Day -22: I’m going around the world! My itinerary!

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!  In case you don’t know, I’m Michael Pratt and I’m traveling all over the world this summer.  Almost everyone I have talked to has told me that I need a blog so that they can keep up with what I am doing, so here we are!  I will try to update the blog each day with that day’s shenanigans, but some days I may be too busy or without internet.  You can skip straight to my itinerary if you wish.  I also try to take and post one picture every day on my Photo-a-Day site, so check it out!

History

I went to my grandparent’s in Arizona for Christmas, and while I was there, my uncle, Greg, asked me if I would be interested in traveling around the world with him this summer as he meets with clients for his work.  Of course, I said that would love to, and I immediately started looking at different places he had mentioned.  In January, I went to the post office and applied for a passport, which was issued in February.  In March, things began to really take shape.  I had my passport, and Greg sent me the first draft of the itinerary.  Most countries allow US passport holders to get a visa on arrival, but China and India require visas be issued before leaving.  This meant sending my passport to each embassy in Washington, a process that took about two weeks.  By mid-April I had both visas, and since then I have been deciding what things I want to do in each city, in addition to what Greg has planned.

My passport already has my Indian and Chinese visas inside.

Itinerary

During my trip, I will be gone for a total of 56 days, and I will visit at least six countries.  Greg and I will be traveling together for the entire trip, but we will meet up with friends and associates he has in many of the cities.   My schedule for the summer is as follows.  All times are in the local time zone.  I will update this as I figure out where I am going specifically.

Update May 25, 2011: Added trip to Nepal from India.  Added details to Beijing and Thailand/Cambodia legs.  My aunt and cousin are accompanying us to Uluru and Sydney.

Update June 9, 2011: Added move in activities for NC State.

Update June 17, 2011: We are definitely going to Pokhara.

June 10, 2011, 4:30pm: I graduate high school at the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, NC, USA!

June 12, 2011, 2:00pm: I leave Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Raleigh, NC, USA), connecting through O’Hare International Airport (Chicago, IL, USA), before…

June 13, 2011, 5:45pm: I arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi, India), meeting up with Greg.  That is about 19 hours travel time.  We will be in India for nine days, and we will spend some time in New Delhi, though we plan to the Taj Mahal in Agra, India and to Nepal before continuing on.

June 15, 2011: We travel to Agra, India to see the Taj Mahal under the full moon.

June 18, 2011: We will fly to Kathmandu, Nepal.  In Kathmandu, we will hike around Kathmandu Valley in the Himalayan mountains, where we will be able to see Mt. Everest.

June 20, 2011: We fly to Pokhara, Nepal.  In Pokhara, we will see Phewa Lake, and possibly do more hiking.

June 22, 2011, 11:35pm: We return from Nepal before we leave Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi, India), flying overnight to Hong Kong.

June 23, 2011, 7:40am: We arrive at Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong).  We only be in Hong Kong for two days, but I will get around and see what I can.

June 24, 2011, 5:00pm: We depart Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong), arriving at Beijing Capital International Airport (Beijing, China) at 8:20pm.  We will be in Beijing for five days.  Over the weekend, we will visit the Mutianyu Great Wall section.  In Beijing, I will see the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and local markets, homes, and architecture.

June 30, 2011, 10:00am: We depart Beijing Capital International Airport (Beijing, China), connect through Hong Kong International Airport (Hong Kong), then arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok, Thailand) at 4:10pm.  We will be in Thailand for nine days.  We plan to the Angkor Wat Temple Complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia our vist weekend there.  We will also visit Rayong, Thailand.

July ~1-4, 2011: Around our first weekend in Thailand, we will drive to Siem Reap, Cambodia to visit the massive Angkor Wat Temple Complex, a huge ancient city with one of the largest temples in the world.

July 9, 2011, 11:45am: We depart Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok, Thailand), arriving at Changi International Airport (Singapore) at 3:10pm.  We will be in Singapore for three days, and we may take a short trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

July 12, 2011, 9:05am: We depart Changi International Airport (Singapore), arriving at Perth Airport (Perth, Western Australia, Australia) at 2:15pm.  Greg lives in Perth, so I will be staying at his house with my aunt and cousin.  My cousin will be on winter holiday, so she and my aunt want to show me around the city.  I will be in Perth for nine days.

July 21, 2011, 10:05am: We depart Perth Airport (Perth, Western Australia, Australia), arriving at Ayers Rock Airport (Yulara, Northwest Territory, Australia) at 1:50pm.  We will spend the next day exploring Ayers Rock (aka Uluru), a massive sandstone formation in the middle of the Australian outback.  My aunt and cousin will accompany us.

July 22, 2011, 1:40pm: Continuing our journey, we depart Ayers Rock Airport (Yulara, Northwest Territory, Australia), and arrive at Kingsford-Smith Airport (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) at 5:05pm.  We will spend three full days in Sydney, seeing the Opera House, and Australian Zoo, among other things.  My aunt and cousin will also accompany us in Sydney before heading home.

July 27, 2011, 9:25pm: We depart Kingsford-Smith Airport (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia), arriving at Auckland Airport (Auckland, New Zealand) at 2:25pm.  We will explore Auckland and the North Island of New Zealand during our four days there.  Unfortunately, there is not enough time and it will be too cold to visit the South Island.

August 1, 2011, 1:05pm: At this point, Greg will go home to Perth.  I depart Auckland Airport (Auckland, New Zealand), connecting through Los Angeles International Airport (Los Angeles, CA, USA), before arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Phoenix, AZ, USA) at 1:00pm.  Yup, thanks to the magic of time zones I will arrive five minutes before I depart, despite 20 hours of travel time.  Back in the USA, I will rest at my Grandparent’s, telling them all about my journey.

August 6, 2011, 11:50am: I depart on my final flight, leaving Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (Phoenix, AZ, USA), connecting through Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas, TX, USA), and arrive home to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Raleigh, NC, USA) at 9:15pm.  Whew.  After 56 days, I have finally made it home!  Now, I will have about one week until move in at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA).

August 11, 2011: I move in to Sullivan Hall at NC State.

August 12, 2011: The Goodnight Scholars take a retreat to the campus of SAS Institute Inc (Cary, NC, USA).

August 15, 2011: Freshman Orientation at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA).

August 17, 2011: Classes begin at North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC, USA).