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| Taj Mahal, Agra, India |
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| 8 members of the Himalayas team in Northern India |
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| At 17,582 ft - a test of my physical strength ! |
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| A vehicle passing through a stretch of no man's land |
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| The beautiful Pangong Tso Lake near the Tibetan/North India border |
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| The famous Dal Lake of Kashmir |
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| The snowy Himalayas mountain in Northern India |
" My 24 days in Northern India & Himalayas (New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Kashmir, Leh/Ladakh, Manali, McLeod Ganj & Shimla) - admiring the natural beauty of the great Himalayas range "
Total expenses incurred (24 days) : Rs22,449 = Rm3,788
Indian Airline Flight Itinerary
Booking Date: 2-7-07
Flight No: IC 854
Departure: KLIA 11.35am Saturday 14-7-07
Arrive: Indira Gandhi Airport 15.55pm Saturday 14-7-07
Return:
Flight No: IC853
Departure: Indira Gandhi Airport 00.50am Tuesday 7-8-07
Arrive: KLIA 10.20am Tuesday 7-8-07
Indian Airline flight: Rm1,410 (incl airport tax)
Travel Insurance: Rm126
Visa fee: Rm170
Bus/taxifare: Rm62
Hostel (19 nights): Rs4,120 (Rm371)
Food + Sundries: Rs3,898 + Rs1,608 (Rm495)
Transport:Rs6,483 (Rm583)
Domestic air ticket ( Delhi>Srinagar): Rs4,000 (Rm360)
Day tour (Agra & Jaipur): Rs1,500 (Rm135)
Entrance fee: Rs840 (Rm76)
Currency conversion: Rs100 (Indian Rupee) = Rm9.00
I joined the Hospitality Club in May 2006 after my retirement. While surfing the HC website in June 07, I saw a message posted by a HC member from New Delhi, India a few months ago inviting overseas members to join him for a visit to the Himalaya range in Ladakh, Northen India. As India was my dream country and I quickly posted my interest in the forum advising of my keen interest in participating. After a few email exchanges with the initiator, I was accepted into the team. The rest was history !
As this was my second backpacking trip, I was very excited of the various challenges I might encounter especially taking the jeep safaris to the Himalaya range, unfamiliar territory, poor living environment, high mountain altitude sickness, food hygiene, climatic changes etc.
As a non traveller berfore retirement, my knowledge in free & easy travelling was rather shallow and there was a big learning curve in terms of planning, booking hostels, understanding the public transport system etc. All this while, my sense of direction was appalling; not familiar at all in taking the MRT (mass rail transit) or LRT (light rail transit) trains even in my own country; not even know how to read a compass, so there was some phobia in me doing such free & easy trips overseas. But my passion for travel has motivated me to take up the challenge and after my 24 days in Northern India, I am proud to say I had overcome the hardship, mental & physical stress in completing this adventurous trip of a life time. I am no dinosaur after retirement and as a junior Senior Citizen (50-65 years category), I reckoned I had done well so far.
For this trip, I was eagered to see these places :
1) The Taj Mahal - a great wonder of the world
2) Kashmir
3) The Himalaya range
4) Leh / Ladakh
I started learning to write my travel blog after my Japan trip in May 08. As my Indian trip was done in July 07 and fortunately I still have the travel plan and pictures stored in my computer , I was able to account and complete this dated task for your reading pleasure.
" Life is short. Break the rules. Go travelling "
