TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, GUJARAT, INDIA

Children anywhere are fun-loving and happy to engage in conversation, especially in India where many English. These girls and boys at Diu were no exception - friendly and eager to have their picture taken. I loved the poise and self-confidence of the girls in their lovely, colourful clothes.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, INDIA

These two photos are just two examples of Diu's lovely coastal scenery that we saw on our tour of the island. The first photo features a small Hindu temple.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, INDIA

These photos were taken in 2007 at the fortress at Diu. The fort was built by the Portuguese in 1535 while Diu was their colony. The Portuguese were forced to leave in 1961 when India launched a military action. The girls in the middle photo were visiting from Gujarat. The photo immediately above was taken within the fort.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, INDIA

This is another photo from Diu taken in 2007, this time of a group of university boys. Typical of people in India, they were very friendly and delighted to be photographed. If you look carefully, you will see Paul in the back row.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, INDIA

Diu, which we visited in 2007, is a small island of 40 square kilometers, located just south of Gujarat, and connected to the mainland by a causeway. In the 16th Century it became a Portuguese colony and has been part of India since 1961. The market in the photo is located in Diu City, the capital. We stayed at the Radhika Beach Resort, a lovely modern hotel located near Nagoa Beach. The beach, while beautiful, has no facilities and the water was VERY cold. We thoroughly enjoyed Diu, however. It is quiet and peaceful, and has beautiful coastal scenery. The island is small enough to be made a circuit of in two or three hours by auto-rickshaw. For us, Diu was the perfect escape from a tendency to become over-stimulated, a condition difficult to avoid in India with all its wonders.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - DIU, INDIA

Diu, which we visited in 2007, is an island on the southernmost tip of Gujarat, connected by a causeway to the mainland. A former Portuguese colony, it has many traditional houses and several churches which have survived from the colonial period. The island has scenic coastal landscapes and nice beaches, at this point almost untouched by tourism. These ladies are interesting. Don't you wish you could hear what they are gossiping about?

INDIA VACATION 2007

DIU SCHOOLGIRLS AND CITY MARKET DAY

Diu is a small island on the southernmost tip of Gujarat. It is connected by a causeway to the mainland. A Portuguese colony until 1961, Diu is now part of India.

The island, almost untouched by tourism, has rugged coastal landscapes and unspoilt beaches.

Diu, like the state of Gujarat itself, is one of the more prosperous parts of India, as you can see from the charming well-dressed schoolgirls pictured above.

The women in the second photo were selling vegetables on market day in the main town of the island.

INDIA VACATION 2007

MAHESHWAR ON THE NARMADA RIVER

Maheshwar, located on the Narmada River, is not on the itinerary of very many tourists as there is no rail service. It took twelve hours with a car and driver to reach our destination from Indore. The roads were very rough, but were being improved - a good thing, as Maheshwar and the surrounding area are well worth a visit. Within the Holkar dynasty fort there are several temples with wonderful carvings dating from the 17th Century. One example is shown in the first photo above.

As we strolled by the beautiful Narmada River, we were greeted joyfully by several women from Goa who welcomed us to India and invited us to visit them. Some of them are shown in the second photo above.