Day 10 – Shimla to Mussoorie

Our morning began at 7.00. So up at 5.00 to prepare and breakfast then on the way at the allocated time, 7.13am.

The travel today had been changed due to a big rockfall on the original route.
This added 40kms to the overall mileage for the day. There were no regularities and we only stopped at the passage controls.

The road was relatively good on returning over the same route as led us to Shimla.
It was Sunday so most people were out and about. The driving was worse today than we had seen it before. They the Indians just don’t seem to care or they are just fearless. Some play chicken. They don’t move over until the very last moment or just stop.

It’s serious. Buses are the speedsters. And truck drivers it’s said that 70% are 18 years or under. The roads are so narrow and the road edge so close to the precipitous edge that the car can only move over to a certain degree. Buses are the worse. And trucks. We met one boisterous one who didn’t move just stayed stationary. We nearly squeezed past without damage but the drivers wing mirror was to be sacrificed. It’s a good telltale as if it was any closer Denise’s bodywork would have been damaged.

The landscape on the way was spectacular. Swathes of mountains covered in lush forest untouched probably never been trodden. Steep but fantastic.

On the land grew all sorts of pine species. Mexican pine, that’s what I know it as and lots of cedar and macracarpa. But no timber industry it seems and the hills are lush with beautiful stands of trees scattered over the hills and dales.

It’s difficult to take photographs en-route and one dares not stop or passing the vehicles in front has to occur again. Roads are very narrow though sealed albeit very roughly, by hand. It’s interesting to see these people are very industrious doing most building by hand. Very little modem equipment. Holes for posts are dug by hand as is the concrete that’s put into them is mixed on the ground where it’s needed. White lines on the roads mean absolutely nothing.

We also need to get in to the MTC in time so we can’t waste any opportunity.

So the day went well after getting onto the straights. Steve powered his way through to a real great pace. He’s driving like the locals. It’s the only way for if you don’t play the game their way, you get left behind.