Since my whirlwind weekend visit in 1996 from neighbouring Iran, Kuwait has been a miracle to me. Being closer to two of the world’s greatest ancient civilisations, Mesopotamia and Persia, and closer to the current hotspots in the Middle East, Kuwait has mostly been sailing unnoticed through the muddy geopolitical waters of the Persian-Arabia Gulf, apart from the short Iraq invasion in 1991 and the subsequent US-led Desert Storm operation. In contrast to other Gulf monarchies, Kuwait has neither tried to be a Saudi drinking hole like neighbouring Bahrain, nor tried to host American soldiers and Islamic terrorists concurrently like Qatar, never aspired to be the world’s shopping mall like Dubai and the UAE nor has it tried to be as wise and as beautiful as Oman.

As uneventful as its history had been my trip to Kuwait. It was wonderfully relaxed as sights and restaurants were available in limited numbers only not exerting any pressure on the ambitious traveler. Food was great, Indian and Middle Eastern. I even happened to learn that a delicious shawarma, consumed while enjoying a view of the blue-green cylindrical structures of the iconic Kuwait Towers, can taste better than a Gyros pita or a Döner Kebap.