Proposed Itinerary

So this is the plan..... (depending on political insurgence, weather and other unpredictable forces)

September '05: Northern India - Himachel Pradesh / Uttaranchal / Ladakh (?)
October: West Bengal / Darjeeling / Sikkim
November: Central & Southern India
December: Southern India
January '06: Sri Lanka / Maldives (wish list :)
February: Central & Southern India /Rajasthan / Kutch
March: Nepal
April: Nepal / China via Tibet / Qinghai / Sichuan / Yunnan
May: Laos / Northern Thailand
June: Cambodia / Vietnam
July: Southern Thailand / Peninsula Malaysia
August: Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak)
September: Indonesia - Bali / Phillippines

Countdown or meltdown?

I'm drowning in lists at the moment. Lists for the house, packing, finances, teaching.... I sometimes think we'll never be ready. We're planning to leave Manchester around the 10th September 2005, possibly stay in London for a few days, then fly to India. One less thing to worry about is that our French babysitter and her African drum playing friends are set to move into the house. Having torn the lateral ligaments in my ankle (that's a sprain to you and me) our next big question is whether we still fly one way to Delhi so we can head straight up to Ladakh, or should we get a cheap package to Goa? A few weeks beach rest might be just what I need and would provide a gentle (but rather warm) start for the children. It'll mean we may not get to go to Ladakh as it'll be way to cold by the end of October but then again there's no reason we couldn't kick back in Ladakh and ease off the trekking. We've got some time to decide yet as I've only just sent off for the visas this week. Answers on a postcard...