*The Inner Child at Diu.
Sunny Shobha was thrilled that both her for foreign studying kids were back in India. It was a very cherished family holiday time in Dec. 2012. After driving through miles and miles of what seemed like arid lands of Gujarat, we saw a change of scenery as soon as we entered the gates of Diu. And there was an unmistakeable light hearted feel about the place...it felt as if we were in Goa! And then we realized that may be true because both the places were for many years under the rule of the Portuguese.
There was definitely more greenery and even the condition of the roads seemed to have become much better. The trees looked like palm but were different as if divided in between. I was later told that these were the Hoka trees that cannot be found at any other place in India as the Portuguese had brought them from Africa. The Hokka fruit is supposed to have medicinal properties, Sunny Shobha was adventurous enough to try it but sleepy Shobha soon started grumbling about its lack of taste!
We were in for a much deserved family together time and our rooms overlooking the beach was the perfect setting for it. Inside our room Sunny Shobha could even hear the soothing sound of the waves, continuously in the background.
We were all set for a long walk on the Sugati beach to see the setting sun. And before that Sunny Shobha just had to try out the para sailing experience. At one minute Sunny Shobha was all strapped up and running on the beach and at the next minute I was just sitting up in the air under a huge parachute like ballon and gliding with the strong winds! The aerial view of the Diu beachfront against the backdrop of the setting sun is a memory that I would not forget for the rest of my life!
We then just had to have a dip in the serene waters of the beach. Surprisingly the ocean waters seemed quite calm here even though there were the waves hitting at the shore. And the best part was that there were not many tourists here, most of them being decent looking guests from the nearby luxury hotels.
This impression of tourists completely changed once we visited the Diu market place around 7.30 p.m. There were plenty of bars here which allowed tourists to have a drink, but with difficulty we finally found one authorized liquor shop. And there were hordes of people around that shop, most of them who had come from the neighboring state of Gujarat where the consumption of liquor is prohibited by law! In fact my daughter refused to step out of the car as we both became conscious of the many unwanted stares that we got from the crowds. Sleepy Shobha got disgusted with the unruly looking crowds and actually wanted to runaway from the market place and get back to the safety and comfort of our hotel rooms!
Sitting in the balcony with the sea almost next to us, was the ideal setting for one of the best family bonding conversations that we ever had together. My sleepy Shobha came out with her worries and concerns and her emotional issues with life. Our lovely supportive family listened out patiently to each other and very soon soon Sunny Shobha was back in action, ready to try out the novel cuisine over dinner! I recommend that every family take out at least one weekend to bond in this place that has a charm of it's own!
The next morning was time for another walk on the beach to catch the magic of the rising sun. We had so much more of sight seeing to do in this place, so we had to check out as fast as we could. Sunny Shobha played lots on the swing with a smile on my 49 year old face and later Our family left the resort with memories of such a wonderful time in this hotel.
Our first stop was at the sprawling and majestic looking Diu Fort which was under the colonial rule of the Portuguese for a record number of 424 years. As we walked on the bridge across the moat, I noticed how secure this fort must have been to resist the many wars and takeover bids upto 1961, when Diu was finally merged with the Republic of India as a union territory.
We walked through the majestic gates and across the protective moat and enjoyed the view of the sea on the three sides. We climbed up to many vantage positions of height and were impressed by the many cannons that were strategically placed along the ramparts of the fort. The lighthouse still stands as a mute witness to the different events over hundreds of years. We were accompanied by an an extremely witty yet knowledgeable guide. He kept Sunny Shobha in splits with his one liners like 'have no fear, beer his here'! He recreated the lives of the people who lived in in those times...their food storage places, their bungalows, their places of worship, their secret tunnels, their jails, etc.
Sleepy Shobha was conscious and protective of the unwanted looks that my attractive daughter kept getting. And Sunny Shobha kept teasing my handsome son about the even more appreciative glances that he got from hordes of young girls that had come there on a group trip. Sunny Shobha reminded him that even girls do like to appreciate and discuss the good looks of handsome men!
We came out of the fort and visited some of the old churches which have now become a museum or hospital. There is also a cave temple directly facing the sea. The five Shivalingas here are said to have been installed by the Pandava brothers themselves and Sunny Shobha got goosebumps just soaking in at the spiritual power of the place.
My uncle had served with the Indian navy during the 1972war with Pakistan. My sleepy Shobha still recollected the childhood fear as we listened to him speak about the only Indian ship that was shot down by the enemies- the I N S Kukri, just off the coast of Diu. My dear uncle was also supposed to be on that ship, instead many of his friends met a watery grave. We got to see a memorial to that sad incident in honor of the many Indians who gave their lives for our country. A miniature version of I N S Kukri gave me an idea of the kind of lives these war heroes must have led on that ill-fated ship!
We drove through another gate that took us to a part of Diu that has still retained it's old world charm with it's narrow roads, open square and quaint old fashioned houses. Our guide animatedly spoke about one of the richest local men of the community, and we saw his colorful bungalow which is said to have 26 rooms. Sleepy Shobha was indifferent as we drove past some recently made artificial waterfall, Sunny Shobha was more interested in the old structures around Diu.
Our next stop was at the Naida underground caves that were built many years ago by the Parsis. The land from above looks just like a natural forest area, but as Sunny Shobha walked down the almost hidden steps I was amazed at the number of caves that were present one after another. Our guide made it a point to tell us about the many film shootings that took place around Diu and also the damage that was done during the earlier earthquake of Gujarat.
We then went to another famous beach of Diu at Nagoa, but Sleepy Shobha found it too commercialized and crowded. We preferred to have a sample of Portuguese styled continental food at a small yet quaint place called Hokas.
Yes there definitely is a light hearted Goan kind of feel about Diu. Casual, free as if there is not a care about the world that kept my Sunny Shobha happy. QOur feel good feeling about Diu made it one of our most memorable holidays that we had as a family....and hopefully you will also fall in love with that place!
*(There is an inner child within all of us. One that we were born as - warm and happy, optimistic, capable of serving and loving others, believing in the possibility of extra-ordinary achievements, filled with a kind of inner light and positive energy, taking initiative and action...I will call that your Sunny inner child.
And then we are exposed to circumstances and experiences. Depending on the way we react to our situations, a new inner child emerges. One that we create - cold and sad, pessimistic, capable of being indifferent or hating others, believing oneself to be trapped within ordinary limits, filled with a kind of inner darkness and negative energy, lazily whining, not taking action, I will call that your Sleepy inner child.
You have a choice on which inner child you want to encourage in your life - your Sunny inner child or your inner Sleepy child?)
I will call my inner child as Sunny Shobha and Sleepy Shobha. Together we will travel around the world).
Sunny Shobha was thrilled that both her for foreign studying kids were back in India. It was a very cherished family holiday time in Dec. 2012. After driving through miles and miles of what seemed like arid lands of Gujarat, we saw a change of scenery as soon as we entered the gates of Diu. And there was an unmistakeable light hearted feel about the place...it felt as if we were in Goa! And then we realized that may be true because both the places were for many years under the rule of the Portuguese.
We were in for a much deserved family together time and our rooms overlooking the beach was the perfect setting for it. Inside our room Sunny Shobha could even hear the soothing sound of the waves, continuously in the background.
We were all set for a long walk on the Sugati beach to see the setting sun. And before that Sunny Shobha just had to try out the para sailing experience. At one minute Sunny Shobha was all strapped up and running on the beach and at the next minute I was just sitting up in the air under a huge parachute like ballon and gliding with the strong winds! The aerial view of the Diu beachfront against the backdrop of the setting sun is a memory that I would not forget for the rest of my life!
This impression of tourists completely changed once we visited the Diu market place around 7.30 p.m. There were plenty of bars here which allowed tourists to have a drink, but with difficulty we finally found one authorized liquor shop. And there were hordes of people around that shop, most of them who had come from the neighboring state of Gujarat where the consumption of liquor is prohibited by law! In fact my daughter refused to step out of the car as we both became conscious of the many unwanted stares that we got from the crowds. Sleepy Shobha got disgusted with the unruly looking crowds and actually wanted to runaway from the market place and get back to the safety and comfort of our hotel rooms!
Sitting in the balcony with the sea almost next to us, was the ideal setting for one of the best family bonding conversations that we ever had together. My sleepy Shobha came out with her worries and concerns and her emotional issues with life. Our lovely supportive family listened out patiently to each other and very soon soon Sunny Shobha was back in action, ready to try out the novel cuisine over dinner! I recommend that every family take out at least one weekend to bond in this place that has a charm of it's own!
The next morning was time for another walk on the beach to catch the magic of the rising sun. We had so much more of sight seeing to do in this place, so we had to check out as fast as we could. Sunny Shobha played lots on the swing with a smile on my 49 year old face and later Our family left the resort with memories of such a wonderful time in this hotel.
Our first stop was at the sprawling and majestic looking Diu Fort which was under the colonial rule of the Portuguese for a record number of 424 years. As we walked on the bridge across the moat, I noticed how secure this fort must have been to resist the many wars and takeover bids upto 1961, when Diu was finally merged with the Republic of India as a union territory.
We walked through the majestic gates and across the protective moat and enjoyed the view of the sea on the three sides. We climbed up to many vantage positions of height and were impressed by the many cannons that were strategically placed along the ramparts of the fort. The lighthouse still stands as a mute witness to the different events over hundreds of years. We were accompanied by an an extremely witty yet knowledgeable guide. He kept Sunny Shobha in splits with his one liners like 'have no fear, beer his here'! He recreated the lives of the people who lived in in those times...their food storage places, their bungalows, their places of worship, their secret tunnels, their jails, etc.
Sleepy Shobha was conscious and protective of the unwanted looks that my attractive daughter kept getting. And Sunny Shobha kept teasing my handsome son about the even more appreciative glances that he got from hordes of young girls that had come there on a group trip. Sunny Shobha reminded him that even girls do like to appreciate and discuss the good looks of handsome men!
We came out of the fort and visited some of the old churches which have now become a museum or hospital. There is also a cave temple directly facing the sea. The five Shivalingas here are said to have been installed by the Pandava brothers themselves and Sunny Shobha got goosebumps just soaking in at the spiritual power of the place.
My uncle had served with the Indian navy during the 1972war with Pakistan. My sleepy Shobha still recollected the childhood fear as we listened to him speak about the only Indian ship that was shot down by the enemies- the I N S Kukri, just off the coast of Diu. My dear uncle was also supposed to be on that ship, instead many of his friends met a watery grave. We got to see a memorial to that sad incident in honor of the many Indians who gave their lives for our country. A miniature version of I N S Kukri gave me an idea of the kind of lives these war heroes must have led on that ill-fated ship!
We drove through another gate that took us to a part of Diu that has still retained it's old world charm with it's narrow roads, open square and quaint old fashioned houses. Our guide animatedly spoke about one of the richest local men of the community, and we saw his colorful bungalow which is said to have 26 rooms. Sleepy Shobha was indifferent as we drove past some recently made artificial waterfall, Sunny Shobha was more interested in the old structures around Diu.
We then went to another famous beach of Diu at Nagoa, but Sleepy Shobha found it too commercialized and crowded. We preferred to have a sample of Portuguese styled continental food at a small yet quaint place called Hokas.
Yes there definitely is a light hearted Goan kind of feel about Diu. Casual, free as if there is not a care about the world that kept my Sunny Shobha happy. QOur feel good feeling about Diu made it one of our most memorable holidays that we had as a family....and hopefully you will also fall in love with that place!
*(There is an inner child within all of us. One that we were born as - warm and happy, optimistic, capable of serving and loving others, believing in the possibility of extra-ordinary achievements, filled with a kind of inner light and positive energy, taking initiative and action...I will call that your Sunny inner child.
And then we are exposed to circumstances and experiences. Depending on the way we react to our situations, a new inner child emerges. One that we create - cold and sad, pessimistic, capable of being indifferent or hating others, believing oneself to be trapped within ordinary limits, filled with a kind of inner darkness and negative energy, lazily whining, not taking action, I will call that your Sleepy inner child.
You have a choice on which inner child you want to encourage in your life - your Sunny inner child or your inner Sleepy child?)
I will call my inner child as Sunny Shobha and Sleepy Shobha. Together we will travel around the world).
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