Let's just start off by saying I am no techno wizard. I've never done this blogging thing before but thought I'd give it a shot.
So why India? Why Nepal?
On previous vacations I always asked backpackers their most favourite travel destination - India kept coming up again and again, along with mention of the beauty of the Himalayas. I heard that India is every sense magnified about 100x: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch?...complete sensory overload. And one other small (but nevertheless very important) reason: Indian food!! Mmmmmmmmmm! Curries, butter chicken, tikka masala, and Indian sweets!! And I get to experience it all right at the source!!
My goals during the 6 week period:
- trek to Everest Base Camp (South) at an altitude of about 5400 m (18,000 feet)
- witness the beauty and wonder of the Taj Mahal
- learn to meditate, further my yoga practise, develop a better sense of inner peace
- increase my culinary talents (or lack thereof), at least take a cooking class on how to make a mean butter chicken
- be an extra on a Bollywood film (I'd make a good token blonde)
- run a marathon (Standard Chartered Mumbai) on 2009 January 18, one of the largest marathons in Asia
- experience if and how Nepalese people celebrate Christmas
- learn a little of how the people of India and Nepal live: their customs, traditions, and outlook on life
It's an agressive itinerary, but I hope to do as many of these things as possible. India seems to be in a rapid state of change so I want to get there before it changes beyond recognition.
Not sure how often I will be able to get on the net, but I will update whenever I can. Everest Base Camp Trek may be difficult (Dec 7-21) and if I decide to trek part of the Annapurna Circuit afterwards I may be MIA for longer.
Cheers
Erin
