The count down begins

It is now 10 days until I hop on a plane, wait about 24hrs and step out into a different world. Last night I realized that I will be away traveling for a total of 98 days. During which, I will be visiting a long list of countries that I never really thought that I would have the opportunity to visit. First on the list is India and then Bangladesh. I will be traveling with my brother and a few other gents for the first few weeks and then I will be working my way through Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and back to India again to tour the Southern part of the massive sub-continent.

I have spent the last months obsessing over websites, blogs, travel books and pestering anyone that I have run into that has recently visited these countries. I am putting together a long list of goals and activities that I wish to accomplish while away. A brief glimpse will show you the following: take at least one cooking class in each country, surf for a few days, learn to SCUBA dive, witness worship of Hindu, Muslim, Jain and Buddhist faiths, ride a motorbike around the Southern part of Thailand and practice a bit of Yoga in India.

There has been much talk about whether it will be safe to travel around India in light of the still recent attacks in Mumbai in late November of 2008. Since then, things have seemed to calm down however the US State department has issued a travel warning expiring the 31st of January. Having traveled in other areas that have been considered dangerous because of terrorists or guerrillas (Ecuador and Spain. How about New York City) I do not feel the pressure.

Right now in Tonka Bay, Minnesota - Cold and Snowy

I see warmer weather in my sights.