Monday, November 23, 2009

Packed List, Week 1 Itinerary

Just a heads up: If you read my note on Facebook just ignore the second half of this post.  You've probably already read pretty much the same thing.

So in case you haven't noticed I'm a little excited about my trip; in fact, I'm already packed.  I've nearly filled my 75L backpack, but I've got room to spare to add mosquito nets and some clothes.  I basically followed my packing list, but here're a few changes I made:
Couple extra tank tops, long sleeve shirts and bandanas, bathing suit (for shared dorm bathrooms and swim in clean part of Ganges), no jacket (turns out I didn't ship the yellow EMS jacket that would have been perfect for this), fake wallet, money belt, clear nail polish, insect repellent wipes, sunscreen, pillowcase and a belt (not leather, those can't go in certain temples).
Left to buy: Pretty much just some mace or pepper spray, if I can find it.  Maybe an adapter and possibly a voltage stabilizer for my laptop if I think I need one.  Kind of tired of shopping, though.
Buying in India: Padlock and bike lock, doorstop, mosquito net and coils, flashlight (using one on my phone for now), vitamins, adapters

Only one problem left: I'm really not sure how to secure the top opening of my pack.  It's a drawstring with a flap that folds over and clips shut.  Read: no zipper to padlock.  I'm still thinking about this, but running out of time to find a solution.

Week One Itinerary:
Thur Nov 26: Fly from Singapore to Mumbai, Mumbai to Delhi, arrive about 8pm (kind of doubt they'll serve turkey on the plane to celebrate Thanksgiving; probably fish balls instead)
Fri and Sat Nov 27 and 28: Check out Delhi, stay at Nirvana hostel (so excited about it I'm shilling out a whopping US$12 a night instead of the usual $5 at other hostels)
Sun Nov 29: Check out Delhi and take over-night train to Amritsar
Mon Nov 30: Check out Amritsar, stay in gurudwara (Sikh pilgrim lodgings)
Tue Dec 1: Check out Amritsar, take overnight train to Rishikesh
Wed and Thu Dec 2 and 3: Check out Rishikesh and the Himalayas, stay at Parmarth Niketan ashram

Stuff to See This Week:
South Delhi: Qutb Minar, Ashoka's Rock Edict, Nizamuddin, Humayun's Tomb, Safdarjang's Tomb, Lodi Gardens, Tughluqabad
Old Delhi: Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Degambara Jain temple, Raj Ghat, Firoz Shah Kotla, Connaught Place, Rajpath, Rashtrapati Bhavan
Central Delhi: National Museum, Jantar Mantar, Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, Indira Ghandi Memorial Museum
Amritsar: Border closing ceremony in Wagah, Golden Temple, Guru-ka Langar, Akal Takht, Jubi Tree, Harmandir, Jallianwalla Bagh Memorial Park
Rishikesh: Lakshmanj temple and Kailashnanda ashram, river path to Swarg Ashram,free Ayurvedic treatment at Parmath Niketan, Bharat Mandir temple, Triveni Ghat, Hike path to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Ashram, Nilkanth Mahadev, Pulcchatti Ashram, Hindola Khal and Kunjapuri temples

Now I know I'm not going to have time to see everything I'd like to, but damned if I'm not going to try to. 
I can't wait to start taking pictures; I've been practicing a lot with my D90 and loving the results (test shots are on Facebook). 

Well, gotta run: so little to do and so much time.  Wait, strike that.  Reverse it.  Okay, moving on to the next item on my to-do list...

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