So where will Alex be next week?! Well, I tried to draw it on a map! Marsha and I will take a bus tonight to Delhi, sleep on the bus (5.30hours), get to Delhi in the morning, chill there, get breakfast, visit a bit the city, do some shopping... Then we'll take a train to Chandigarh (4hours), the only planned city in India built after a utopic city plan of French architect Le Corbusier. We'll chill there, enjoy a clean, neat not crowded Indian city (it will be very interesting!). We definetly need to find a restaurant or bar with a tv and ESPN to watch Germany-Portugal, spend the night in Chandigarh, visit a bit the city in the morning, then take a bus to Amritsar (5.30 hours), city of the Golden Temple, one of the most suggestive sightsee place of India (people compare it to the Taj Mahal)



Once in Amritsar we can also decide to go see the Pakistan-India border. In the evening there is a big ceremony of the closing of the border and if we're not too exausted we'll probably attend it. Then back to Amritsar, we want to sleep inside the Golden temple (there is an area with beds for pilgrims and backpackers) the only concern I have is that I'll probably miss the world cup final match and I have to deal with it... the opportunity to sleep in the Golden temple in Amritsar won't probably come again in my next future, while Italy playing in the final... we'll, let's say thjat it's not a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I'm trying to accept the fact that I'll miss the match with filosophy, mais disons que ca me fait un peu chier!

On Monday we'll travel from Amritsar to McLeod Ganj by bus and train (about 8hours). McLeod Ganj is the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exile and residence of the Dalai Lama. We'll hang out in some tibetan temples, eat tibetan food, visit museums and learn more about this interesting part of the world and its history. At night we'll catch a night bus to Manali (10 hours), get there on Tuesday morning where we'll meet Ines and Harriet, two former tarinees who left for the north last week. We'll hang out with them in Manali, we'll do some trecking there and in the Kullu and Parvati Valleys...it will be absolutely beautiful! Manali is a 2050 meters station (6725.72 feet). While trekking in the valleys we'll have the opportunity to visit characteristic villages with their castels, forts, temples, traditions, hot springs and waterfalls...a beautiful paradise!

We'll probably hang out with them until Thursday night, and we'll then leave and start our journey back. We'll first stop in Shimla (10hours by bus), hang out there for few hours and maybe catch up with Seth and Flavio (two trainees, South Africa and Italy) who will maybe join us for the last part of our journey. We'll take a bus on Friday to Rishikesh (other 10hours), try to spend the night there (a good night of sleep!). Rishikesh is the world capital for yoga, very newagish, and it's also situated on the Ganges. On Saturday we'll definetly try to do some rafting, and maybe visit a bit some yoga stuff (we'll see what the city has to offer!). At night we'll take a bus to Haridwar (1hour) and we'll spend the night there in an ashram, a place where people congregate to be discipled by a guru. They host pilgrims and backpackers, invite them to join their meditation and yoga time...I'm looking forward for a very different experience!

Finally, on Sunday morning we'll take a train to Delhi (7hours), get there for lunch and finally our last bus to Jaipur;)

So, be looking forward for some stories and pictures in about two weeks! I'm really really looking forward for this trip, and even if it doesn't go as planned (maybe I'm beeing a little too ambitious, and I also have to consider what Marsha wants to do), it will be a WONDERFUL experience!

The last week in Jaipur has been so random and interesting but I really don't have time to write about it. Let's just say that on Tuesday night I missed the second part of the Italy-Germany match because I was in a night-train to Jodhpur (with a German guy, how weird!), 6 hours away from Jaipur, and on Wednesday I was in the courthouse in Jodhpur...and I should just stop here and let you all wonder "what happened to you? what troubles did you cause?" hahah, I'll write everything when I come back from Himalaya;)

Indian court process...quite interesting and weird!!!

Besos