Saturday 5 April 2014

E E - Columbus


During some of my travels to places where nature reigns supreme, I have come across thick jungles,   water bodies, mountainous terrain, vast deep seas - pretty hostile environments for us delicate humans.

The fear of getting lost, of being drowned, of being bitten by mosquitoes or snake or leeches or deadly spiders, of non-potable water, of unpalatable food, of changing weather conditions, of the aircraft crashing and so on, all of which can stop us from continuing with our trip is always at the back of my mind, despite being well prepared and led by an excellent guide.

Source: Google Images
That made me wonder about the mental make-up & physical fitness of the early explorers.

History lessons talks about Christopher Columbus and his brethren like Captain James Cook, Magellan, Vasco Da Gama, who set sail into the unknown immense expanses of waters in their clippers, with the blessings of their royalty in a bid to discover new trade routes or new lands masses to conquer. Similarly, there were those including David Livingstone, who did their exploring over land conquering new mountain peaks or discovering deserts, etc tackling the hostile & non-hostile natives, battling new diseases, making their way through thick jungles the likes of which they had never come across in their lives till then.

The very majestic Victoria Falls discovered by David Livingstone; Source : Google Images.

Yes, it’s a known story that America was discovered by mistake. Still, imagine crossing the expansive deep Atlantic in non-motorized clippers with minimal navigation equipment! Imagine the hardships (no pun intended) they encountered, communication-wise, food-wise, weather-wise, health-wise and direction-wise. Add pirates to this list and the challenges look almost insurmountable. BTW, did pirates exist then? 


Source : Google Images

All these were centuries ago when navigation equipment, clothing, medicines, food storage technology, hygiene products, armour, meteorological equipment, maps, charts were all very basic and minimal! Even the material used for building the respective transport vehicles / vessels was very basic. And they were away from land for months together. Also, the most important thing of all, the communication between ships or between people was through very basic means and communication between ships and land was almost nil, I guess. 

Source : Google Images
It is almost like they were on suicidal missions. No guarantees of returning home, let alone returning safe and sound. I wonder how many insurance company existed at that time. So many constraints! Still, they succeeded. Succeeded beyond anyone's wildest imagination. What drove them to commit themselves to such insanities? Were they after recognition & riches? What was promised to them by their sponsors? From what and where did they derive the courage to take head-on, such mind-boggling challenges? Were they scared at any point in time for their lives, since humans have this instinctive fear of the unknown?

Source : Google Images
At this age with such advances in technologies in almost all fields which matter for traveling and exploring, I wonder whether how many such brave hearts we have in our midst. We dare not leave our homes without GPS & without proper directions, lest we get lost.

Exploration started looking upwards in the new age and it was to take human kind where no man has gone before, you know, the final frontier. Space exploration is going great guns. We have been able to make several trips to the Moon which is no mean feat. I hope the day when man goes beyond Earth and Moon on a more extensive and regular basis, leaving the safety of Earth's orbit, comes soon enough. Somehow I can't shake the feeling that the exploration in our times is more of a incremental nature in one direction (up, of course!), given the technological advancements we have.

Are we treading a tad more cautiously than the Early Explorers (E E for short)?

What do you think?





For A-Z Challenge 2014


37 comments:

  1. Awesome.. Wow, you sure lead an interesting life

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    1. Thanks, Nischala. I try to make it interesting. :)

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  2. How indeed, these days we can't go anywhere without switching on what we call "Google Rani" We have come to depend on her to take us almost everywhere. These people were indeed courageous!

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    1. And despite the GPS, Google maps and all that, we still get lost :)

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  3. Even I have often wondered about this. Foreign travelers visiting India...how would they communicate. Yet our history book is full of these people. We can only be awed. Nice post.

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    1. Thank you Janu. Fo instance, the travellers from China who had visited the courts of our Kings. Which route did they take anyway?

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  4. Interesting perspective. We are indeed a lot more dependent on technology and I would also say lazy to an extent. :)

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    1. Thank you juzta mom :) yes, we are indeed. :)

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  5. I think when I go on a trip, or a trek, it's the fear of the unknown that bothers me. I don't know what may happen, and that irks me :P Maybe it's part of the reason I don't travel that much.

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    1. Come on Leo, you are the lion-hearted one. You can do it. :)

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  6. I think many people (my self as well) take our technological progress to be so integral, that we stop relying on ourselves. Pros and cons of technological progress, I guess

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    1. Very true. I rather reach for teh excel sheet or calculator rather than adding up numbers in my head :) I hate that habit and am trying to break it.

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  7. Wow that picture of the Victoria Falls is astounding. I think back then they had something to prove and a desire to conquer. today we take a lot of things for granted.

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  8. Great one Prathima
    Even with technological advancements we can't stop the wrath or Kismat as they say. The MH370 incident , the space crafts crashing and so many more examples. More technology more prone to danger. It is like planning our own fortune. of course has pros and cons. Interesting post again

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    1. Thank you Afshan. MH370 tragedy throws into sharp relief who much we really know our seas and land despite such technological advances.

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  9. Nice post Prathima. Really liked your point there. Early Explorers had no aid of technology for navigation or for communication and yet they were driven by this passion.. to travel.. to discover. Without these people, I would like to call them pioneers, and the hardships that they faced, there may not have been technological advances which make today's travelling a whole lot easier.

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    1. Thank you Shrikant. They were certainly pioneers in several aspects.

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  10. You have that thing in you..indeed adventure and explorer streak.. very well written P P Prathima :)

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  11. Nice insight.... Earlier explorers relied more on instincts and the sky for navigation as there was hardly any technology to bank upon.. but over the centuries, the instincts was replaced by technology.... This is the case with not only navigation, but also with many other natural abilities and instincts of homo sapiens !

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    1. Thanks Ravi. What you say is true. Instincts are getting dulled and that is a bit scary.

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  12. I too have wondered what drove the early explorers. It can't have been riches and fame. It must have been the thrill of adventure, a desire to be the first, a drive to know the unknown. All non- material gains.

    Thank God for those who are driven by nothing but their passion.
    Dagny

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    1. Thrill of adventure it is, I guess. Riches and fame somehow does not make sense. Yes, agree with you Dagny. Thank God for them. :)

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  13. Well, I agree. Sometimes, we are overdependent on technology. My husband used Google maps in India during a trip and we got lost. :D

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    1. Technology is taking over instincts.

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    2. Yes, he did. There was a board right in front of our eyes and yet he forgot to see it and instead took the road that GPS suggested. It was Bangalore-Chikamagalur route,which was a known route. :D

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  14. It's fascinating to think they early explorers didn't know where they were going - frightening and so brave. I think I'd have enjoyed being an explorer, but I do appreciate the technology that adds comfort!

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    1. It's so frightening. Technology does benefit to some extent.

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  15. Gosh I'm learning so much on my A to Z blog tour. It's nice to follow and connect http://aimingforapublishingdeal.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. Thank you for visiting Charlotte. I agree with you. It's a great learning experience. Every day. :)

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