Taking it slow...

Ola!!
We are in Diu right now, an ex-Portuguese colony and taking things nice and slow, blending right into the rhythm of this little city. We've rented a scooter, and have been riding it (Scotty) all over the island for the last few days, without a real destination, just taking everything in. The last two days, we've come back to our guesthouse at night (owned by an Indo-Portuguese family, really nice and cosy) and said to each other, what exactly did we DO today?? And I believe the right answer is: recover from the last two weeks. The beaches here are nice, the seafood is fresh, the sun is hot, and the people are friendly. The most intellectually stimulating part of my day today occurred in the restaurant where we stopped for lunch, in the bathroom, where I was forced to devote way too much time to trying to figure out which part of the floor was actually the toilet, and which way exactly to face. If figuring out the bathroom constituted the most challenging part of my day, I have no complaints....you learn something new in India everyday, I tell you:)

The Portuguese influence really still lingers here, if you listen closely enough, you can catch snippets of conversations in Portuguese, and bits of Portuguese society and customs pop up between the cows, curry dishes, and autorickshaws. The blending of the Indian and Portuguese has created an interesting culture, and we have been thoroughly enjoying exploring the city: the old, crumbling fort, three Catholic churches, and the winding streets. I was surprisingly comforted upon walking into a Catholic church here, this is what most draws me to Catholicism, I can be in the middle of the confusion of India or the confusion of anywhere, yet walk into a Catholic church and have that feeling of coming home.

We leave Diu tomorrow to keep travelling towards Mumbai, where I'm sure our pace will pick right back up again.

So, off to go pass a few more leisurely hours before bedtime...we finally posted a first batch of pictures, go check them out!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crystalandsergio

Boa noite!!