Portugal's First Voyage to India Vasco da Gama's Lost Logbook

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the pivotal first voyage of Vasco da Gama (1497–1499) that opened the sea route to India around Africa. They delve into the challenges of the journey—mutiny, scurvy, navigation unknowns—and the critical meeting with the Zamorin of Calicut. Lucas highlights the lost logbook of the voyage, known only through a later copy, and the mysterious figure of the pilot Malemo Cana from East Africa. The discussion covers the gift-giving fiasco that nearly derailed the mission, the use of the astrolabe at sea, and how Gama's small fleet of four ships—the São Gabriel, São Rafael, Berrio, and a storage ship—carried only 170 men. They also touch on the violent encounter at Mombasa and the fortuitous winds that sped the return trip, cementing Portugal's entry into the Indian Ocean trade. This episode offers a granular look at the first contact that shaped centuries of global history. #PortugueseEmpire #VascoDaGama #AgeOfDiscovery #Calicut #Zamorin #IndianOcean #CapeOfGoodHope #Malindi #Mombasa #Scurvy #Astrolabe #SãoGabriel #NavalHistory #TradeRoutes #MaritimeHistory #History #FexingoHistory #PortugalHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo