Summer Plans :)

There are only 6 weeks left of school, and summer is fast approaching. THEREFORE, summer VACATION is ALSO fast approaching! My sister (and best friend!) Amy is arriving in India on June 15th, and will leave with us when we head out on July 16th...so we'll get to spend a WHOLE MONTH together, traveling around the country. What will fill our time, you might ask?! Let me tell you. :)

1. Hiking/Shopping Around Mussoorie - 6 days

While we could spend many more days on the sights around here, we'll limit ourselves to 6 days and catch the highlights: ride the ferris wheel, go on bicycle rickshaws, buy WAY too much jewelry, have shoes and clothes made just for us, and head up to the top for breathtaking views of the mountains. Can't wait!

2. Leh/Ladakh Adventure - 13 days

We'll be flying up to Leh, Ladakh with 3 of our friends from here, and spending time in the High Himalayan mountains. The first four or five days will be spent in Leh, visiting Gompas and taking in the Tibetan culture. THEN, we head out for an 8-day trek...here's the itinerary. :)

Markha Valley Trek: 7 nights & 8 Days

Day1 After breakfast, drive to Spitk Trekking Point. Walk to Zinchen: 4-5 hrs. Overnight camp at Zinchen 3380mt.

Day 2 After breakfast, walk to Kandla Base Camp: 5-6 hrs. Overnight at Kandla base camp 4380

Day 3 After breakfast, walk to Skyu: 6-7 hrs. Overnight camp at Skyu 3400mt.

Day 4 After breakfast, walk to Markha: 7-8 hrs. Overnight camp at Markha 3700mt.

Day5 After breakfast, walk to Thuchungtse: 4-5 hrs. Overnight camp at Yhuchungtse 4150mt.

Day 6 After breakfast, walk to Nimaling: 3-4 hrs. Overnight camp at Nimaling 4720mt.

Day 7 After breakfast, cross Gongmarula Pass (5130mt.) Reach Shang Sumdo: 7-8 hrs. Overnight at Shang Sumdo 3660mt.

Day 8 After breakfast, walk to Martselag: 1-2 hrs. From here, car will pick you up and drive back to Leh.

And some images of what will be surrounding us (WHOA GOD, huh?!)

3. Amritsar - 1 day

After Ladakh, Amy and I will part ways with Chris (who has to go back to work and break in the new programmer!) and head to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple and the Border Ceremony. Apparently these are the two highlights...and after that, there's not much else to see. :)

4. Dharamshala - 4/5 days

Next we'll head to Dharamshala, which is the home of the Dalai Lama and center of Tibetan culture in India. There are many things to see here, and it's also just a great place to "be"...so this will be a rather relaxing part of our trip.

5. Mussoorie - 3 days

We'll head back to Mussoorie to pack up the house, ship everything back to the states, and pick up Chris. And then, it's out of there for now!

6. Agra - 2 days, 1 night

Right before our official departure, we're planning to visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Fatepuhr Sikhri. It's going to be RIDICULOUSLY hot, but definitely worth it. :)

7. Ireland - 10 days

At the end of our trip, we'll be meeting up with the WHOLE FARLEY FAMILY in Ireland! We're SO excited about this, and can't wait for extended family time again!

I'm just getting really excited about it, so I thought I'd share. :)