Almost lost and rendered inconspicuous in the stirring narrative of Arundhati Roy’s “The God of Small Things”, the famed backwaters of Kerala left a mark in my imagination, and eventually contributed to my fascination and obsession of visiting the country of India. After the travel Gods blessed me with a two-fold opportunity to venture into this culturally rich and often misunderstood nation, I have also – at both times, managed to witness the sultry setting of these famed backwaters – where the unforgettable characters whom Roy has created; shaped their own ‘social space’, and nurtured the bonds between each other to deepen.

After an arduous 27-hour train journey from Mumbai where I spent most of my time lying on the upper bunk of a three tier bed, re-reading Paul Theroux’ ‘The Great Railway Bazaar’, we arrived at the port city of Kochi almost paralyzed with fatigue and non-lateral movements. I stretched my hands and feet as the dizzying spell of endless honking and merciless street activities blitz our senses from all corners. Typical India. “We should be used to this right now” I told my friend Aileen. “Yes, Marky but aren’t you tired from that long train ride?”. It was by far, the longest train ride of my life and I’m quite sure Aileen never had a lengthier train journey during his foray to Europe a decade earlier.

With exhaustion setting in, we took it easy that day. The next morning though, we were introduced to the backwaters of Kerala.

The Backwaters of Kerala

Consisting of an intertwining set of brackish lakes and lagoons situated parallel to the Malabar Coast in southern India, the backwaters of the state of Kerala is made up of five major lakes connected by canals and supplied by the waters coming from 38 rivers. The collective tranquil waters then flow through almost the entire span of the state.

Navigating through the countless numbers of watercourses along the backwaters will take you to innumerable small towns tucked under a blanket of thick rain-forests and leafy fields. No wonder, Roy’s characters blossomed under the appearance of this steamy paradise – thus accompanied by her immensely moving narrative, made ‘God of Small Things’ one of those memorable novels where the setting lingers on in your head long after you have read it.

Coming from the enormously populated cities of Kolkata, Varanasi, New Delhi, Agra, Mumbai and frying at the desert landscapes of the state of Rajasthan – the tropical setting of Kerala proved to be a welcome departure to the scenery we were starting to get both accustomed to and grow weary from.

Under a Canopy of Trees and Over a Tranquil Water – Off We Sail

Joining a dozen other tourists, we boarded a Kettuvallam – a traditional Kerala houseboat characterized by shiny smooth wooden hulls and thatched roof covers. Slowly gliding over the almost steady waters, we passed through narrow waterways where the plants and flowers on both sides appear so close I could almost touch and smell it. The whole morning, we charted off over glass-still waters while the sun rays knifes through the gaps of tree branches from above. By lunchtime, an authentic Kerala meal was served to us. Eating with bare hands, I savored until the last bite, notwithstanding the spiciness that starts to burn through my mouth. The lasting memory of my first foray into the backwaters of Kerala consisted of a chill morning and the quiet humming of the birds and the stillness of the waters. A part of me wished we could have extended more time to further familiarize with the tropical setting of Kerala – but pressed with time, as we were reaching the tail-end of our month long India trip, we left the next day and boarded a plane to Kuala Lumpur.

PART TWO: #KeralaBlogExpress: Second Time’s a Charm – Alleppey Backwaters

Exactly a year later, I found myself on a plane heading back to India for a two-week jaunt across the state of Kerala along with 28 travel bloggers from all over the world. As part of the second edition of #KeralaBlogExpress, we threaded through the whole state of Kerala for 14 days and included in our itinerary, was an overnight stay at one of the famed Kettuvallam houseboats that sails the Backwaters.

Since the backwaters of Kerala stretches to a number of cities and towns, the part we explored took us from Alleppey and into its nearby towns. Composed of pockets of fishing villages along the way, our grand houseboat sailed the whole afternoon uneventfully as it took us to some of the most scenic parts, best typifying the simple living and tropical setting of Kerala.

Once again, as I see locals from the distance carrying baskets of fish and farmers tending to their crops, I remember the lovely characters in Roy’s “The God of Small Things”. As the sun slowly faded into the reddening sky, I hear Maria declaring aloud “Oh my, the sunset is looking so beautiful”. Maria is a pretty petite girl who hails from Greece and along with Filipina beauty; Mica, the three of us completed the cast assigned to our houseboat. Our home for the night comes spaciously with a dining area, a small living room, crew’s stations and separate rooms with its own bathrooms for the three of us.

It was more or so five days into our two-week trip and this was the first time we got to know each other. During the two-day Kerala backwater cruise, I got the chance to significantly learn more about both Maria and Mica. During meals, we engaged in lively conversations about our plans, and revealed some stories about our past romantic adventures. In-between, we hanged out - spaced out at the loveliness of our surroundings.

If the sunset over the backwaters made Maria gleam in delight, the sunrise we awoke up to the next day was equally spectacular. Buoyed by the soft ebbing and flow of the still waters, the reflection of the rising sun created this visually pleasing glow of a fusion of colors. Striking in each, blending all to create a stunning scenery - I pointed my camera and clicked a few to frame postcard-like images.

Hearing nothing but the low sound of the boat’s engine and the quarks and chips of the ducks and birds, I joined Maria and Mica at the front deck of our house boat; seated still, we stared ahead amidst a thousand thoughts running through my mind, all of which dominated by love, peace and light. As if on cue, the poetic motion of the place starts secreting its effect – it therefore; imbibed a romantic notion into my head and in-between stealing stares at Maria, who would smile back each time she catches my eye, a wonderful thought rested through me.

Backwater Romance? Unfortunately None

Although no romantic sparks would form between us, I felt like the three of us created a friendship stronger than I would share with the other participants of #KeralaBlogExpress – and even though this was my second time in the backwaters of Kerala, it gave me a different permanent remembrance I would forever associate it with; of a romance that never took off or may or maybe - will blossom along the way in the coming years. No one can ever tell for now.

It remains to be seen if the narrative that streamed through the tranquil and crystal-like waters of Kerala would usher a conclusion as lyrical as the charmed prose of Arundhati Roy’s writings.

How do you recall a trip with a special someone who is no longer in your life? As someone who now belongs to the plethora of people who came and went, leaving only traces of their presence? As a travel writer, I never abandon narrative because I need to write about a place I've visited in the past. In this case, a location where we spent the happiest chapter of our brief relationship. For better or worse, it entails digging with bitter overtones at fond memories.

I will always associate Nacpan Beach to the pinnacle of that wonderful epoch, however brief - a year and a half of countless dinners, lunches, church masses, and travels together. I'd say our El Nido trip highlighted the shared memories I had with her.

Putting her reminiscences aside and returning to Nacpan. I vividly recall the sun's glistening rays dancing across the fine sands of the beach. I spotted the marvelous spinning vision of its golden powdery shingles in the distance, long and curving. Soft and pure, it instantly buried a few centimeters of my feet after I walked over it. Even though we were only a day removed from our nearly week-long island-hopping excursion in El Nido, the place still surprised me with its laid-back elegance.

Hearing her giggling as we walked hand in hand, we came to a halt and stared at the setting sun. "Hurry, we have to climb that hill to watch the sunset," Chris, the friendly manager of Where-2-NextHostel - El Nido, summons us, pointing to a small hilltop that borders Nacpan and its twin beach, Calitang.

We picked up our pace when we came across two dogs lying on the sands; I whistled at them, and they stood up like obedient soldiers and followed us on our direction. We ran, and she giggled even louder. I exhaled heavily, and she gripped my hand even tighter. The scene unfolding at the time consisted of the sun slowly sinking into the horizon, surrounded by a trail of fiery golden sky. We took a hundred steps towards the top of the hill, led by Chris. We made our way through the tall grass to a small clearing where we could see El Nido Bay to our left and Base Bay to our right.

During the next few minutes, we watched as the outline of Labutaya Island faded into darkness from our perspective. "This is really lovely," she says. When Chris overhears it, he proudly proclaims, "I told you so." How many sunsets do I have to see before I realize that each one is unique? I was thinking to myself. Little did I know that this seemingly ordinary sundown we just witnessed would become a lasting image of a revered chapter in my life, which would soon flicker and fade away.

We always promised each other that we would travel more frequently - far and wide - to discover and explore fascinating things together. We acted like love-stuck fools running out of time. We did a pocket of trips together covering Northern Luzon to Bicol, Puerto Princesa, and Cebu in a short period of time. This, however, became the yardstick for future trips together. Island hopping from El Nido's pristine islands and hidden beaches to a two-hour journey with a side trip to Nacpan presented what could be the 'travel peg' of the future, if not forever.

Nacpan is a more relaxed beach than its twin, Calitang, where the majority of the bustling fishing community docks their boats and sails off every morning. The path leading here is anything but smooth, as it is located in Sitio Calitang and is nearly two hours' tricycle ride from El Nido town. Rough and dirt highways almost completely dominate the 17-kilometer stretch of road required to get here. The tattered journey, on the other hand, pales in comparison to the visual feast that awaits you upon arrival.

We started at Where-2-Next Hostel - El Nido, where we chose a tent and rested for an hour in the garden hammock. We began our exploration after eating lunch at one of the only two restaurants on Nacpan Beach. Under the scorching sun, we sought refuge under one of the many coconut trees that line the long shoreline. We observed a few locals as they passed us by, including fishermen docking their boats from a distance, wives carrying baskets full of coconut husks, and children frolicking in the water.

We also met a few travelers who arrived by motorbike from El Nido town with the intention of spending the entire afternoon gazing at the gorgeous blue waters of Nacpan beach. With an icy cold San Miguel beer in my hand, we rounded out the afternoon as true to the definition of 'chill.'

After watching the sunset, we spent the night talking with an Ethiopian traveler who had planned to stay in El Nido for a few days but ended up staying for a couple of weeks longer at Where-2-Next. "I've been moving from place to place for almost a year now; I deserve to be in one place for a longer period of time, and man, this place is just so relaxing, beautiful, almost isolated, and friendly." he says after a long conversation about travel that night. "Staying here longer is a no-brainer,"

"I love the hostel vibe because it's so much fun meeting other travelers like him," she says.

"When we go to Cambodia, we'll stay in hostels," I tell her. We made a lot of travel plans that night. I fell asleep beginning to think about what was to come.

"No wonder our new Ethiopian traveler friend stayed here for weeks more," I told her, forgetting the name of our new friend because it is an African name that I couldn't pronounce properly. "We could only if I didn't have a job back in Manila, but you can do that because you can work and write here," she says.

I intended to write about our entire El Nido trip as soon as I return home. A plan that never materialized until today, almost a year later. My recollections of our conversation that day seem to grind to a standstill. While the sun was scorching, the air emanating from Base Bay was both physically and metaphorically soothing. At the time, there was nothing serious or any indication of a schism unfolding. This was August of last year, three months to the day we went our separate ways.

The only sign of detachment at the time was when I went swimming alone in the azure waters while she lay down on the sand over a beach blanket and took pictures of me wearing only my boxer shorts. I can always hear her with her trademark giggling as she commands me to return to the gym.

As far as I recall, it was a lovely day. The skies couldn't be bluer, the water couldn't be clearer, and our love for each other couldn't be more sugary. I swam a few laps while watching her wave at me. I looked everywhere, from the sky above to my feet, where I saw small fishes, to back at her. All I saw was a reminder of a beautiful and happy world. Nacpan and its sister beach, Calitang, in the meantime, are both are hidden from hordes of tourists and protected from unregulated commercialization. Similar to how we felt about each other at the time; safe from the vultures of a failed romance and heartbreak.

I've moved on since our breakup, but I can't deny what a fantastic set of memories we shared during our weeklong trip to El Nido, Palawan.

CebuPacific Air flies multiple times to Puerto Princesa, Palawan. Nacpan Island is 5-6 hours away from Puerto Princesa and 1 and a half hours from El Nido town.

As a traveler I usually embark on journeys to places I have never been to before. This rule though, comes with a few exceptions. Among the places I have returned sooner than I expected was Bagan in Myanmar. I always feel I have some unfinished business after I arrived home from my first trip there in March 2013. The itch to resolve that became the sole reason why exactly three years later – I penciled a plan for yet another jaunt to this ancient city. This time, I arrived as a solo traveler and armed with a lengthier period of time in exploring this olden city crawling with centuries-old temples and pagodas.

Got my Electronic-Motor Running

Riding an electronic-bike under the scorching sun of the summer month of March, I explored far and wide, stopping only to take photographs of the scattered ruins of many kingdom’s pasts. Yelling a series of ‘Wow’ to the wind as my spirit rejoices, I marveled at the spectacular and timeless vibe that lingers in this place. Enveloped by small pockets of towns fused with scores of small hotels and guest houses, Bagan is inhabited by some of the friendliest and nicest people I’ve met. My experience this time around, easily encompassed another memorable collective incursion into the history-rich plains of Bagan.

Passing through off-the-beaten sandy trails, I was able to visit some of the most obscure temples and pagodas and accomplished covering more ground. As vast and tenacious the landscape of Bagan is, there is so much to see and discover. For five successive days, I awoke early before sunrise with an eagerness to explore. The bursting heritage and antiquity of this place served as the only motivation I needed.

Kingdom of Pagan

Bagan is known as an ancient city situating in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. The ruins that now lay scattered in its golden powdery plains, are from the kingdoms that flourished during the 9th century until the 13th century, when it served as the capital of the Kingdom of Pagan – the very first kingdom that consolidated all the regions under one rule and is also credited for introducing Theravada Buddhism and establishing the Burmese ethnicity and culture in the whole of Myanmar. During the peak of this kingdom, more than 10,000 Buddhist pagodas, monasteries and temples were built right on the vast Bagan plains.

After incessant invasions attempt by the Mongols, the Kingdom of Pagan eventually fell and the once glorious territory was reduced to pouches of settlements, at no point in history ever regaining its former glory. Old Bagan however, became a central pilgrimage destination for Buddhist pilgrims and a few more hundred temples and pagodas were built sometime between the 13^th and 20^th centuries. Battling forces of nature such as cyclones and earthquakes – many structures were damaged through the neglect of time.

Today, over 2,200 pagodas and temples serves as beautiful ruins and stunning reminder of that wonderful storied past. Slowly opening up to tourists, the country of Myanmar has managed to conserve these significant relics by establishing the Bagan Archeological Zone – which covers the whole Old and New Bagan region. This conservation effort also helped put Bagan in the map of travelers worldwide and is seen by many today, as comparable to Cambodia’s Angkor Wat complex. As a self-described archeology-junkie, I believe this city can hold its own candle and dishes a unique appeal to travelers like me who desires of historic ruins and magnificent scenery to photograph.

Traveler Meet-up and the Bagan Sunset

Upon settling in at my cabin at Bagan Lodge and Resort, I met with a Lithuanian girl named Egle through a mobile app and decided to meet up in the afternoon. Egle, I later learned works at a nearby hostel called Ostello Bello. After downing one bottle of Myanmar beer she told me about her ‘secret spot’ to best watch the sunset. Renting an electronic bike for each of us, we rode towards the lesser crowded temple she was telling me about to watch the famed sunset of Bagan.

Not soon after, I find myself sitting atop a temple with Egle along with three other travelers. The seconds that passed by became a moment of quiet solitude. As I stare at the beautiful undertaking of nature when the golden round shape of the sun slowly dives into the fiery horizon of the sky. Marveling at the visual feast I whispered a prayer of gratitude for being there at that exact moment. “I don’t want to be somewhere else” I told myself. “This is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life”

The solemn sunset and the striking visuals it brought, injected my insight to this place with an increased fascination. The next day, I would start and repeat the process for the next five days. I would rev my limited electronic bike engine to 50 kph and battle the unforgiving heat with the hissing wind kissing my face. Temple after temple, pagodas after the other; I hopped from one to another taking self-portraits and meeting locals along the way.

The Timelessness of Bagan

Other than Egle, I was fortunate to cross paths with a number of locals; each one displaying a genuine smile and a probing curiosity to my origin “Where you from?” many of them would ask me. “Ah Philippians” they would repeat back to me after I tell them “from the Philippines”. A lot of them sell souvenir items – but everyone engaged me in a friendly demeanor because most of them, other than wanting to earn from tourism, just wanted to practice their English by conversing with other travelers. One young girl named Zuzo even tried teaching me a few phrases in Japanese and Spanish. “I don’t go to school but I learn Japanese and Spanish from tourists” she tells me. “Come, sit here teach me your words in your country too”. I told her to remember the words “Salamat” and “Magandang Araw” if ever she meets another traveler from the Philippines.

In the succeeding days whenever I passed by the corner where she sets her stall selling cold beverages under a decade old tree – she would always recognize me and wave her hand. On my last day I stopped by to say goodbye and communicated to her that I might return next year. “Next year, my store bigger” she tells me in a confident manner. “I’m sure it will be” I replied as I gave her a thumbs up while I drove away aboard my electronic bike.

My remembrances of Bagan have definitely occupied a bigger portion in my memory bank. The timeless atmosphere prevailing over these desert plains brings forth an abundance of heritage and history with it. As a traveler eager for new knowledge, exploring this part of the world is getting kind of addicting. Just like how young Zuzo’s small stall shall expand someday, I feel like the lure of this ancient city is becoming stronger to myself as well.