The trip to India that I first dreamed of about thirty years ago begins tomorrow. Hard to believe! We will be posting occasional photos here and on facebook, and perhaps some travel notes. Our daily itinerary is aggressive, but most evenings are free to relax, and recharge personal and electronic batteries.
11/12 - Depart Newark. Nonstop flight.
11/13 - Arrive Delhi. This happens to be the first day of Diwali!
11/14 - Explore Old and New Delhi including Jama Masjid, Qutab Minar, Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Raj Ghat, Connaught Place, India Gate. Somewhere in there is a rickshaw ride.
11/15 - Fly to Varanasi. Visit some Buddhist monuments and a museum, Dhamekha Stupa. Evening boat ride on the Ganga to watch all the activity on the ghats and lighting of thousands of oil lamps to float down the river.
11/16 - Dawn boat ride on the Ganga along the ghats. Afternoon tour of old Varanaski.
11/17- Fly to Khajuraho to visit the famed temples there.
11/18 - Drive to Orchha, explore Orchha Fort, and board evening express train to Agra.
11/19 - Agra Fort, Itmad-ud-Daulah, Mehtab Bagh (gardens across the river from the Taj - great photo opps)
11/20 - Sunrise visit to Taj Mahal. Can stay most of the day or drive to Fatepuhr Sikri (abandoned former capital) in the afternoon. Drive on to Jaipur early evening.
11/21 - Visit Amber Fort and Palace . . . ride an elephant! Tour of Walled City, City Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). A dear friend of mine here in the states has a son going to college in Jaipur and we hope to have dinner with him this evening.
11/22 - Drive to Pushkar to enjoy the Camel Fair. Happy Thanksgiving - we expect to be riding camels around the time you are starting to cook the turkeys!
11/23 - Continue to enjoy the Camel Fair until late afternoon. Drive back to Jaipur.
11/24 - Fly to Delhi, then pick up connecting flight to Kathmandu, Nepal. Staying about an hour away the first night, in Nagarkot.
11/25 - Rise before dawn and head up to the hotel roof to see sunrise over the Himalaya. We will be able to see five of the ten tallest mountains in the world from here. Later in the day, return to Kathmandu for some afternoon touring of Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu city, Kumari Ghar.
11/26 - Tour Patan City and Swayambhunath Temple.
11/27 - Fly back to Delhi. Enjoy the rest of the day shopping, hanging at the pool, whatever.
11/28 - We have the entire day to relax, shop, and see Humayan's Tomb. Our flight leaves late, about 11:00 PM Delhi Time.
11/29 - Arrive in Newark around 5:00 AM local time.
This is not a group tour - just Em and I with a private drive/guide in each city. We can't easily change the dates we need to be in each place, but within any of those days we can add or drop things from the agenda.
Camera gear and everything else is packed, and there's plenty of room/weight allowance remaining in my luggage for souveniers. As usual, most of what I choose to bring back will be in photographic form. I'm estimating I'll be taking 400-500 photos a day, easily.
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