The only thing that can match the sublimity of sunrise is sunset. A glorious sunset is the epitome of evanescent beauty. Daman is a great place to experience the gorgeous sunsets, to admire the never ending sea and to gorge on the sumptuous sea-food. A Portuguese settlement, best thing about the city is its cleanliness and friendly people. Unfortunately, the beaches are dirty, very dirty and contrasts the cleanliness of the roads. It is a popular tourist destination, primarily due to the freedom to drink liquor, which is prohibited in Gujarat. Nonetheless, the place offers quite an experience for a young traveler like me.
I took the train from Surat to reach here in the evening, hired an auto-rickshaw to reach my resort. Next to the Devka beach, was the "Silver Sands Resort", affordable and perfect to stay on the sea-shore. Checked-in and realized it was very late for a sunset experience. Now, I want to remind you, this was a relaxing trip for me, so I did things very laggardly, I knew I had all the time in the world to explore Daman.
For dinner, the sea-side restaurant was all I wanted. It is believed "soothing sounds of the waves crashing on the beach are the most natural source to block out all other environmental noises and distractions". The calm, lulling sound invited me for a sound slumber. Adding to the blessing was the mouth watering sea-food, Portuguese cuisine. B L I S S. I sat there gazing the never ending sea for almost an hour and then quietly bid adieu. It was the best sleep I had in a long long time.
The next morning I woke up early expecting to see a great sunrise, and sheepishly realized, I am in the west and then slept a little longer. I went to take a short walk on the beach, and was shocked by all the littering and the garbage. Devka just got the top spot in the list of dirtiest beaches I have ever seen. My camera was embarrassed to click images and I didn't trouble it either. Won't trouble your thought with a picture of the beach. :)
Had a beautiful farmer's breakfast with some poached eggs in a cafe and started my expedition of the city. The Portuguese would be so proud, we have protected their settlement, the culture, the city very well. The first on my list was Sao Jeronimo fort. A quiet place, backside of which was a small school and a church. The fort is an exemplary form of military architecture having various inscriptions elaborating the history of the fort. We have the Daman port nearby, all the fishing boats lined up, getting serviced for the next adventure. The fort also gave a beautiful view to a lighthouse and a temple. It was almost noon and there was no noise. Not even a bit, the sea nulled everything, kept calm and tranquil.
Next must-visit was the Dominion monastery. It was the centre of excellence for theological studies in the past and still stood tall and strong but depleted. Worth the time and effort it required to reach this place. The monastery with its beautiful ornamental carvings is still considered to be one among the best spots in Daman. I spent few hours here, relaxed near the boundary wall, read a book and then moved on. The sea was calling me. Managed to get a quick-lunch from a nearby cafe and reached Devka. By the way, Devka beach was right next to my resort, so it was easy and less tiring to jaunt my way back and forth.
Devka, this time I managed to find a clean spot and completely stretched my legs, and relax. It was 4 pm. The sun had escalated its descend and I was more than happy to capture the moment through my lens. I managed to take umpteen pictures, and I think all of them came out just as amazing as I had thought. The beauty of sunset, you see its' evanescence is what attracts us. It lasts short, and so it creates a deep urge to see it again the other day and then again and then again. Needless to say, when the sun is at its greatest splendor, it's the best gift to a viewer's eye. I was gazing every moment of the sunset, deeply inhibited by it, and then I saw a group of friends standing just at a perfect distance to click a poster pic. Everything was beautiful, the sunset, the moment before the sunset, the moment after. Sunsets take a bit longer in the west, and so I was stuck to my seat for around 3 hours straight, didn't move, but gazed.
After that it was dinner time. Same setting, same sea, same waves but new food and new gist to life. I took a short walk post my lunch, had some chat with the strangers and locals, came back to the resort, cleared my bills and went to a deep deep slumber yet again.
Next morning was my train back to Surat, got up early, had the last walk on the beach, Ah! the sea winds are irresistible. Got my luggage and bid adieu to Daman. My solo trip had come to an end and it was time to go back.
Daman is still unexplored and there might be more to what I experienced, nonetheless it was beautiful, and without a doubt an experience of a lifetime. Traveling can do that to you, sunsets are seen daily, but least admired, it pumps adrenalin to explore new places, to explore ourselves, to understand nature better and to experience it more closely.
Travel and God will not stop astonishing you with the beautiful side of life.