July 31, 2010 - Bangkok

Arrived in Bangkok about 11 last night after 6 hour flight from Tokyo.  I fly to Delhi this evening at about 8:30.  It is still the monsoon in India, so the plan is to head quickly north to the Himalayas, first to Manali and from there to Leh in Ladakh, in the rain shadow of the Himalayas.  I plan to spend most of the first 2-3 months in the Himalayas and then descend to the plains once the monsoon ends (usually mid-September) when it is cooler and drier.  Then I plan to head to Rajasthan and Gujarat before circling back to Delhi for my flight out in late January.  With my visa I can spend no longer than 180 days in India at one time.  That's my plan; we'll see how it works out.