I like how you approached the history of the fort, by describing it and throwing in musings of the people who defended it. Being in the tropics today is nothing like it was for soldiers hundreds of years ago. It would have been a harsh existence, hot and with risk of disease and attack.
Thank you, Brad. Tropics are harsh. No, the soldiers deployed here did not sign up for a holiday. Constantly fighting the jungle, dengue and yellow fever, and the scorching heat. These will rot the spirit and resolve in the strongest of people.
I always wonder if Europeans of old looked at white beaches with palm trees and thought they were beautiful, or just hot sandy places with no good water.
That is an interesting question! I suspect the stories from shipwrecked sailors, marooned on “idyllic” islands, would also paint them as hateful places. But the modern “travel propaganda” enshrined them as paradise. (Which they are with appropriate amenities.)
You made me think of Columbus’s fourth voyage. He landed in Bocas del Toro, to provision and careen his ships. The island where they hunted for food is now called Isla Bastimentos - ‘provisions island’ in Spanish. I once went exploring into that jungle, looking for parrots.
As soon as I walked into the thicket, the breeze stopped and humidity crushed me. I hacked for 100 yards in an hour, then gave up to have a cold beer by a hostel on a white sand, palmy beach. Hateful hour!
Can’t imagine the Columbus’s men thinking fondly of the island, after I lived a tiny sliver of their experience.
One also has to imagine the clothing people wore, especially soldiers, completely unsuited to the tropics. And they probably had diarrhea all the time.
Really nice piece Egor, about a place Ive never been and know little about. Its lovely how your writing meanders as you walk and think, like we are walkibg with you, but carries lots of interesting info - a great combination. Enjoyed it. Thx mate!🙏
I like how you approached the history of the fort, by describing it and throwing in musings of the people who defended it. Being in the tropics today is nothing like it was for soldiers hundreds of years ago. It would have been a harsh existence, hot and with risk of disease and attack.
Thank you, Brad. Tropics are harsh. No, the soldiers deployed here did not sign up for a holiday. Constantly fighting the jungle, dengue and yellow fever, and the scorching heat. These will rot the spirit and resolve in the strongest of people.
I always wonder if Europeans of old looked at white beaches with palm trees and thought they were beautiful, or just hot sandy places with no good water.
Diarrhea puts things in perspective.We live in a very easy and special time today. Especially for travel!
That is an interesting question! I suspect the stories from shipwrecked sailors, marooned on “idyllic” islands, would also paint them as hateful places. But the modern “travel propaganda” enshrined them as paradise. (Which they are with appropriate amenities.)
You made me think of Columbus’s fourth voyage. He landed in Bocas del Toro, to provision and careen his ships. The island where they hunted for food is now called Isla Bastimentos - ‘provisions island’ in Spanish. I once went exploring into that jungle, looking for parrots.
As soon as I walked into the thicket, the breeze stopped and humidity crushed me. I hacked for 100 yards in an hour, then gave up to have a cold beer by a hostel on a white sand, palmy beach. Hateful hour!
Can’t imagine the Columbus’s men thinking fondly of the island, after I lived a tiny sliver of their experience.
One also has to imagine the clothing people wore, especially soldiers, completely unsuited to the tropics. And they probably had diarrhea all the time.
Really nice piece Egor, about a place Ive never been and know little about. Its lovely how your writing meanders as you walk and think, like we are walkibg with you, but carries lots of interesting info - a great combination. Enjoyed it. Thx mate!🙏
Thank you, JJ. Some places awake imagination, and the feel of them are easy to put into words.