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I consider this part of trip planning to be a real luxury. To simply think about the many options available… I bought an atlas many years ago that billed itself as a list of options.
Sometimes the question of where to next answers itself before I get home from the last trip. I’ve always had a long list of places I wanted to see. Some are written down, some are in my head.
This year, I went back to several lists and looked at ideas. One idea that has been with me for a long time has been Machu Picchu. I’d planned to take that trip a decade ago. But before the trip was planned I was in an auto accident. While I wasn’t badly hurt, my back was injured enough that long walking was clearly not in my near future. My plan for Machu Picchu had been to walk the Inca trail and enter through the Gate of the Sun. That plan had to be put on hold. As the years have gone by, my back is better, but I don’t think I’ll ever hike the Incan Trail. An easier Machu Picchu option is likely in my future. But Machu Picchu hasn’t struck me as being the right trip for this year. And there are mudslides blocking the railway.
So back to my lists. India has long been on my list. But it’s so huge and varied – what to tackle first? One of my lists had Assam on it. So I started doing some research.
I started by doing some reading on my favorite travel boards and buying a guidebook. The guide I could find with the best info (and still, it didn’t have a lot) was the Lonely Planet Guide to Northeastern India.
Assam sounded good to me for a number of reasons. Our last trip was to Burma, and Assam shares a border with Burma. The there are shared history and customs among the people on the two sides of the border. It seemed like a natural extension of our time in Burma. Assam offers the opportunity for a variety of interesting activities. National parks offer wildlife viewing. There are tea plantation, temples and markets. And my favorite weather site, weatherbase.com confirms that it will be a pleasantly warm break from November‘s rain and cold in Seattle.
