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After the IBM Extreme Blue Expo in Bangalore on July 26^th, I’ll be homeless for the next few weeks. I plan on exploring Bangalore for a few days along with my coworker Vikas. Afterwards, Vikas and I are flying up to Delhi. He’s heading back to his college near Rishikesh. I am keen on purchasing a sitar while in Delhi. If I could somehow afford a Rikhi Ram sitar, like the ones The Beatles purchased while touring India, I would be thrilled. This would be my present from India for myself! I spent the other day in Pune wandering around MG Road and found a small music shop on East Road and spent an hour playing their sitars. What can I say, I’m a sucker for musical instruments. I purchased a how to play sitar book and a Ravi Shankar – “A creative Genius” cd at another store. I’m hooked on sitar!

After Delhi, I’ll head to Agra to see the Taj and then on to Mathura-Brindavan. I’m then going to tour the Valley of the Flowers, starting first in Rishikesh which is on the Ganges River. From there I’ll head to Joshimath, Govindghat, and Ghangariya before entering the Valley of the Flowers. I’ll finish up my tour by heading to Hemkund, Auli, and Hardiwar. Once back in Delhi, I’ll head up to the Himalayas and see Manali’s Rohtang Pass, Manikaran, and then back to Chandigarh to catch a flight to Mumbai. From Mumbai, it’s onwards to London to see my parents for a week and I’ll head back to New York a week later. After getting back home in Pennsylvania, I’ll drive up to Cleveland, Ohio to see Kathryn (who I miss) and then I’ll start school two days later. I’m bracing myself for quite a journey.