Fri 21 Nov Diu
Diu is at 21 N latitude, but we are feeling the "changes in attitude" full on. It's not a part of Gujarat (ie, booze OK). Diu and another island, Daman, are Union Territory, administered from New Delhi.
Ahhh, a quiet morning. Our A/C had not functioned, so we were switched to an adjacent room. We were late getting up and slow getting started.
Finally about 1000 we went back to O Coquiero for the 125 R continental breakfast: (1) lassi, (2) tea or coffee, (3) toast and butter or jam, (4) two eggs any style. Carol ordered lassi, coffee, two eggs soft boiled, and jam for the toast. Mike got lassi, tea, an omelet, and butter for the toast.
After breakfast we stayed put and talked for a while with Graeham, a Brit who lives in India 6 months a year in the winter, and in the UK in the summer, when he earned all of his money. He has developed a style of living for 40 pounds ($70) a week. Basically 250 R a day for a bed, which comes to 1750 R, and then 2250 R for everything else.
At 1130 we were off. We had missed the cool of the morning and it was getting hot. We started walking around Diu - so different from the rest of India. We passed an old abandoned mansion, a Catholic church with a statute of Santo Sebastio (in deference to the island's Portuguese rule from 1535 to 1961). We passed a pleasure park with a large tortoise statue. Glimpsed on the street a truck for carrying locals with a painted logo of "Farrari." Around the corner sat St. Thomas Church - no photos. Inside were 10 posters, one for each of the ten commandments, presented in elementary school style: "Billy took some candy," etc.
We turn the corner and we are at the Fort. When Portugal finally secured Diu in 1535, the first order of business was to build a fort that would enable it to hold on the island permanently. It wasn't until Nehru bombed the airport and nearby tourist areas in 1961 that Portugal released its grip on this little territory. The entrance sign states that Portugal regarded this fort and the island as its most important site in all of Asia.
We walked through the imposing fort, though not to the tippy top of some of the lookout towers. Quite an imposing structure.
Out to the street, going back to the town center. A bus is waiting, but it pulls away as Mike is buying a glass of cane sugar juice. So we walk back toward town center. The tourist agency is closed. This town takes siesta seriously. We see no buses. Eventually we are at the main bus station - no local buses. Time to nap for all.
We walk back into the town gate, and finally downtown again. Lunch is at Apana's Foodland, a waterfront restaurant.. Paneer Jalfrazy (160 R), seasonal veg, Gujarati style (70 R), naan (40 R), and Carol's lassi (60 R), so thick and rich that she diluted it with bottled water to drink it.
After lunch we walk into the old Portuguese quarter. Delightful and cool. Everything is painted in sherbet colors. In the middle is Nagar Sheth Haveli, an old merchant house so ostentatious, it even made the guidebooks. 4 or 5 turns of directions later and we are finally at A to Z Travel, an internet cafe. Here we post the blog and copy the last 11 days of photos onto our tablet (so far the only use of this tablet.)
2 1/2 hours later we have copied and posted enough. It is cooler. As we walk into downtown we come on Ram Vijay Ice Cream Shop, a sweet shop dating from 1933, where all the ice cream and the carbonated sodas (Dew brand) are all home manufactured. We try the Cream Aqua soda (12 R), and order 4 scoops of ice cream (saffron pista, cashew almond, coconut, and fig almond (30 R each). As the Rothschilds would say, "Florida (late) lunch."
Mike is still hungry, so off to O Coquiero for a plate of penne covila (penne with roasted cauliflower and lotsa garlic) (155 R). One tea, one masala tea - total 205 R. O Cocquiero has a collection of books (many languages) for browsing (or trade in 2-for-1). Carol buys "Wildlife in India," a steal at 150 R).
We are now in a room with a working A/C. To bed.
Girl Thoughts
(1) H2O trumps T.P. at most WCs. Men can pee (discreetly) against walls.
(2) So many amazing thick braids - some long enough to sit on. Imagine what this hair would sell for back home ...
Diu is at 21 N latitude, but we are feeling the "changes in attitude" full on. It's not a part of Gujarat (ie, booze OK). Diu and another island, Daman, are Union Territory, administered from New Delhi.
Ahhh, a quiet morning. Our A/C had not functioned, so we were switched to an adjacent room. We were late getting up and slow getting started.
Finally about 1000 we went back to O Coquiero for the 125 R continental breakfast: (1) lassi, (2) tea or coffee, (3) toast and butter or jam, (4) two eggs any style. Carol ordered lassi, coffee, two eggs soft boiled, and jam for the toast. Mike got lassi, tea, an omelet, and butter for the toast.
After breakfast we stayed put and talked for a while with Graeham, a Brit who lives in India 6 months a year in the winter, and in the UK in the summer, when he earned all of his money. He has developed a style of living for 40 pounds ($70) a week. Basically 250 R a day for a bed, which comes to 1750 R, and then 2250 R for everything else.
At 1130 we were off. We had missed the cool of the morning and it was getting hot. We started walking around Diu - so different from the rest of India. We passed an old abandoned mansion, a Catholic church with a statute of Santo Sebastio (in deference to the island's Portuguese rule from 1535 to 1961). We passed a pleasure park with a large tortoise statue. Glimpsed on the street a truck for carrying locals with a painted logo of "Farrari." Around the corner sat St. Thomas Church - no photos. Inside were 10 posters, one for each of the ten commandments, presented in elementary school style: "Billy took some candy," etc.
We turn the corner and we are at the Fort. When Portugal finally secured Diu in 1535, the first order of business was to build a fort that would enable it to hold on the island permanently. It wasn't until Nehru bombed the airport and nearby tourist areas in 1961 that Portugal released its grip on this little territory. The entrance sign states that Portugal regarded this fort and the island as its most important site in all of Asia.
We walked through the imposing fort, though not to the tippy top of some of the lookout towers. Quite an imposing structure.
Out to the street, going back to the town center. A bus is waiting, but it pulls away as Mike is buying a glass of cane sugar juice. So we walk back toward town center. The tourist agency is closed. This town takes siesta seriously. We see no buses. Eventually we are at the main bus station - no local buses. Time to nap for all.
We walk back into the town gate, and finally downtown again. Lunch is at Apana's Foodland, a waterfront restaurant.. Paneer Jalfrazy (160 R), seasonal veg, Gujarati style (70 R), naan (40 R), and Carol's lassi (60 R), so thick and rich that she diluted it with bottled water to drink it.
After lunch we walk into the old Portuguese quarter. Delightful and cool. Everything is painted in sherbet colors. In the middle is Nagar Sheth Haveli, an old merchant house so ostentatious, it even made the guidebooks. 4 or 5 turns of directions later and we are finally at A to Z Travel, an internet cafe. Here we post the blog and copy the last 11 days of photos onto our tablet (so far the only use of this tablet.)
2 1/2 hours later we have copied and posted enough. It is cooler. As we walk into downtown we come on Ram Vijay Ice Cream Shop, a sweet shop dating from 1933, where all the ice cream and the carbonated sodas (Dew brand) are all home manufactured. We try the Cream Aqua soda (12 R), and order 4 scoops of ice cream (saffron pista, cashew almond, coconut, and fig almond (30 R each). As the Rothschilds would say, "Florida (late) lunch."
Mike is still hungry, so off to O Coquiero for a plate of penne covila (penne with roasted cauliflower and lotsa garlic) (155 R). One tea, one masala tea - total 205 R. O Cocquiero has a collection of books (many languages) for browsing (or trade in 2-for-1). Carol buys "Wildlife in India," a steal at 150 R).
We are now in a room with a working A/C. To bed.
Girl Thoughts
(1) H2O trumps T.P. at most WCs. Men can pee (discreetly) against walls.
(2) So many amazing thick braids - some long enough to sit on. Imagine what this hair would sell for back home ...
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