Lions, African Gujaratis and the Arabian Sea.

My family and 13 of our relatives rented a bus and drove 500 km to Sassan-Gir, a wildlife sanctuary in south Gujarat. We got lucky and saw one lioness which thrilled everyone (…well except for my mom and me; we are still spoiled from Africa)

We also saw the Siddi people , decedents of the East African Bantu tribes who are now living in Gir. I guess at different points over the last 1,000 years, enslaved Africans were brought to India. In Gir, Siddies live largely in their own communities and have not intermixed with Indians. As such, they retain their African appearances although they speak Gujarati and practice local religions (mainly Islam) and customs.

After Gir, we went to Diu, an Arabian sea beach city. The water was surprisingly inviting and we swam for a few hours. My mom and I tried to get everyone in the water, but the ocean incited massive fear in my family members. We also visited the Somnath temple and did Darshan.

The trip was awesome and relaxing. My extended family was incredibly appreciative of my parents for bringing them all together. I am too…although, I’m not happy that they are hosting a Christmas party at home this year without me.

Picassa Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/rick.desai/FamilyVacation?authkey=LnWaKmqTV7w&feat=directlink