By now I had developed a fair understanding to decipher the widely spoken dialect of Gujarati in the Indian state of Gujarat. I had also owned a magnetic compass that I traded from an old merchant selling valuables from a ship which was dismantled in Alang back in the beginning of this century. Unpredictable as always, I had a day to spend in this part of India. I was too close to the coast that an overnight journey by road could offer me some valuable exposure to the island of Diu. And, the next moment I was seated in a Gujarat state roadways bus to Somnath via Diu. Next to me were two ladies from the
Rabari clan. My portable phone charger was a bit astonishing to them!
3 AM, half asleep and I was woken up by an unbridled gush of the pungent smell of fish. I was passing Jafarabad.
'How about trying some sea food the following morning in Diu?' but life is not just about writing travel blogs and gastronomic experiences that the vegetarian in me would have persuaded me to have sea food the next morning.
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| Amidst all you see the Indian flag. but what does the saffron symbolize here? |
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Soda bottle opener wala; for about two decades Diu was inhabited by Parsis.
Considering the proximity to Gujarat, Diu is a blessing for alcoholics of Gujarat, tiny bars have opened up like grocery stores in any other Indian town. |
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| Panikota, Diu |
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| Fort Diu |
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| For how many times will the cannonballs fly before they are forever banned? Fort Diu |
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Portuguese or the Mughals, Jaalis; connecting us since the inception.
Setting up of the local market |
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I think she was a Siddi in Diu.
Ignorant about the camera.
For the love for tea |
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No matter which part of this country, the color has to pop out on the roads. |
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| This is Safar store from where I hired a bicycle . Pedaling across the Isle of Calm. An extremely humble and a learned man who runs this store since decades. Not many such cycle stores exist in Diu owing to the growing demand of Motor cycles. I doubt if I would have hired a bike even even if I had been carrying my Driving licence. Cycling for 12 miles after 12 years! A decision resulting to mixed emotions. |
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| Jalandhar Beach |
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Nadia Caves
Travertine, No? |
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| Reminiscence of festa de deu |
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| Bicycle track around the island. |
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| Church of our Lady of Remedes |
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| Bus stand, Diu. |
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| One of the bridges that connects Diu to the Indian mainland. |
Reaching the town back at around 4PM, I returned the bicycle to Safar Stores and started back for Delhi. By the end of the day I had spent a brief but a good time with people carrying a lineage from Africa, Portugal, Israel. None of them were tourists, all Indians, settled here in DIU, Well connected to rest of the world, living in a calm on the Ilha de Calma.
