heaven on earth....

A globe-trotting tourist decided to write a book about famous churches around the world. So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to China.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read "$1000 per call"

The Tourist, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.

The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $1000 you could talk to God.

The Tourist thanked the priest & went along his way.

Next stop was in Japan. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it.

He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in China & he asked a nearby nun why it’s so costly.

She told him that it was a direct line to heaven & for $1000 he could talk to God.

"O.K., thank you," said the Tourist.

He then traveled to Pakistan, then Sri Lanka, Russia, Germany and France.

In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same "$1000 per call" sign under it.

The Tourist, upon leaving Vermont decided to travel to his last stop India to see if Indians had the same phone.

He arrived in India, and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read, "One Rupee per call."

The Tourist was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign. "Father, I've traveled all over World and I've seen this same golden Telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but Worldwide the price was $1000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?"

The priest smiled and answered, "You're in India, Son- it's a Local Call".

This is the only HEAVEN on the Earth.

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go go GOA

I finally managed too get some time off my schedule to go experience Goa. Well it had always been my agenda to go soak in the culture & tradition of Goa not just a casual visit round the country and a couple of other beaches. And although my visit was well short of what I would have called a decent enough time to fall in love with a place; it was good enough in these times of ready to eat food available off the shelf in a supermarket.

What I realized (like so many others who would have before me), that this little seaside state, with an identity that's a seamless blend of Portuguese influence and Indian tradition, was crackling enough to have been one of the hottest “must-visit” places of the world.

The waters looked safe and temperate (I am sure they were) and the absence of riptide currents making them ideal for learners and novice divers. Whether it were a ride around on a speedboat, a fleeting moment para-gliding over the beach & sea, what struck me was the simple life of the common people apparently untouched by the changes of the modern world. Yes there were happening nightspots like Titos (where 3 am at night seemed like 25^th Dec evening at Park Street, Calcutta), fun beaches in Calungute & Baga in the north or Covlam in the South – what struck me where places like Divar (a small island so serene that the moment I set foot and started exploring, I was so hopelessly in love again).

The three hundred years of Portuguese rule has left an indelible imprint on the collective psyche of Goans. It shows in their music, their architecture and their culture. It's also why Goans make the most wonderful vindaloo this side of the Indian Ocean. While Calungute struck me with its sheer energy levels of people around, it were the golden beaches of Covlam and Candolim that took my breath away.

I really don’t think any travel guide can do justice to Goa – my only advise would be to go and experience Goa in the skin – like the locals say, your heart will beat to the rhythm – go go go go GOA

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