I was waiting for the news about snowfall for a few days in the month of December 2011, which I expected to
happen according to weather reports. The news was coming from Jammu & Kashmir but not from Shimla, where
I had planned to go initially for a short visit of 3-4 days. Oh that fascinates me, invites me like any thing. I love to
walk while it snows. I really do.

 The Mall in the night

In fact, I had not seen snowfall for last many years despite being there in many hill stations many times in
winters as well. The Last time I experienced it was in the month of March many years before and I had to walk
on foot for last three km, because the car I was traveling in was skidding and had to be left way before the city
limits. This year it was snowing a lot as you must know that and even Mussorie was full of snow.

Thererefore, as soon we heard about that snow may fall around first week of January in Shimla, we kept our bagsready, car serviced and waited for the news. The big news came at the end of first week finally and my wife and I started for the trip immediately. As we had planned, we left our car at Kalka and boarded Shivalik express early in the morning on our way to Shimla, the beautiful city a well known tourist place since British developed it for their stay there in summers. Shivalik express is a Shatabdi express like train that runs to and from Kalka every day with breakfast included in ticket. The journey to Shimla in itself is an experience as the train passes through over one hundred tunnels on the way to Shimla that is almost 100kms and this takes about five hours with one stoppage midway at Soaln. Did I mention those more than 100 tunnels on the way?

I prefer The Mall to stay whenever we are in Shimla; this is the highest point of the city, close to railway station
and with most suitable facilities for all pockets. There are many hotels according to every budget where one
can stay in this area The famous Kali temple is, situated nearby, only a few paces to walk, one can stay there
as there are many places in Shimla and around where one can go to see the wonders of the nature. The famous places around.

The Mall is first choice of every tourist who comes to visit this wonderful hill station, which, British developed to
beat the heat, and every one can see the signs, which still are there still standing with full glory and in original
shape. There are few more points, which are as famous there on The Mall itself, 'The Ridge' and 'Scandal Point'.
Now there is another unique tourist attraction there that 'lift’, takes tourists to lower most point of Shimla in
minutes the ‘Lower Bazaar’. All this places are full of points where we can eat different delicious foods and
delicacies available in different big, small and roadside eating joints.

There are so many more points and places like ‘Jakhu Temple’, Kufri, Kali Temple, and the railway station itself is a
unique place that fascinates viewers. However, we were there to enjoy snowfall that we did to our most
satisfaction. The snow was falling like never before, but the worst thing that could happen to us that we lost our
camera somewhere in the snow and left with some photographs that my wife took through her mobile set.

I shall not mention the other places of tourist interest in Shimla and around here in this article as those were not
part of our trip.