Sri Lanka - A true blue vacation!

Hemmed along a quiet bend of Weligama bay

In the four-poster bed of my hotel room, I lay

Looking at the turquoise waters of the ocean

Was I living a dream with my eyes wide open?

As the soft mesh curtains played with my feet

I pinched myself and turned lazily in the sheet

The evening sun allured me into the balcony

to tune in to the waves and wind in harmony

Sweeping views of aquamarine filled my soul

Bringing back the lost holiday genes for a roll

With miles of mesmerizing beaches and more

Pick a place to let your days slip by the shore

Weligama, once a fishing village, today raves

to be the perfect surf town with gentle waves

Stretch out with yoga and put your mind at ease

or enjoy local fruits served under the palm trees

A traditional fare not to be discounted in a hurry

Pol sambol and string hoppers with potato curry

I loved pol sambol, with fresh grated coconuts

spiced up with chili pepper, lime, and shallots

Here to party or just chill out, solo or more?

The big question is ‘Why weren’t you here before?

Jordan - Levant on my plate!

A kettle gurgled over an open fire in a Bedouin caravan serai

while we hit the cushions to rest our sore muscles on the sly

Sitting at the crossroads of the Middle East waiting for my tea

brewed with runic desert herbs with powers to fix any lethargy

Rooted in the starkness of this desert life was tribal hospitality

‘No traveler is turned away’, smiled our host, ‘The tea is ready’

But my introduction to Jordanian cuisine was through Hummus

Scooping off the chickpea wonder at a restaurant, quite famous

With each bite, we babbled over the tastes we had discovered

Indeed, Hashem was the mecca for local cuisine to be savored

With influences from the Mediterranean to Persia and around

The ingredients stirred up the most savant palates to be found

Ful medames, Falafel and Moutabel - new names were gobbled

with countless warm pita bread and soft labneh till we toppled

Wandering about in downtown Amman with a contented heart

We were stopped by an old man pushing his sesame bread cart

For just ¼ dinar he stuffed it kindly with feta cheese and za’atar

So that we don’t feel hungry going up the Roman amphitheater

Just when we thought we had enough for the today, we caught

a long queue outside Habibah, something sweet being sought

Künefe, a sugary cheese pastry soaked in orange blossom syrup

was ordered double to ensure no sharing dilemmas bubbled up