April: An Itinerary is Born

April.

Week One: I discovered that I will not be able to enter the graduate program at the U of M next year. I will not be able to teach in the state of Minnesota without student teaching. In sum, I will not teach again until the fall of 2012, and before then, I must complete 15 months of coursework.

Week Two: Abject despair.

Week Three: Weeping. Abject despair. Bitter regret.

Week Four: “Hey honey, let’s travel for six months. We could go to Nepal,” says Joshua. The next night, we drive to Borders and buy the Lonely Planet travel guides to India, Nepal, Cycling Britain, Ireland, Spain, and Trekking in Nepal. Five nights later, we buy round trip tickets from Minneapolis to London; we depart on June 24 and we return six months later, on December 21.

The Itinerary (pre-natal stage):

Fly from Minneapolis to London on June 24, and spend ten days with family in the city. On July 3, fly from London to Dublin with Ashlee and spend the day walking through the city. For the next three days, walk from Malroy to Knockree, Knockree to Roundwood, and Roundwood to Glenmalure, staying in hostels along the way. On our fifth day in Ireland, return to Dublin, drink a Guinness, and listen to live traditional and contemporary music.

On the morning of July 8, board the plan and fly to Seville, Spain. Spend the next ten days roaming through Andalucia: Cordoba, Granada, Sierra Nevada, Almeria, and Cabo de Gata. Bathe in traditional Moorish Hammam, swim in the Mediterranean, and eat Gazpacho. Take the bus up the coast to Alicante. Visit salt flats and blue, green, and pink lagoons. See flamingos. Fly back to London on July 19.

Next, retrieve our bikes, and catch the train to the southern tip of England. Begin biking. For the next month, bike northwards. Along the way, see the Cotswolds, my aunt and uncle, Eric, the Lake District, my other aunt, and family friends. Eat cheese and bread and fruit. Keep biking. Arrive in Scotland, and again, keep biking. Bike north until we reach John O’Groats, and then stop. Turn around. Head south by train, back to London.

Prepare for the next leg of the journey. Store bikes. Divide baggage. Shave off all our hair.

Fly to Delhi. Once in Delhi, fly to Leh in the northernmost province of India, Jammu Kashmir. Trek through the Piedmont of the Himalaya. Walk through the still vibrant markets of the Silk Road, and eat Tibetan cuisine. Journey south by bus through valleys and over high passes. Arrive in Dharamsala.

In McLeod Ganj, or Upper Dharamsala, take yoga classes, hike through the surrounding mountains, and if we’re lucky, listen to the Dali Lama speak. Hop a bus to Manali, and then another to Rishikesh. Visit the Ashram where the Beatles wrote their White Album, stay in another Ashram for three days. Commune with monkeys, yogis, and gurus.

Next, the jungle. Ride an elephant and catch a glimpse of the rare Bengal Tiger. Keep moving. Catch the train to Gorakhpur, and then board a bus over the Nepali border. Head for Kathmandu. Stay two days, and see the Monkey Temple, pagodas, gompas, and mindar. From Kathmandu, ride a bus to the start of the Annapurna Circuit. Spend the next thirty days wandering through the high and remote villages of the Himalaya. Sleep in tea houses, drink traditional Sherpa beer, and bathe in mountain streams. Hike through the Annapurna Sanctuary to Annapurna Base camp.

At the end of the road, find Pokhar. Greet Nepali barbers, have a shower, and eat like kings. Head east.

In Darjeeling, sample teas from estates, watch the sunrise over the Himalaya, and roam high mountain markets. Board the Himalayan Railway. At Silguri, head west, stopping to take a boat ride along the Ganges and watch the bathing Ghats in Varnasi. At Ajantra, gaze at the Taj Mahal. Should time provide, take a safari on camel back through the Muslim desert of northwestern India.

Back in Delhi, ascend the minaret of the largest mosque in India, watch the Sufis chant at sunset, and see a Bollywood film in an outdoor theater. Fly back to London.

Celebrate Hanukkah with family. Gather our things. Fly home on December 21.