Day 9: Shimla sleeper train to Delhi

Final day of wandering around Shimla. Saw the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh in the main town square. Karin did more shopping. I tried to book onwards travel but the server at internet cafe was too slow. As with many things we've encountered in India so far, it's best to be patient. As Guddu said, ' Don't worry, chicken curry!'
We carried our backpacks (mine was 12+5 kg) downhill to the station. It was definitely more do-able than uphill. We found our Shivalik Deluxe Express train. It was bigger, roomier, way more comfy than the Himalayan Queen coming up. There were also only 4 other people in the carriage besides us. The view downhill was as stunning as up. But there was something missing. It wasn't as much fun as the Himalayan Queen. I miss the HQ's screaming into the tunnels, the excited chatter, the squeezing into child-sized seats with people we didn't know, the numerous stops at cute, tiny stations.

Shivalik Deluxe Express

Last views from Shimla

We had a 1.5 hour layover in Kalka for our sleeper train. Karin found the train easily. There were again computer printouts with our names on the outside of the relevant carriage. We got 2 AC, which is second class air con. We had 4 berths behind one curtain and one other man was in one of the other berths. An attendant distributed fresh sheets wrapped in brown paper. They and the pillow look quite clean. There was an article in a rail magazine where the writer visited a laundry that cleaned the trains' sheets and she was visibly impressed by the standards. The berth was a little hard but it was a pretty comfortable ride and I managed to sleep to the rocking of the train.

Fresh sheets in the brown paper bag