A learner's diary: Story of a travel and learning -Part 1

Someone said 'We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment'. We four people traveled for around 15 days in neighbor country 'India' but cannot say for sure 'if we could feel fulfillment (deep inside us) or not', but I can say for sure that this long trip gave freshness and vigor to our mind and souls.
I would start my post by referring to more quotes:

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson
“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca

Our travel plan was discussed few months ago, when my husband felt that he needed further medical checkup at Calcutta. We Bangalis frequently visit our neighbor country India to avail medical treatment and our closest and first destination is Calcutta.
I have visited Inida two times before, but it was long ago (once 15 and then about 12 years ago). Both times I could travel Calcutta and Darjeeling. This time our plan was different from the past ones. Our nephew searched online and found a ready made plan (many travel agents offers these kind of plans). It was a twelve days package including travel to Calcutta, Delhi, Agra, Shimla, Manali etc.

Manali (picture taken with a DSLR camera)

Clint Borgen said that“When overseas you learn more about your own country, than you do the place you’re visiting.” It was correct because whatever I was noticing during this journey, I was comparing it to my own country. Good things which I saw there, I wished 'to have in my country'.

There were moments when I thanked Allah for being in a peaceful country where we can hear the Adhaan and see the mosques everywhere, and where we are not concerned or check if food is halaal or not.

There are few things which I noted in Capital city Delhi and other cities such as Calcutta, Shimla, Manali, Agra etc and these are:

* I didn't see any bumps or speed breakers in these cities (May be one or two in a city)
* Indian Govt. and Indian people respect law and order, traffic police and try to follow the traffic rules, that's why there are very rare road accidents.
* Indian Govt. has preserved the historical places, monuments and moreover their tourism department is very active, they are earning good money due to it.
* Around every sight seeing or tourist place, they have places small or big mandirs, or their worship corners. As compared to it, I don't see any signs of |Qibla direction or special Salah places at sight seeing places in our country. I found Qibla directions only at every Army Cantonment guest houses. Can't we do it at other hotels, restaurants or guest houses? We, Muslims are in majority in our dear country 'Bangladesh' and during long route journey we have to say 'Qasr' salah which is very easy to perform, but do we have such arrangements at or around our tourist or sight seeing places?

* Indian Railway: We traveled in 'Duronto and Rajdhani Express' and bought 2 tier and 3 tier AC tickets and both travels were comfortable. Trains left the station on time and could reach the destination exactly on time. Supportive staff was very active to serve the food on time, cleaning people were also on their duties. Everything was served at our seats. Bed sheets were clean and packed after washing.
We didn't take non-veg food at train, because it was not halaal. We assured the matter of halal food a muslim at Calcutta who said that 'we avoid that food as it is not halal'.
* Toilets were equipped with washing liquid or toilet tissues.

There are some issues which we can adopt easily for self improvement.