Shimla, 7:21 PM

So after a traumatic Indian Airlines flight to Chandigarh (where 2 pan chewing bihari types spat paan into a Times of India-ewww!) I finally reached Shimla. After attending to bathroom duties, I barely sat down before Shuks ordered some food and chai for me (the service here is impeccable - and amusing too - to see Shuks in action). And then before I could even have a french fry he rolled a doobie. And Vodka.

So yea, pretty much for the next six hours after I arrived I just ate, myrtled* and drank. A lot. This is a surreal experience while at the foot of the himalayas, especially in a town like Shimla - the mountains are littered with all these hotels and commercial properties - so in the night it looks as though the hills are alive with little lights (no, not the sound of music). And to be high at dusk and watch the lights take over while sitting and talking shit (which seems like really intellegent conversation at the time) about the past and the future with Shuks and his friends...*sigh*...if only you guys could be here.

Shimla itself is a quaint little town, and this becomes more apparent when you're staying with a local business owner. Shuks gets a cheap thrill walking down the main street -"the mall" - and bumping into randoms every 2 minutes (literally) and everyone knows everyone. It has this collonial hangover - which is no surprise considering it used to be the summer capital of the Raj where many major political discussions were held (including that of partition, I think). But the collonialist style isn't Victorian as in Bombay - I'm too ignorant to categorize it architecturally, but the buildings (most of them) have peaked roofs and are made of stone (I'll post pictures later). A lot of the newer buildings are built around this style (except shorter -you can't build higher than a certain height for heritage preservation reasons- and of cement) - and because of it being one of the closest hill stations to delhi - almost every building is a hotel (sometimes there are 2 hotels in one building). This also means that there's a fair amount of Delhi chacha-bachha types. And monkeys too.

The monkeys walk around the city amidst the crowd - and both species are indifferent to each others' presence. Today, while I was shadowing Shuk's business deal on a terrace of a nearby hotel - this monkey walks by our table like an unattended guest - stares at us, almost exchanging polite niceties and walks ahead. And then a family of serds waddled by a few minutes later (they were in height order). All this while Shuks and this other agent from delhi are carrying on with their business. You had to be there - it was funny.

But in all, the place is very scenic and Shekhu's hotel, although basic, has very well trained staff (in fact, he's screaming at the housekeeping staff right now).

I'm probably leaving this place on Saturday morning after watching Fanaa - to head to Sarahan, a town nearby. And yes, the roads to Leh are open - YAY!!!! I'm just feeling happy now - I don't know if it's because of the intoxicants that will enter my system, or whether its just the mountain air - but I'm smiling. And yes, I miss all of you - especially when I'm high.

(*myrtle story - 4 years ago when I was in goa for new years with Kavs, Shavs and Sveen we got stoned and Sveen mentioned Myrtle Lobo, my former physics tutor's wife - and she thought for the longest time that her name was actually Myrtle Turtle - and since we were high we couldn't stop laughing - and so, since then whenever Kavs or me get stoned we call it getting Myrtled)