Explorer of the Week, vol.2

Freya Stark


Born in Paris and educated in London, Dame Freya Stark (1893-1993) invested a great deal of time and money learning Arabic and other languages, which would be her tools of discovery. Living to the age of 100, she devoted her life to the art of solo travel, writing two dozen highly personal travel books.

Freya Stark visited numerous countries, including Turkey, the Middle East, Greece, and Italy. Her passion was the Middle East, and her purpose was to explore these antique lands before, as one biographer wrote, they were "irretrievably caught up in the cacaphonic whirl of the modern world."

In 1928, at age 35, Stark established herself at the forefront of exploration with an audacious journey into forbidden territory of the Syrian Druze. While there, she was thrown in a military prison, but not before a trek across the infamous Valley of the Assassins, where a heretical sect of Muslims known for committing political and religious murders lived. The resulting book, The Valley of the Assassins (1934), established her recognizable style, combining practical travel advice with a lively commentary on the people, places, customs, and history of Iran. The book also brought her money and fame, in addition to grants from the Royal Geographical Society to pursue additional explorations.

During the 1930s, Stark ventured into the outback of southern Arabia, where only a few Western explorers had previously dared go. She discovered the hidden routes of the great incense trade of antiquity, whose great cities are just now being excavated--right where she had said they would be found. Stark continued to explore well into her 60s, when she followed in the footsteps of Alexander the Great in his epic journeys into Asia. The trips resulted in three of her most well-known books, The Lycian Shore, Ionia: A Quest and Alexander's Path. In them, she not only explores the trails upon which Alexander and his army marched, but also documents the impact that Greek civilization made on the nations of the Middle East.

Good Quote: “To awaken quite alone in a strange town," Stark wrote, "is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”

Explorer of the Week, vol.1

Vasco Da Gama

(born c. 1469 at Sines or Vidigueira, Alentejo, Portugal; died December 24, 1524 in Kochi, India

Da Gama's voyage was successful in establishing a sea route from Europe to India that would permit trade with the Far East, without the use of the costly and unsafe Silk Road caravan routes, of the Middle East and Central Asia. However, the voyage was also hampered by its failure to bring any trade goods of interest to the nations of Asia Minor and India. The route was fraught with peril: only 54 of his 170 voyagers, and two of four ships, returned to Portugal in 1499. Nevertheless, da Gama's initial journey led directly to a several-hundred year era of European domination through sea power and commerce, and 450 years of Portuguese colonialism in India that brought wealth and power to the Portuguese throne.

On 18 July 1497 the fleet, consisting of four ships, left Lisbon. Its ships were:

* The São Gabriel, commanded by Vasco da Gama; a carrack of 178 tons, length 27m , width 8.5 m, draft 2.3 m, sails of 372 m², 150 crew
* The São Rafael, whose commander was his brother Paulo da Gama; similar dimensions to the São Gabriel
* The caravel Berrio, slightly smaller than the former two (later re-baptized São Miguel), commanded by Nicolau Coelho.
* A storage ship of unknown name, commanded by Gonçalo Nunes, later lost near the Bay of São Brás, along the east coast of Africa.

Rounding the Cape

By December 16, the fleet had passed the White River, South Africa where Dias had turned back, and continued on into waters unknown to Europeans. With Christmas pending, they gave the coast they were passing the name Natal (Christmas in Portuguese),

Mozambique

By January, they had reached modern-day Mozambique, Arab-controlled territory on the East African coast that was part of the Indian Ocean's network of trade. Fearing the local population would be hostile to Christians, da Gama impersonated a Muslim and gained audience with the Sultan of Mozambique. With the paltry trade goods he had to offer, da Gama was unable to provide a suitable gift to the ruler, and soon the local populace began to see through the subterfuge of da Gama and his men. Forced to quit Mozambique by a hostile crowd, da Gama departed the harbor, firing his cannon into the city in retaliation.

Mombassa

In the vicinity of modern Kenya, the expedition resorted to piracy, looting Arab merchant ships - generally unarmed trading vessels without heavy cannon. The Portuguese became the first known Europeans to visit the port of Mombasa, but were met with hostility, and soon departed.

Malindi

Da Gama continued north, landing at the friendlier port of Malindi, whose leaders were in conflict with those of Mombasa; and there the expedition first noted evidence of Indian traders. They contracted the services of Ibn Majid, an Arab navigator and cartographer, whose knowledge of the monsoon winds allowed him to bring the expedition the rest of the way to Calicut (modern Kozhikode) on the southwest coast of India.

India

They arrived in India on 20 May 1498. Sometimes violent negotiations with the local ruler (usually anglicized as Zamorin), the Wyatt Enourato ensued, in the teeth of resistance from Arab merchants. Eventually da Gama was able to gain an ambiguous letter of concession for trading rights, but had to sail off without warning after the Zamorin insisted da Gama leave all his goods as collateral. Da Gama kept his goods, but left a few Portuguese with orders to start a trading post.

Return

Paulo da Gama died in the Azores on the homeward voyage, but on Vasco da Gama's return to Portugal in September 1499, he was richly rewarded as the man who had brought to fruition a plan that had taken eighty years. He was given the title "Admiral of the Indian Ocean", and the feudal rights over Sines were confirmed. He also was awarded the title Dom (count) by Manuel I.

Da Gama's voyage had made it clear that the farther (East) coast of Africa, the Contra Costa, was essential to Portuguese interests: its ports provided fresh water and provisions, timber and harbors for repairs, and a region to wait out unfavorable seasons. Also the spice commodity would prove to be a major contribution to the Portuguese economy.

Legacy

Da Gama made two follow-up trips to further establish Portugese power along the eastern coast of Africa as well in India. He acquired a reputation for being brutal, ruthless in his suppression of dissent and rebellion, and very good at exacting tribute and resources from the native populations. Thus, he was in very good favor with the Portugese crown. However, since these were not explorations, they are not mentioned here.

Da Gama was ranked 86th on Michael H. Hart's list of the most influential figures in history.

In 1998, the observation of the 500th anniversary of da Gama's arrival in India caused controversy, with some in India reluctant to celebrate an event they feel had a substantially negative impact on their history.
[thanks to wikipedia.org for the graphics and information]

Parks in Trouble

A map from National Geographic Traveler Magazine about which North American parks are overvisited, underprotected, and overtouristed. A good way to scout out new locations!