact. (for those not in the know, that's the snowman from the movie Frozen) The boys had a ball building their snowman and then rolling around in the powdery snow - even making snow angels. The red carrot (already pealed by the chefs at the Oberoi hotel) just made it that little bit more Indian in nature.
Seeing India in such a different way was fabulous for us all. We have been so used to the hot, humid, dusty, crowded India - but this new version, all white and fresh was spectacular. In saying that, there was still so many Indian aspects to the trip that still made us laugh and shake our heads - or in Max's case, wobble his head. Here are just a few:
1. Sandals were still considered appropriate footwear, even at -4 degrees. Socks were an occasional added extra.
2. The salting of roads was optional..... even if it was a main highway. In fact, the use of grit on the mountain roads was also rare.
3. Young Indian men are still kids at heart and give them the option of a snow fight, they return to being 6 years old.
4. It doesn't matter if you have a Suzuki Swift from 1990 or a 2 tonne truck that hasn't had a roadworthy certificate done for 1o years, surely it'll be fine in the sudden snow fall, whilst heading into the snowy mountains.
5. Sweet sweet coffee is the answer for everything - and I mean SWEET !!!!
6. Where theres a will, theres a way. Indian's have solutions for everything. The truck cannot deliver the gas bottles due to the steep hills in Shimla, so they have men carry the gas bottles on their backs up SUPER steep hills.
7. The snow is just covering up a whole lot of garbage...... but at least it's pretty for a couple of days.
8. Why bother removing the snow from your car roof - surely driving around with 50cm of snow on top won't be an issue.
9. Ice skating was quite the Indian affair - no rink needed, or skates for that matter, just slide around the compacted snow outside the front of the local church...... so very very Indian.
10. Food - 'this' is the weather for a good hot curry !! Warm you up from the inside.
11. Less dogs up north but they were replaced with monkeys - aggressive, hungry monkeys !!
12. If you can't get through by car due to the ice, then there is always a Yak ride or house ride to get you to the top. We kindly declined with the horses looking like they would collapse from lack of food.
13. The more remote you travel, the more 'first-time flyers' you come across...... and that is not fun in any culture !!
14. Peanuts, peanuts everywhere..... poor Jack, and my poor blood pressure !
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| This dude was chatting away to himself while wandering down the street in the snow |
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| Not sure who the poor victim was below !! |
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| north to the Himalayas |
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| Beautiful !! |
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| These guys were everywhere - what a job they have ! |
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| this was a very slippery drive |
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| the signature snow shots ! |
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| My boys ! |
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| They aren't going anywhere anytime soon :) |
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| Snow Angels |
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| So so pretty |
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| Another angel....... (well sort of !!) |
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| Chai Time |
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| This was quite the serious snow fight |
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| Both boys were targeted |
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| Raj, our driver !! |
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| Family shots ! |
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| oh the snow ! |
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| the sun came out ! |
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| Max on the drive home - those tootsies were freezing ! (and smelly) |
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| Olaf - take one ! |
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| The water for the horses..... yep, that's ice ! |
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| Olaf - take two ! |
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| Shimla - after the snow had melted |
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| Monkeys on town hall ! |
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| The Viceregal Lodge - just like Hogwarts ! |
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| Hogwarts in the snow ! |
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| Heaven ! |
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| yep, this Tata 'box' isn't getting too far too soon. |
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| I loved these Himalayan hats ! |
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| such a beautiful sky ! |
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| This old man fascinated me. |
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| Pure joy !! |
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| Yaks in the snow |
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| this young boy 'owned' the horses. |
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| Cheese ! |
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