The route to the East was followed by Columbus in 1492.
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“Christopher Columbus discovered America.” We recite this sentence as a mantra almost from the moment we are conscious. And although the fact that “Christopher Columbus discovered America” is considered one of the axioms of human history, not one word in this sentence is correct.
Was his crossing of the Atlantic the longest sea voyage of his day? No. The Portuguese explorers who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488 sailed away from the shelter of the coasts for much longer periods and their voyages were more hazardous.
A personality like that of Columbus is prone to the proposition of theories of all kinds, and there is hardly a European nation that has not at one time or another spawned theories that ascribed to Columbus its nationality. Columbus, simply Genoese, is undoubtedly the most serious of the theories, or at least the one most based on facts.
With so many myths, legends and mysteries, the image that emerges of Columbus is not the idealized one with which he was presented to us in elementary school. Nevertheless, we continue to consider Columbus as one of the great personalities of the Renaissance.
The Portuguese made the first maritime route around Africa by sea
Where Columbus actually arrived that October day was an island he called San Salvador, now part of the Bahamas. Columbus believed he had found a new route to India, and he described the people he met as “Indians”. Nevertheless, his momentous discovery began the European exploration and colonization of the Americas.
Many localities, including the city of Berkeley, California, have replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor the original inhabitants of the islands where Columbus landed. The state of South Dakota changed the name to American Indian Day, while the state of Alabama celebrates a mix of Columbus Day and American Indian Heritage Day. The state of Hawaii calls it Discovery Day.
Route of the Portuguese to reach India
If you have already been to India or you are a regular traveler, you should already know the best ways to get there and you will be used to the cultural changes that you will find in this beautiful country, but if you are going to travel for the first time to India then it is important and even unavoidable to have as much information as possible before starting your trip.
You should also define how long you want to be in India and how much you want to know because this country is very large and has many attractions and interesting places, especially for Latin Americans. The more time you spend in India the more opportunities you will have.
The best season to visit India is from September to March, being November, December and January the most visited months by tourists. But if you want to have a more relaxed but also attractive trip I recommend you to choose September and October or February and March.
You should find out very well where the Indian embassy or consulate in your country is and what are the conditions according to the duration of the trip and the departure. It is also necessary to know if you plan to escape from India to another nearby country such as Nepal, as this will help you to obtain the type of visa that will allow you to do so.
From where Columbus set out in search of a route to India
A trip to India is an experience of great depth in the soul of those who visit it. A migration to the depths of our senses where a smell, a color, a taste or an image is capable of awakening the most vivid of memories.
I remember the authenticity and essence that I perceived and brought back. Incredible landscapes, colorful cities, millenary civilizations and customs and monuments from fairytale times. I have always believed that a trip to India is for experienced travelers or simply daring and open to new cultures. With an unprejudiced mind. Truly, a trip to India should be something premeditated and something that really screams out for your attention. A trip that you really want to experience, and perhaps suffer, but that will certainly help enrich you as a person.
In my trips I always try to know places or experiences that are a little out of the usual route of “sightseeing”. So on this occasion it was clear that I could not miss some of the varied and curious religions that exist in India, such as Jainism in the temples of Ranakpur, Sikhism in Delhi itself, Hinduism, Buddhism … Of course, and especially because of the dirt and endless pilgrimage of people and traffic on the streets is highly recommended -and fun- dare to take that vehicle so common in almost all of Asia. The ricksaw. In this way we will live everything from the security and tranquility -relative- of our seat while a clever driver meanders between vehicles, people and animals without being pushed or stepped on.