REMEMBERING THE PORTUGUESE EXPEDITIONS

The Monument of Discoveries, designed like a prow of a ship with images of various explorers carved into it, is a reminder of the era when Portugal was at its greatest in sending expeditions to discover the other side of the world. At the monument's forefront was a map of the different routes the explorers took to explore the world. Viewing it reminded me of the time when Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese, wanted to navigate and make discoveries of the world and sailed under the flagship of Spain, because the Portuguese royalty denied his request. It was in this expedition that he discovered a group of islands now known as the Philippines, named after King Phillip II of Spain. I just wondered what the Philippines would have been like if Magellan did not land there. Would the Rajahs and Datus continue to rule the Philippines and keep it a Moslem nation?  

From my spot at the Monument of Discoveries, I saw the 25 de Abril Bridge and the monument to Christ the King that stood similarly to the one in Rio de Janeiro. After exploring the Monument of Discoveries, Ron and I walked to the Tower of Belem, a four-story tower used as a fortified lighthouse that served to guard the entrance to the port at Belem. Because it stood on the mouth of the Tagus River, the tower served as a defense system then. It also was the place for holding ceremonies before expeditions departed for places like Africa, India, the Far East, and Brazil. After the era known as the Golden Age of Discovery, the tower no longer served its purpose and it provided space special occasions.  Once it served as a political prison and as a customhouse.

Ron and I took pictures and forgot about the time limit that our tour director gave us. We entertained the idea of entering the tower but the long line of tourist trying to get in discouraged us. The discouragement prompted us to return to our bus instead and we realized then that Ron and I exceeded the time limit when we saw some tour members having a searching look, trying to spot us. They then told us that our tour director was looking for us. It was a very embarrassing moment.

With all of us in the bus now, we drove to the Hieronymite Monastery. This magnificent monastery, where Vasco da Gama's body lies, was built as a monument to him, to honor his successful voyage to India in 1497. It was said that it was in this monastery that Vasco da Gama and his men spent the night in prayer before their departure. It used to house the Hieronymite monks, a congregation of hermits who devoted themselves to a life of prayer, study, and austerity. The monks had to abandon it in 1833 when religious orders were abolished in Portugal. Today it is empty, unused, and deteriorating. One can just imagine the expense in money and labor or even life of a construction worker for a construction that lasted fifty years only to end up in disuse except for masses and weddings. But then, times come and go.