India
I was born in Kerala (India). India now has 28 states and 7 federally administered territories. As far as I know, my father never travelled beyond the state where he lived. I have travelled to possibly 20 out of the 28 states. I said possibly because a number of new states have been created since I stopped extensive travel in India. So, I may have travelled to what is now a new state.
India is my country, the only country where I feel at home. I had the opportunity to obtain citizenship of at least half a dozen other countries but I felt I could never support a cricket team of any other nationality other than an Indian team. So I have decided to stay Indian.
And what is my opinion about India?
Sare Jahan Se Achha…. (better than anywhere else in the world)
Of course, you know I am fully objective when it comes to India.
Bhutan
I visited Bhutan in 1992 to attend an interview for a job of Lecturer at the Phuntsholing Polytechnique. Honestly speaking, I was not interested in the job and was merely looking for an excuse to visit a new country at somebody’s expense. But once I reached there, I had second thoughts.
It is a fascinating country. I have not seen enough of it. I want to return there one day.
Nepal
I first went to Nepal in 1994 to attend a UN-ESCAP training on environmental economics. There are two Nepals actually. Nepal from the ground is a sad scene—polluted and poor. Nepal from the air is pristine and majestic.
I retain the second image in my mind.
Singapore
I first went to Singapore in 1994, transiting on my way to Brunei. I only saw Changi Airport then, but that was a revelation in itself. I have gone to Singapore many times since. Every time, the moment I step down into Changi, I enter a world of efficiency.
Brunei
I first went to Brunei in 1994 for an employment interview with Shell. Actually, when Mathew International in Mumbai called me to come for an interview to Brunei, I did not know where Brunei was. It is a sleepy little place in Borneo. I spent four years of my life there. It was my first job abroad, and I enjoyed it. I made lot of new friends and have retained many.
Malaysia
Malaysia was just across the Baram River from Brunei and I have been there many times. The Borneo part of Malaysia was beautiful and less developed in those days. I also went to Peninsular Malaysia since. On the whole, a good example of how tradition and modernity can be combined under an effective leadership.
United Kingdom
I first went to UK in 1997 en-route to attend the International Leadership Forum in Amman, Jordan. For Indians, a visit to UK is of particular significance. They are our formal colonial masters, and our histories are intertwined.
I have since travelled extensively in the UK. UK is more rural than I had imagined.
Jordan
I went to Jordan in 1997 to attend the International Leadership Forum of United Nations University. We were hosted by the Royal Family and had many meetings with HM King Hussain and Queen Noor. We were 139 participants from 85 countries and we were lectured to by Prime Ministers and Presidents. For a brief time in our life, we all felt that we belonged to that elite class.
I had been to Jordan many times since. It is a small, historic, well-run country.
United States
I went to the United States in 1998 to attend a workshop at the World Bank Institute. I flew into Los Angeles and then onto Washington DC. It is a VERY big country. Though I have been there many times since, I still don’t claim to know the country. Should spend a month travelling into the heartland.
Thailand
I went to Thailand to visit Sreekumar who was working there. It is a beautiful place but the negative impact of tourism was all too visible in the streets. I was stuck in some of the longest traffic jams there.
These days I go to Thailand very often and things were on the up till recently. However, right now, it is a bit of a slide back.
Oman
I arrived in Oman to take up a job in Petroleum Development Oman. As I got out of the plane, I thought the blast from the plane is misdirected blowing us all with hot air. In few minutes, I figured out that is just summer in Middle East.
I made more friends here. Had an enjoyable time.
United Arab Emirates
It is a dream of all Malayalees to go to Dubai and I had to wait till 36years to fulfill that dream. People say Dubai is the most well run Malayalee city!
I had been to other emirates as well. Dubai just shows what money can do to barren landscapes
Kuwait
I went to Kuwait to visit a family in 2000. It is a very small country. You can drive end to end in one hour.
Not much of a memory left behind there.
Switzerland
I went to Switzerland in 2002 to attend an Interview at the Untied Nations Environment Programme. I was put up in a hotel which was the size of my toilet in Oman and I felt upset. It took me a year of stay in Switzerland before I realized that it was not personal. Most hotels in Switzerland are tiny!!
Other than hotels, and the expense (everything is expensive!!), it is a beautiful place. Everything here is beautiful, well-run, and punctual. In many ways, Switzerland has spoiled my fun in travelling. Once you have Swiss as your reference base, no place on earth is better.
France
France is all around Switzerland and you can end up there even without planning. So I must have gone there in 2003 when I shifted my base to Switzerland. Compared to Switzerland, it is a big country.
I go to Paris often, especially when I have visitors. The Museums there are fascinating. I never tire of them.
French eat snails. I tried them last week. They were good.
Italy
Italy is also close to Switzerland but I don’t go there by accident. I am told driving in Italy takes some skill and I believe them.
I went to Venice in 2004 and had been to many other cities since. I love Italian food. People are warm too.
Germany
I had been to many cities of Germany, always for work or transiting. Never did the touristy thing there. Should go there sometime.
Belgium
Though I had to been to Belgium many times on work, it is only recently that I managed to do some touristy stuff there. They have managed to preserve their historic buildings in a very elegant manner.
When I go to Brussels, a tiny country now, which can be traversed in less than two hours in any direction by car and see all those buildings, I wonder whatever our (Kerala) kings did with their money?
Norway
I think I went to Norway twice, both times to Oslo, both times for work. Cold..
I have a very good friend here so must return as a tourist some day.
Serbia
Serbia was my visit to the “Eastern Europe”. The hospitality of the people made me sad.
Montenegro
When I went to Montenegro, it was not yet a different country, now it is. They have lovely beaches.
Sri Lanka
Though Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka, is closer to Kochi (my hometown) than New Delhi (our Capital), I only went to Colombo in 2004. I have been going there since. Nice place.
Qatar
I had many close friends in Qatar and they have been calling me for many years to visit Qatar. However, in 2010, I located two of my schoolmates in Qatar through Google search and then it was time to visit there.
We got stranded (due to volcanic eruptions) in Qatar for a week. It was a good time in the end!
Bahrain
UNEP has its regional office there. I went there a few times for meetings. Small island, full of Indians as like elsewhere in the west. There was a dance bar in the hotel where I stayed where most songs were in Hindi.
Kenya
Nairobi is the headquarters of United Nations Environment Programme. I went to Nairobi many times. But once I went to Masai Mara and then I knew how life on earth would have been 10,000 years back when there was nature, animals, and men in some sort of balance.
Haiti
I went to Haiti after the devastating earthquake there. The Capital city had been flattened. I met a group of Malayalees there who adopted me. Good memories of my time there and sad memories of people, who were killed, displaced, and dispossessed.
Rwanda
I went to Rwanda once for a meeting. In preparation for the meeting I read a lot about their history. In retrospect, I should not have done that. There are no places in the world where human beings demonstrated their true animal nature as in Rwanda. Nightmares haunted me for months.
Netherlands
I worked for many Shell operated companies for 8 years and had always hoped that I will be sent to the Shell HQ at least once for training or meeting. Well, Shell is an organization, which has a lot to learn about diversity.
So eventually I went there on a UN mission. The country is small and beautiful. It has cows even.
Israel
I went to Israel, en route to occupied Palestinian territories. Security is the word you remember from your visit.
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic shares both history and the island with Haiti, but nothing else. It is a prosperous place, which even has an Ikea. When will India have its Ikea showroom?
Sudan
I went to Sudan few days after the North and South Sudan political parties signed the peace agreement. It was Week 1 of a new country and it was still an atmosphere of fear and distrust that prevailed. I have amazing memories of this visit from somebody having a hyena as a pet to an explosion in the mess hall.
Egypt
I went to Egypt to attend a meeting with the official of occupied Palestinian territories. Egypt, in many ways, is similar to India where the past is more glorious than its present.
Spain
I went to Spain to meet my friend who was visiting from India. Did a bit of touristy stuff in Madrid. I have since returned couple of times.
Lebanon
I went to Lebanon after the 2006 conflict. I was on the first commercial aircraft, which landed at Beirut. There was no customs, no duty free, and no airport taxis. My friend Raymond had to come to pick us up from the airport.
I returned many times since. If I want to have a second home somewhere, I would choose this place.
Occupied Palestinian Territories
I had been to been to both West Bank and Gaza Strip many times. Every time the warmth of the people amazes me. I go there with hope and try hard to keep it.
Cyprus
I went to Cyprus few times to attend meetings. Small Island, very touristy.
China
I went to China after the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008. I stopped thinking about the “India-China” comparison after that. May be my grandson could do that one day.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is technically China but one country two systems. So Indians can arrive in HK without a visa and stay for 2 weeks. Nice place, good food, and good nature that’s too amazing.
Myanmar
I went to Myanmar after the Cyclone Nargis in 2008. The airport was very modern, and the place was very organized. Driving through the countryside I thought this must be what India must have been 50 years back.
Ukraine
I went to Ukraine in 2008 to follow up on an oil spill there. It is a beautiful place. I went to an opera and it was captivating.
Japan
I went to Japan first in 1998 I think to meet with my brother and family who were visiting there. I have been there many times since. Its technological sophistication amazed me, but I was not surprised. However, its rural landscape did surprise me.
Albania
I went to Albania to assess a major explosion in an explosive storage area. I was told it is probably the poorest place in Europe. There was an Indian restaurant there too.
Liberia
I went a few times to Liberia on project inspection visits. The country has everything, healthy people, lot of water, beautiful and bountiful coastlines, forests, minerals, and whatever you can ask for.
People are poor though. I remembered the Kunjunni song, which goes thus:
“India daridrayallIndia daridrayallInidan janangal daridrar”
Ivory Coast
I only went there once. This was a well-built and well-run country, which has since deteriorated. Hopefully, it will return to its best days sooner than later.
Nigeria
I went to Nigeria probably a dozen times and travelled extensively in the south of the country. I had a similar feeling as in Liberia here. Why are these people so poor? I should read Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” again!!
Afghanistan
I went to Kabul a few times and the city is growing everyday. There are modern glass and steel buildings coming up. Hopefully, Kabul will return to its glory again.
