The Portuguese way

Kamal Baruah

(kamal.baruah@yahoo.com)

The island has always been an over-hyped destination and I can't remember any occasion other than to that land of Portuguese. It had truly been a phenomenal tour way back in 2000. As we approached towards the south coast of the Kathiawar peninsula, a long bridge from the mainland greeted us with a gentle sweep of maritime breeze.

After checked into a hotel, we were served a welcome cuppa. The mesmerizing view of the sunset over the sea was breath-taking.There were hordes of tourists flocking the coastal town. We walked wildly in the street of Diu. The atmosphere was relaxed and people were showing good hospitality. Fish platter of silver pomfret, calamari, tiger prawns, fried tuna and prawn curry were of great quality and really fresh at dinner.

The first light through the window had risen behind incredible Hokka that added to its scenic beauty. It structurally appeared as if several coconuts were grafted into a common trunk. Its seeds are used for the country liquor 'Tadi'.

History says how the Parsees that fled religious discrimination in Iran landed in Diu in the 7thcentury. The Sultans of Oman engaged in flourishing trading in the island during the 14-16 centuries.

The bygone era of gallant soldiers reflected at the majestic Diu fort. The Portuguese then ruled over four centuries until it became part of the Indian Republic in 1961.The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive India in 1505 and also the last to go.

The gentle lapping waves beckoned us to the blue water at Nagoa. It was a fun-filled afternoon of building sandcastles, collecting seashells and snoozing. Coping with the swelling ocean was an adventure while rolling up and down with the waves.After a day of soaking, we needed the right cuisine at supper. It greeted us at a European ambience of 'sopa' (soup), 'prato' (dish) and 'bebida a discricao' (drink discretion). A bottle of 'port wine' is often served on ice as their heritage to date.

So in the morning, we left Diu recalling the land of Portuguese, its food and wine. Oh, and not forgetting a name 'Christiano Ronaldo' – probably the most famous name in football now along with Mbappe, Messi, Neymar, Modric and others. People around the world have been watching them closely over the last few days in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The joys and sorrows are the light and shade of football now.

Suddenly, we were stopped just off the inter-state check point. We wonder what went wrong after a hospitable stay. "Welcome, but no alcohol in Gujarat". This sets Diu up as the premier alco-tourism destination! The police looked stunned when they found a bag-in-box of wines inside the boot of our car. We all felt disheartened but we had to keep moving away from there as quickly as possible. It was an amazing overnight stay in the land of Portuguese Empire of yesteryears.