A 6 month old's Encounter with Sea : Diu.

Diu is a small island which was earlier a Portuguese colony, and is now guarded by beaches all around. Diu remained under the colonial regime from 1535-1961 and was liberated alongside Goa and Daman on 19th December 1961. It was taken over by the Government of India and is till date governed from the capital Delhi as a Union Territory.

We spent more than one hour at the church. Due to our daughter, we were keeping it very slow. She was just six months old so she needed all kinds of rest and time off. After the church visit, we went back to the hotel for Ziva's afternoon nap.

We visited Naida caves during the evening. Inside the cave, it was very hot. However, it was magnificent.

We spent our evening at one of the beach. We just enjoyed watching the waves at the bitch. It was not a safe beach to get in the water. We spent the entire evening and went to the hotel.

We had a small celebration that night with booze. Well, that's what we Gujarati do when they go to the non-prohibtion area. We woke up late. A beautiful view of the sea wished us good morning.

We got ready and headed to see Diu fort. Our hotel was on fort road, so Diu fort was the nearest attraction for us.

The fort- cum - castle, is known as 'Praça de Diu' in Portuguese, is situated on the southern tip of Gujarat and is at the mouth of the Gulf of Khambhat. The Fort of Diu is a colossal structure that occupies a prominent place on the tourist's list. The enchanting fort commands a magnificent view of the sea, and a jetty constructed on the northwestern coast is still under use and was once used to trade with Cambay, Broach and Surat in Gujarat. The lighthouse that one can climb leads to the highest point on the island and provides a spectacular view of the surrounding. Cannonballs litter the entire place, and the parapet has a fantastic array of cannons.

Diu fort forms a striking structure on the coast of the island. The three gorgeous churches; (Church of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Paul's Church, and St. Thomas Church), the Venetian Gothic style bungalow and havelis further enhance the beauty of the place. There is a Shiva temple dedicated to Gangeshwar Mahadev is also located within the parameters and is a famous tourist attraction.

I wanted to visit the entire fort and click lots of photos but that was not possible as I was carrying Ziva. First-time I felt irritated by her. And the second thought came to my mind was welcome to parenthood. Now, you are a parent and you can not take things granted. Taking care of your kid and family is your priority.

We walked into the fort and enjoyed the walk.

There was a small ort kind of structure inside the sea. It was beautiful. That was Panikota Fort. It used to be Diu's jail. A jail in been the sea, isn't it sounds like a Hollywood movie?

Once again, I was not able to take photos o that fort. Never mind, we"ll come again.

We left the fort and decided to see as many beaches available in DIU. Some beaches are dangerous as far as swimming is concerned.

First, we went to Chakratirth Beach. The lovely Chakratirth beach is nestled amidst the picturesque hills meeting the Arabian Sea, this pristine beach is the ideal place to soak up the sun or frolicking in the enchanting waters while travelers beat the heat and relax by the calming shores.

We spent one hour at the beach. Ziva as sleeping, so we had to sit there and wait.

We moved ahead and visited the famous INS Khukri Memorial. INS Khukri Memorial is the memorial site of an Indian Naval Ship that sank during the Indo-Pak War of 1971. The submarine was destroyed on 9th December 1971 when torpedo shots were fired on it, sinking the ship 40 nautical miles off the coast of Diu. At the time of the sinking, there were 18 officers and 176 sailors on board. A memorial was set up to commemorate the brave martyrs in Diu comprising of a scaled model of INS Khukri enclosed in a glass case.

There was a forecast of a small storm, so the waves were at its full swing. We enjoyed the sea and spent more than one hour.

During our back walk, the wife tried her hands on stone towers. We visited a nearby Karneshwari Temple.

There was a small beach named Jalandhar Beach. Named after the demon, Jallandhar, the sunny Jallandhar Beach lies almost 1km from Diu and has a temple and a memorial. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Chandrika while the memorial is atop a hill with a stone structure of the demon Jallandhar. The beach also offers exciting water sports. Being sparsely crowded, Jallandhar Beach serves as a perfect location for a private photo shoot.

Instead of doing a photo shoot, the wife tried her hands in fishing with some local boys.

We spent some more time with the crazy sea. After spending an amazing time with the sea we called it a day and went to our hotel.

We had a small walk-on fort road. We wanted to do boating but the sea was not calm and it started raining. We decided against it and went back to our hotel and called it a day.

The next day morning we headed for Diu's most famous beach. We deliberately kept t last so we can spend maximum time at that beach.

We stopped for a while at Dinosaur Park. It was under construction. The dinosaur park at Diu is poised to be an innovative theme park for kids. There is also a nice lane for solitary walks nearby and a temple on the premises. Because of being in the vicinity of the popular Nagoa Beach, the park has become quite popular among the tourist.

There wasn't much to see. However, we spent one-hour watching crazy waves of the sea.

The road to Nagao beach was running Parallel to sea. There was a dedicated lane for cycles. I gave the car to the cousin and we walked on that track or a while.

After a while, we jumped the wall and went near the sea.

And once we were near the sea. The entire beach was free for us. Normally people directly drive to the main attraction beach and never stop for this kind of lonely beaches. We took the opportunity and had a photo shoot. Ziva loved it.

Now, if you been to a beach and don't touch the water that's an insult to a beach. I walked to the water. It was dangerous due to the slippery surface. However, I reached the water and touched it.

We reached Nagoa beach.

Famous for its pristine beauty and swaying palm trees, Nagoa Beach in Diu is an ideal and a recommended place for tourists all over the world. The place is well connected with the resorts, hence it making it easy for the travelers to relax and explore its beauty at the same time. The beach is surrounded by beautiful palm trees swaying in the cool breeze which creates an exotic environment for the travelers to laze around. The serene beauty of the beach due to its white sands and quiet blue water is worth experiencing and enjoying.

We were carrying a big carpet for the beach. We made ourselves comfortable at the beach. Other kids came to meet Ziva and they started playing.

The beach was overcrowded. We got to the other end of the beach. And enjoyed the water. It was amazing we spent more than 3 hours at the beach. The issue with this kind of private beach is the crowed always keeps starring the girls in short. But then, its the part of package at every beach locations in India. We didn't care much an had our fun.

We spent the entire day at the beach. During the evening we had dinner at a nearby hotel. At night we drove back to our hotel and called it day.

The next day, we headed back to our home city. We stope or a while at Ghoghla beach.

One of the most attractive places in Diu is the Ghoghla beach. Located in the north of Diu town with not many people, it catches the attention of the tourists who prefer to stay aloof and not with the crowd. With standard restaurants around the place along with water sports, this beach stands complete. Lesser tourists are the reason for a much cleaner Ghoghla beach compared to the other beaches in the town.

We started back or our home town. Enroute we visited Alang Ship-breaking yard.

Overall, it was a daring trip for us. Taking a 6-month kid on a long road trip was a challenging task. But somehow we managed it with flying colors. We loved it and Ziva had her first encounter with Sea.

PS: During entire journey she was in back seat . This photo was taken during a stop.