Maqtoob; Volume 3

Maqtoob; Cover Story:

Passing up the Perfect Travel Pic

Slice of Heaven Falling in love maybe unexpected, but you can expect falling for this island at first sight, on the first night.

Backpacker's Special

Contents...

- If Heaven is a Pizza - Passing up the Perfect Travel Pic - Falling for a Place - New follower of Shiva - Curaรงao - India is a Gem We Thank Koh Tao Divers for our amazing Cover pic and the splendid Index cover Visit www.kohtaodivers.com today

@amit.chk

@karanlakhe

@rohankumardebbarma

Editorial Our magazine Maqtoob; will feature real life stories of people who have visited or moved to a different land far-away from home. It’ll talk about how the place has moulded them. It could be a life changing experience, could be something which has taught them a thing or two about themselves. It could be them falling in love at a place away from home. An emotional roller coaster, with added flavours in the form of different individualistic tales.

We all have gone places, we all will be going more. Be it solo, with friends, with our loved ones. The beauty is that each time we travel, we unwrap something new, something unique about ourselves.

And it leaves us with a mesmerising afterthought.

Most of us have a social media account where we put up the best pictures from that destination and write down something related or something we felt at that place, on that very moment. But that emotion, that connection is limited within ourself or a few closed ones we share with.

Now, how about I let you talk about your personal experience at that place, a platform where you can pour your entire heart out. How about we keep aside the destination for once.

And let you talk about the journey, YOUR JOURNEY.

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Slice of Heaven -Rohan Kumar Debbarma rohan@maqtoobtravelogue.com If heaven is a pizza, then Koh Tao is a slice. Falling in love maybe unexpected, but you can expect falling for this island at first sight, on the first night.

Born at a place where my 24 hours view is a dighi, my point of contact with water is always at peak. Spending hours in the water with my fellow cousins and making sure we don’t leave until shouted upon by parents. The thrill of staying in water was something that stayed with me, even now, at

this very moment while you’re reading this.

When the opportunity came, to go dive at Thailand. I agreed at once. I’ve heard of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket almost everywhere but when I knew that I will be diving at Koh Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand, I was overwhelmed; I get to explore a place which I haven’t even heard of. If you’ve ever experienced love at first sight, you know how I’ve felt the very first time I laid my eyes upon.

If you are a thrill seeker, nightlife creature, food lusty, nature thirsty, peace and quiet seeking, beach loving and me.

This is your place. After the mad parties and nights at Bangkok, I believed, there

cannot be any other place in Thailand that would provide me that rush. But, OH Boy! Koh Tao blew me. After arriving, I went to my dive shop where I’d be starting with my open water Scuba Diving course. I had my accommodation in their bamboo made dorm right opposite to the Sairee Beach. The water was clear, the sand was white and the sun was up.

What more could you ask from an island.

For the past few years, I’ve met and interacted with people who have or do spend most of their time in the mountains. I did the same. I’ve met a few divers earlier, one such is now a dear brother and friend. But whenever asked I’d always say that, I’m a sea person. Then I’d be fired with a quick question but you spend most of your time in the moun-

tains?

Koh Tao attracts a particular kind of travellers, definitely not the touristy ones. The ones I’ve met and interacted have mostly planned to visit this place for a day or two but have stayed for weeks now.

They just couldn’t leave. Its

either the food, the nights, their beach side beer sipping buddies they made or the diving. It’s mostly the beer and beach. The dusk glows here, flares up the coconut trees and warms even the coldest hearts. How can anyone leave.

The island has a catchy laidback vibe; the food excels expectations and the diving is out of this world.

Escaping the nagging city life and taking off at intervals to experience the goodness of nature has been my mantra.

Considering myself only a 66% adrenaline junkie, a fulltime fanatic towards mother nature, I always believed the best conversation starters would be the first time you bunked class, or locked a teacher in the lab or maybe your first sip of alcohol. At the end, we remember only what we cherished.

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I was incredibly lucky to be a part of Koh Tao Divers for my first open water Scuba Diving course and not to mention, without a doubt the best instructor ever, Tom Helin AKA Tommpa. He is professional, friendly, sometimes strict but extremely knowledgeable. A great guy to lead and learn, who made sure he eased every qualm I had regarding scuba diving.

After some ‘in class’ trainings, Tom covered everything from safety to equipment, and the techniques while underwater.

On completion, we proceeded to the shallow waters where I was taught and practiced the essentials of diving.

Being my first scuba dive, Tom prepared me with scuba gear bag and all the basic required equipment, both ‘in class’ and on the boat. It was me and

other 8 divers who left for the dive sight. I realised, I was the odd one out being the only first-timer, while the rest were professionals.

It took me a while to take my first jump.

After I learnt how to clean my mask and the technicalities of the BCD Buoyancy Control Device, we were ready for my first dive. It’s a weird feeling to breathe underwater with the regulator. It’s a cosmos where my mind is telling me to breathe through my nose, whereas my instincts are asking me to hold my breath and my brain is reminding me that the worst thing to do is to stop breathing.

As a beginner, the struggle for breathing from your mouth is real and swallowing the salty water is obvious. And then there’s this conscious attempt

where I’m trying to convince myself to breathe from the mouth. The struggle is real, believe me. But you know what’s fascinating? The sound of my own breath underwater.

I was so loud initially, but I’ve improved.

The aura underwater is serene, mild, slo-mo and definitely like outer space; coming from my pictorial imagination of space from the numerous movies I watched. With abundant nameless fishes, petite, moderate and huge crisscrossing around you, in their own zig zag route makes it miraculous.

P.S. Koh Tao Divers has a book with all the names of fishes, corals and anything living underwater. I could only memorise a few.

The first few metres cannot be described, the first descend is like an entry into another dimension with the hope of acceptance from that pristine world. You question yourself, will I be accepted.

Your heart beat decelerates from the dismay. Now you are in sheer aw and wonder.

Something I’ve experienced in the different corners of the Himalayas. Isolation, in the positive form ever. Every detail is carved in you, as you savour every moment.

The first dive limit is 18 metres when you’re doing an SSI open water course. I felt my heart beat and ears bursting out, but Tom made sure I equalized my ears often, until I was ready to explore the underwater. There were a series of not so positive thoughts that I came across, full of “Why’s”, but I made sure I stayed positive, even after I puked in the boat after my first dive. Tom didn’t give up on me, why should I; his positivity and will takes most of the credit of me becoming a certified diver.

For starters, when I doubted myself after my first dive, I didn’t want to lose the opportunity

to explore a world unseen by some and I wanted to relish what came thereafter. I successfully passed my SSI Open Water.

Astonished by experience, of the first 5 dives, I wanted more. I enrolled myself to the Nitrox and SSI Advanced Diver programme, which would now allow me to dive till 30 metres.

Below 18m. It is colder than the rest. All you hear is your steady breath and bubble formations. Visibility is less, but you see large schools of fish grooving on their own tune, while some swim calmly around you, sometimes peck you. Colour is lost at such depth. I remember, when I finally landed on the sandy bottom of the ocean bed at 29.2 metres. That was a sense of accomplishment as I was right next to the Sattakut wreck.

Today, I am a certified diver with a Nitrox certification and I can dive up-to 30 metres. And all I can add to my excitement is “it is irresistible”, so peaceful down there. So quiet, yet so resonating.

The state of being submerged underwater, is serene and mellow. There is no gravitational pull, regardless to the gear I wore. Regardless of what level of water, I chose to stay, I was the one in control. I was flying underwater. Believe me, I was. That’s how I felt; I did the Superman posture countless times as I looked over the life underneath, underwater. Tom is a witness to my posing.

This island shelters one specific kind of explorers, the divers. After Koh Tao, I feel euphoric to be a part of these explorers. They are in abundance, yet similar. If there is group of people chatting up while sipping their drinks, laughing and goofing up with each other, and making you ask yourself a question “aren’t they the happiest?” They are the divers. The soulful, jovial, human example of cool.

Until your first dive, you are clueless to what you are missing. “It is amazing”, “a must try” is usually what we hear from those who dive, until now. Honestly, the hype is real. And I’m gratified to be one of them.

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Passing Up the Perfect Travel Pic @trailheaders By- Tara E. Alexander tara@trailheaders.com

@trailheaderstravel @trailheaders

www.trailheaders.com My headlights sliced through the deepest dark they’d ever not seen. With every kilometer post we passed separating the King’s Highway and the forest, an ominous warning chimed in my head. We had hours of travel behind us and many more before we could rest, and we had no place to stay once we arrived. There was no choice but to drive all night across this foreign land.

All we had was one 80’s rock radio station and each other to sing along with. Turns out, that’s all we needed for one of our grandest adventures -best friends and Billy Idol.

It was only minutes into Canada Day, July 1, but in my head played a conversation that happened in June. With family, I was discussing my plans to “road trip” across the United States to New York. In Buffalo, I’d pick up one of my best friends and together visit Niagara Falls, Toronto and maybe Montreal, Canada for the national holidays.

“It might be tough or expensive to find a place to stay,” my sister-in-law warned, recalling a trip she’d once taken during Montreal Jazz Fest.

Now, driving all night between

one lodging wasteland to another, I felt irresponsible for not heeding her advice.

My best friend and I intended to secure lodging in advance, but the trip hadn’t left us with much spare time for it. Driving across the Canadian-U.S. border was especially thrilling as it was our first time traveling internationally together. Niagara Falls, Ontario was everything for which we’d hoped.

The power of the water, the rush that fills the air, and the gasps of first-time visitors filled me with awe and satisfaction.

The falls were a perfectly challenging backdrop for my friend who’s studying photography, and we enjoyed snapping hundreds of pics in search for the right angles and lighting.

Sometimes I worry about holding my traveling companions back when I take a lot of photos and they don’t. But that wasn’t a concern on this trip because he’s interested in photography too.

Fireworks lit up the sky and gave us the opportunity to practice night shots. Between colorful bursts, we chatted with other visitors like a medical nonprofit searching for the cure for scleroderma. Even

with the festivities, we had no problem booking lodging in Niagara Falls on the fly.

The next morning, we stopped at a maple syrup farm before making our way into the city of Toronto. From the Grade A extra light to the most robust, we tasted the full array of maple in a syrup sampling!

Toronto welcomed us just as sweetly. The city was bustling between the upcoming holiday and a typical Friday afternoon in the Financial District. It was easy to find parking and get our bearings to explore on foot. We spent the day finding photographs in the neatest neighborhoods, exploring the underground trail system and meeting friendly strangers.

Just when we thought we would head back to the car and then find a place to stay for the night, we noticed a gathering crowd and growing cheers coming from Nathan Phillips Square, the plaza downtown known for its lighted Toronto sign. Canada’s own Barenaked Ladies had stormed the stage to perform a free concert, and my friend and I had perfect timing to watch it.

Back in the parking lot, we discovered what looked like a man trying to move his inebriated friend who’d passed out behind a vehicle’s back wheels. My friend offered to help, and we learned that actually, the helpful man didn’t know the inebriated one at all.

He was just trying to be a good human and get the other man to safety. My friend and I both found his kindness inspiring.

We finally had a chance to check hotel and private lodging listings, only to find that all the reasonable options in Toronto were gone. Since it was midnight, the thought of paying hundreds for a room we’d only be in for a few hours seemed a little reckless.

Therefore, we discussed an option that seemed even more

reckless – driving all night to Montreal. We still weren’t even sure if we wanted to go there at all, because Toronto seemed so fun and sunny.

Montreal was at least six hours away, and we were already tired from walking several miles and standing for the whole concert. But if we didn’t rent a room, we’d have a sleepless night anyway. The best we'd be able to do is park at a "big box store" and hoping not to get robbed or ticketed.

With a determined sparkle in my eye, I turned to my friend and said, “We’re going to Montreal!” I knew right then that we were on one of my favorite adventures of all time.

It’s a blessing to feel it, the acute awareness that these are the moments to relive forever. Some journeys have a

few nuggets like that, but are like winning the whole jackpot.

The 80's rock and roll soundtrack kept us alert throughout our drive on the 401. I hoped to photograph a spectacular sunrise, but the forest and farmland wouldn't allow a view. It was a drizzly, gray morning by the time we hit a Tim Horton’s restaurant in Quebec.

I didn’t let the fact that I’d been awake for more than 24 hours stop me from trying to seem smarter than I really am. Since most of the serving staff were speaking French, I ordered my egg and cheese croissant meal in French. I thought I did a nice job with the language until they brought out my breakfast – a turkey club sub sandwich.

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We hoped that caffeine and carbs would fuel us until we found a hotel or even a park in which to rest for a few hours.

But there was nothing available in Montreal! We searched online and by driving around for hours, to no avail. We hoped that the Canada Day parade and other festivities would keep us awake, but torrential rain canceled most of those. I had my one-and-only encounter with the police of the entire 4000-mile road trip because I turned right on a red light, which is not legal in the city.

Nearing the point of exhaustion, we finally gave up on trying to find happy, friendly, festive Montreal and settled for finding a big box store parking lot.

Some people don’t mind sleeping in cars or RV’s in public parking lots. There’s a whole travel movement along these lines, in fact, called “stealth camping.” However, it’s just called “poor planning” when you would much rather be in a hotel but can’t secure one. My friend and I circled the Walmart parking lot a few times before pulling into a

space with a sigh.

Sleeping comfortably in the middle of a city, even one where some people speak your language and are generally known as neighborly, is rarely restful. We began adjusting the front car seats and reorganizing our luggage, trying to make space to stretch out and sleep. The overcast morning had morphed into mugginess. Sweltering in the humid sunshine, we rolled down the windows and dangled our legs out.

With the extra room and slight increase in comfort, my friend drifted off, but I couldn’t seem to stop smiling. I imagined what we must have looked like to the smattering of other vehicles in the lot. We must have been a sight, my friend’s long legs sticking out one side and my short ones barely hanging out the other.

We’d spent the trip filling our camera memory cards with hundreds of shots, and now we finally had it, the perfect travel photo.

But we would never be able to take it. Even though I could have made it work, it would ruin the moment. After all, I didn’t want to wake my friend, rifle through the bags, set up the tripod, work the remote and leave the camera unattended.

Furthermore, even though we could replicate the view, we’d be removing the authenticity. It was so “us” to wind up sleeping in the parking lot. Pretending to be asleep again would have been a lot less “us” even if it would have been perfect for social media.

Maybe someone out there saw four goofy American legs sticking out of the car and smiled and snapped a pic. I don’t care if anyone got that perfect travel pic, but I sure hope that it helped someone else smile.

In search of the best Canada Day experience, my best friend and I almost missed having a safe place to sleep, let alone having a place to celebrate. In search of the best travel photo, we missed it entirely. But in search of sharing life’s grandest adventures, we had everything we needed, right there in the front seat.

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One can fall for a place too...

By- Catarina Campos

Oh Vietnam, I don't even know where to start with you. I have to admit it wasn't love at first sight, but you stole my heart in the end and kept me coming back for more.

I remember when I was planning my first trip to SE Asia, my friends wanted to add it to our travel plan, I wasn't very fan of the idea, even less when I realized that they wanted to save 2 out of the 4 total weeks we had. The idea of visiting only Thailand and Cambodia was much more appealing to me, besides the fact that I'd known little, but knew

about the war (that wasn't so long ago), all the political instability which I thought was still there, I remember remaining upset with them until we reached. We landed in Saigon and everything was just giving me more and more reasons to be convict of my stubborn idea that you, Vietnam, were a bad idea yourself. I couldn't be more wrong!

As we reached Saigon or Ho Chi Minh, we stayed for a few hours, we didn't see any sights of the city, but to me, to be locked in a taxi for 2 hours just to go from the bus stop to the airport, moving at about 2

km/h, in the most claustrophobic and chaotic environment, never imaginable to me, surrounded by motorbikes and people and LEDs everywhere, was enough reason to put a big cross on this place. Now, I have to admit that maybe that was an unfair cross and this believe comes to me due to the fact that Hanoi can be has big as Saigon and since I stayed longer there I learned how to enjoy the city quite a lot.

Anyway, everything started to change when we moved to smaller and quieter places, one of the most special to me was Halong Bay, I realized how love and hate are so close to each other, my heart just melted, all the hate was replaced and I fell in love with you. The bikes or the noise didn't seem to bother me anymore, not even the sensation of being in a game while crossing the street trying to find empty spaces where the bikes won't hit you, not even that! (Truth being said that everything falls in a different perspective when love come to the scene.)We reached ha long city, in the northeastern part of the country, by night, and waited until the day after to embark on a 2 Day cruise where we'd visit 5 islands amongst the almost 2000 islands of the bay.

We woke up in the morning and went to the pier, where loads of cruises were waiting for the tourists to start the day and the tours. As we arrived,

rections to one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen, big limestone islands raising from the calm waters, full of greenery, the sky was a bit

local sellers approached us trying to sell pearl jewelry and all they thought we could be interested in buy, from shells, necklaces, bracelets, etc. That mixed with the local market with the fishermen trying to sell several types of fishes and seafood, made this place kind of confusing for us. As the entire group arrived, we were sent by our guides to a small motorboat with our lifeguard jackets, until we finally reached our cruise that was parked further away from the coast.

After we unpacked our bags and installed in our room accommodations for the next days, we got a little briefing on the top of the boat and has we got moving even further away and the sound of noisy pier started to be replaced by a much calming and suiting noise of the boat navigating.

The landscape also started to change from the busy and hectic city life with the market and people running in all di-

foggy but it was just like being in a dream, time seemed to stop there, the voice of the tour guide suddenly vanished from my attention and I was just there noticing how kind Mother Nature can be in the world and was definitely here.

When I got dragged back to reality and started to pay attention to what they were talking about, it was just at the

time he was telling the mythological story of how this place came to be. So the ancient Vietnamese people tell the story, it happened thousands of years ago in the beginning of the development of the country, invaders were trying to conquer Vietnam, they tried to approached their land by the sea and the local people from the region prayed the gods for protection, they prayed so much that the gods sent a family of dragons to descend from the sky and protect them, the dragons threw big rocks and other minerals stones on fire and when they reached the water became the islands we can still now see after all this years. It's a beautiful story and it was a very good insight to start appreciating the trip even more, it also tells a lot about the people and their faith and how faith is something that goes along with the generations, maybe that was the same faith that ended the war they faced after 30 years of terror and suffering.

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Moving on to better things, we went around, visited a few islands so that we could spend little time at the beach and more, exploring the 'jungle'.

Tried some local gastronomic delicatessens, crabs, fish rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls amongst a lot of other amazing things that showed us how biologically rich the bay is. At night we were taught how to fish some squids that would be our lunch the day after, amazing food prepared by an amazing chef. The day went by superfast as well as the night, with some cocktails to spice up the party we went to sleep with the starry sky and the sound of the sea! In this case we paid for the trip but the landscape is there, so I dare to say, it is priceless!

The second day started with an amazing tai chi class at the sunrise just before the breakfast, always with the most amazing setting surrounding us, anywhere I looked I was mesmerized if I stopped for a while just to enjoy the moment. We visited a cave, the name I recall is Surprise cave, surprisingly because of its

magnificence when it was discovered, the person was so surprised that he couldn't stop shouting WOW, and it was a WOW, a huge cave showing up magnificently from inside a wall of vegetation, vines covering of the rock, as you go in, it was huge, with stalactites

dom, so many people felt like leaving some money hopping to get the blessing and those features for themselves.

I could go on and on with experiences we had and what we did and what we've learned but maybe that goes for another time, but because of this Vietnam is now one of my very favorite places in the world, it just gets the best of everything. Vietnamese people couldn't be more friendly, always there with a big smile to great you and help you with whatever you need, they'll proudly welcome you to join their table in the cafe and pour you a glass of their famous rice wine or a warm bowl of warm noodles when it's cold, maybe some of them you won't understand the language but you'll learn that you can also talk from your heart and your body is a great tool for

falling from the top and stalagmites growing up from the ground, it was really a surprise. We explored for a bit, it had lights showing the way and also a carved rock in a shape of a turtle, turtles are very auspicious because they represent longevity and wis-

that as well. Landscape wow, this is just one example, I can bring more to the table anytime, culturally as well. But the people, because in a way they make the country and they are the fruits of it, they have the special space in my heart and for that I'm forever grateful!

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Lord Shiva just won a follower from Israel Middle-Eastern, tall, wavy haired, mountain biker Michal Chervin couldn’t ask for a more wonderful experience in North India where she experienced a new faith, culture and found love for Momos and the people behind it.

Where did you travel and what made you choose the destination?

North India: Ladakh area, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. I absolutely love India, its the third time I've visited and definitely not the last. I take every opportunity I can to visit India repeatedly. No matter how many times you visit, there is always something you miss out for the next time.

in Chamba valley, my two friends and I were the only tourists on the trek among Indian pilgrims.

4. I had the scariest drive from Leh to Manali in a jeep along narrow roads, and praying that I would get to Manali in one piece, while enjoying breathtaking views 5. I saw a Bollywood movie for the first time in the cinema in Delhi. And it was worth the experience.

How was your interaction with the locals?

North Indians are very welcoming. In Ladakh I enjoyed a home stay with a local family during a trek I did with some friends and they made the best momos I have ever eaten. In Manali I met a restaurant owner who was super nice and my friends and I ended up hanging out at his place most of our time in Manali.

Was it a backpacker trip or a general tourist trip?

Backpacker trip, for one month in August 2017. I like to hit the road on my own, not as a typical tourist on a holiday package.

Name 5 things which you encountered on your trip which you never saw before.

1. The mesmerizing scenic beauty of Leh was my best experience 2. I met amazing people whom I am still in touch today 3. I went on a holy Yatra to the lake of Shiva

Did you taste any unique local cuisine, or specialty dishes of the region?

Yes, I ate many Momos in Leh and later when I got to Himachal Pradesh, I had my favorite dish: Palak Paneer.

How difficult is it, to manage a solo trip?

It wasn't as difficult as I expected. As soon as I got to Leh I met some Israeli travelers and a few days later I met up with a friend from Israel, with whom I continued the rest of my trip. I was hardly on my own so things went pretty smooth.

Describe your best and worst moments during the trip.

My best moment was on the Yatra in Chamba valley with my friends. We were the only foreigners climbing the mountain, and the locals found that really cool and many started talking to us and walking with

us. We traveled as fellow Yatris among young people, elderly people (some wearing only flipflops!) and there were mules going up and down the mountain carrying

supplies and people who couldn't walk.

Most of them were chanting prayers to Shiva. I found the whole experience very special.

My worst moment also happened to be on the Yatra, because it wasn't an easy hike, and at some-point during the first day it started raining and the path was quite slippery, muddy and steep at some points. The second day on our way down my friends and I were trying hard to maintain our grip.

It was physically challenging but well worth it!

Write about an unforgettable moment during your trip.

I don’t really have an unforgettable moment. The whole trip is one that I will never forget because of all the experiences I had and the wonderful people that I met.

One thing that you'd want to take back with you from the trip (could be a person, address, souvenir, gesture) One thing that I already took from the trip: In Leh I met a nice couple and the guy was an artist. I asked him if he had any recommendations for an art teacher, since I've been meaning to go back to drawing (I stopped ten years ago and kept wanting to go back to it and never found the time). He referred to me a friend of his, and as soon as I got back to Israel I arranged a lesson and have been drawing (again) ever since.

What is going to be your next destination?

I’m flying to Guatemala and Belize in September. Very different from India but it’s time to practice my Spanish!

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Curaรงao! It keeps calling me back -Norah Myles

As my plane soars over Haiti's westernmost point, I look down at the Caribbean Sea and grin. While explorers of every century have scoured these waters, perpetually searching for their tropical utopia, I found mine four trips ago. Now, I am heading back for my fifth. Next stop? Curaçao.

My love affair with this nirvana just 40 miles north of Venezuela always begins with its capital city, Willemstad. At a glimpse, it's Holland during the Golden Age; the geometric, gabled rooflines flanking the banks of Saint Anna Bay uncannily resemble those lining the canals of Amsterdam's Old Town Center. The palette here, though, is resplendently Caribbean: The edifices favor Easter egg tones, and the harbor's hues play back and forth among indigo, turquoise, and cerulean.

Even more international is the street scene in Willemstad. While newbies arriving here might head straight for the sand of Curaçao's more than 30 admittedly glorious beaches, I always go for a city walk first just to hear conversations in Dutch, Spanish, and the native dialect, Papiamentu, bounce down the narrow, curving streets.

Curaçao's rainbow effect is even more evident when you look around. With more than 60 nationalities having made a home here since the island's discovery in 1499, these residents look as diverse as their forebears do; even after four visits, I can't tell a tourist from a local.

We're standing in front of the elegant, pale yellow Mikvé Israel-Emanuel, the oldest synagogue in continuous active use in the Americas. Dueñas-Ernandes describes the Curaçao of the 17th century: a Dutch colonial outpost that welcomed persecuted Spanish and Portuguese Jews from the Netherlands and Brazil, setting a standard of tolerance that's carried to the present day. Moreover, while I am no refugee, I feel the quiet, gentle echo of that precedent every time I arrive.

Time for a swim? Almost. My next stop is to check in with "Dutch." Because when you're a Dutchman on an island in the Dutch Caribbean, and everyone calls you "Dutch," then you are definitely The Man. Adriaan "Dutch" Schrier is that entrepreneur at the center of the action, and I've heard he has a new venture that's going to blow me away. It won't be the first time.

Wiry, sun-kissed, and relentlessly energetic, Schrier founded both the Curaçao Sea Aquarium and the Curaçao Dolphin Therapy and Research Center, an institute that pairs dolphins and children with disabilities for in-water therapy. This time, though, his project is less Flipper and more Jules Verne. Schrier's new baby is Substation Curaçao—a high-tech, pint-size submarine that can take four passengers down 1,000 feet below the surface of the ocean.

That's deep, I think to myself. Really deep.

Back at sea level, I face the best problem on Curaçao: choosing a beach. One of my favorites, Knip Beach (below), is a sweet white crescent backed by lush vegetation at the island's southwest tip (and about an hour's drive), so I'll save that one for tomorrow. Now, I grab a quick dip near my sub adventure and my bed this trip: the Royal Sea Aquarium Resort, just south of Willemstad. This cluster of bright-orange villas is renowned for its untrammeled ocean views and easy walking to shopping, restaurants, and taverns.

As I'm strolling on the beachfront at Hemingway's, I pass a guy who looks familiar. Football-player physique, shaved head … I spin my mental Rolodex, finally coming up with his name. "Jozef!" I blurt, and he turns and takes me in. "Adam!" he hollers. "What's it been?

Three years?" It's another Curaçao reunion, and we plan to meet up that evening to christen it with beer at Augusto's Restaurant.

Italy-born chef Augusto Ceccotti puts out a crabmeat-infused onion brûlée with ingredients sourced right from the area, and joins us for a chat on his patio that overlooks a meandering canal. Reunions are rarely this warm, this scenic, and this delicious.

And this is what I always come back to. Yes, I love the beaches, the water, and the anachronism of old-world architecture in the subtropics.

I love the entrepreneurial dynamism of dolphins and submarines. But that's not why I keep coming back.

It's what Jozef says to me, when our night at Augusto's draws to a close. "It was so good to see you, my friend," he says. "It's also good to know that I'm sure I'll see you again next year."

It's that expectation of return. A place that knows you belong to it, and you'll surely find your way back.

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“India is a Gem”, says Clem Clementine , a doe-eyed medical student cum traveler from France shares her experience of a Backpacker trip to India.

Her revelations about the food, people and customs show shades of this country from the lens of a Backpacker.

Where did you travel and what made you choose the destination?

I’m a medical student in France and as a part of my curriculum I had to select a foreign country for a medical tour. I chose India because the idea of visiting India fascinated me owing to its diverse culture and rich heritage, which I longed to see. I’m also a foodie, and India is a gastronomic heaven. So yeah, it’s gem of a country.

Was it a backpacker trip or a general tourist trip?

Hmmm… primarily I was on a medical tour, so I would call it a semi-backpacker trip How was your interaction with the locals?

There were times I had uncomfortable encounters with street side vendors and autowallahs given that I’m a foreigner. Mostly, my Indian hosts with whom I had the best time of my trip received me warmly. I didn’t need a guide to find my way as the locals are pretty helpful to tourists.

the trip.

My worst moment was when I discovered I had lice in my head.

Visiting Taj Mahal has to be my best moment. My stay at Old Manali was also a wonderful time.

Write about an unforgettable moment during your trip.

I really enjoyed the moment sitting by

Name 3 new things which you encountered on your trip.

Flood Overcrowded trains Spicy food- Everyday I had a bomb of flavors in my mouth and I felt like I smelled of the food I ate.

What was your favorite cuisine?

India is a food haven. Every place I visited had a unique dish of its own. Malai Kofta, Samosa, Parathas and Dal Bathi were some of my favorite food items. And Mango Lassi is great, so is Chai, of course. I made sure to gather the recipes from my interaction with the locals and try making it back home.

How difficult is it, to manage a solo trip?

I was with a friend we pre-planned everything. It was a smooth trip.

Describe your best and worst moments during

Udaipur lake with a chilled beer and Linkin Park playing in my ear. For a minute or two my memory reeled back to a time in my life with someone special.

One thing that you'd want to take back with you from the trip (Could be a person, address, souvenir, gesture) Definitely, Dal Bathi, one of the best food I had. I plan to prepare it at home with French fusion, of course.

What is going to be your next destination?

I’m really keen on exploring Burma. So, that is my next stop.

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#factination Seven of the ten largest statues in the world are of Buddhas

Sunsets on Mars are Blue Australia has over 10,000 beaches. You could visit a new beach everyday for over 27 years!

The National animal of Scotland is the Unicorn The Nazis were the first ever people in modern history to start an anti-smoking and tobacco movement.

There is an uninhabited island in the Bahamas known as Pig Beach, which is populated entirely by swimming pigs. ;

Caravan AD

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