One thing we have learned while on this trip is that plans change.
The first major change happened on September 15 when we took a train to Ljubljana, thus entirely skipping Switzerland and Italy. Next, instead of traveling from Croatia to Greece, we decided to visit every country in the former Yugoslavia plus Albania. Prior to the train to Ljubljana, we made a huge change to our well thought out itinerary: we wouldn't be spending Christmas in the Alps!
I had a romantic vision of drinking hot chocolate by a cozy warm fire all bundled up singing Christmas hymns in a quiant little village in the hills with snow all around. But where would we find the village? And who would play the piano? When I paid 3.40 Euro for 4 ounces of luke warm hot chocolate in Innsbruck, I started having second thoughts about our plans. Central Europe is just too darn expensive!
The day we decided to cancel our Christmas-in-the-Alps plan was the same day that Jessica and Mitch sent us an itinerary of all of the things they wanted to do and see when they spent Christmas-in-the-Alps with us. Sorry guys!
Also, we have realized that we hate to backtrack, even if just to go back to get our coat or bottle of water. Cairo to Vienna to Delhi wasn't the smartest idea. We had three ideas by the time we got to Turkey:
1) Spend Christmas in Greece. This was a good idea because we didn't go to Greece and it was in the original plan. Alas, Greece is also expensive and it is not in the direction of India. Also, the islands are basically closed down during the winter and we would have to be cold on the mainland. When I go to Greece I want to be warm. Maybe next time.
2) Spend Christmas in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Here we would get a feel for how Christmas really was so long ago. This was a good idea because we didn't go to Israel and it was in the original plan. Alas, we just aren't feeling it. We are now in Jordan instead of Israel because we wanted to clambor around in Petra and hike through the desert. We'll come back to Jerusalem when all we want to do is walk through the holy sites.
3) Spend Christmas in India. This is a good idea because India is big and beautiful and cheap and it is on the way to places like Thailand and Cambodia and Vietnam. The best time to visit India is not during monsoon time, Christmas just happens to not be during monsoon season. I know that India does not typically remind people of Christmas or hot chocolate or singing hymns by the fire, but where ever we are we will be missing home like crazy so we might as well be in a place that doesn't even compare to home. And while you are all eating Sally-Jesse-Raphael-Cream-Cheese-Stuffed-French-Toast and Pigs-in-a-Blanket, we will be eating too-spicy-curry and drinking our 7th cup of chai. Mmm, Indian chai.
Another cool thing is that Mitchell is going to come to SE Asia with us for a month! He has some time in January to travel, so if we go to India earlier, then we have more time to hang around the beaches of Vietnam with Mitch. And he and Tommy can do all of the boy things they want and I can learn how to cook yummy food and go shopping.
So that's the plan. What do you think?
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5 comments:
Sounds like a great plan....of course, the chances of you actually living those plans, well, "Plans Change".
Thanks for the updates on your adventures. What an amazing trip!
Love you guys,
Chris, Cory and the girlz
Ahhh!!!!! Crazy! I'm excited, I love it. I'll have to check the calendar, but I'm thinking it sounds like you're flying from Jordan to India? Or is Egypt still in the picture??
So, if you're going to India early it sounds like you're also going to SE Asia earlier. Does this mean China or Japan are back in the picture, or does this change the return date?
Ruv you! A
Wherever you go be safe, have fun an continue to take lots of pictures and update often. You know we will be missing you. We'll be watching Christmas Vacation without and it just won't be the same. :) But you are on you're own amazing Christmas Vacation!
Whatever you decide together will be perfect for you. Me.....I'd go to Greece. Love You, Mom
Hey guys. So if you're coming east a little quicker than expected, just let us know. We're in Chiang Mai, Thailand for about 10 days toward the end of January, then back to Vietnam. We don't want to miss you...
We're still going to Egypt. It won't be much different to fly Cairo to India rather than Amman to India. Although, if we had made this decision before we bought our flights from Istanbul to Amman, it certainly would've made more sense to go to Egypt first!
This shouldn't change our return plans much. We are hoping to move slowly in SE Asia, maybe doing some volunteer work, hopefullky spending less time in fewer places.
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