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I begin my journey in Lisbon. The docks are alive with the smell of salt and tar. Caravels rock gently in the harbor, their sails ready to catch the wind. Here, Prince Henry’s sailors dream of India and beyond. It feels as if the whole city breathes ambition—gold, spices, and glory are its heartbeat.

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Cape of Good Hope, Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, South Africa

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Cape of Good Hope, Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, South Africa

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Cape of Good Hope, Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, South Africa

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Days turn into weeks as we sail southward. The seas are fierce. At last, we round the tip of Africa—the Cape of Good Hope. The winds howl, waves crash, yet sailors cheer. Beyond this cape lies the promise of India. Once called the ‘Cape of Storms,’ today it feels like a gateway to the East.

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Cape of Good Hope, Cape Peninsula, Cape Town, South Africa

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I step into Calicut’s markets, and my senses explode. Pepper fills the air, cinnamon glows in baskets, silk shines in every corner. Vasco da Gama once stood here in 1498, opening the sea route that changed Europe forever. Now I see why the Portuguese risked their lives for these treasures.

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Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala, India medieval times

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Back in Europe, I find myself in a quiet Spanish port—Palos de la Frontera. From here, in 1492, Columbus sailed with his three ships: Niña, Pinta, and Santa María. I stare at the waves, imagining the courage it took to sail west into the unknown.

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Palos de la Frontera, Spain medieval times

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Land! Blue waters give way to white sands. This is San Salvador, where Columbus first set foot in the ‘New World.’ The Taíno people welcome strangers with kindness, unaware that their world is about to change forever. For me, it feels like stepping into a dream—a new continent rising from the sea.

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San Salvador, The Bahamas medieval times

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I walk through Tenochtitlán, the great Aztec capital. Canals glitter, temples rise, markets overflow with goods. But soon, I see Spanish soldiers with steel and fire. Cortés has conquered this city. The riches of the Aztecs now flow into Spanish hands. A world once proud is falling into silence.

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Tenochtitlan, Mexico City, CDMX, Mexico medieval times

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High in the Andes lies Cusco, the heart of the Inca Empire. Stones fit together without mortar, palaces touch the sky. Yet Francisco Pizarro’s shadow looms. The Inca ruler Atahualpa has fallen. I feel the clash of civilizations here—ancient greatness against European steel and disease.

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Back in Seville, ships crowd the Guadalquivir River. Their holds burst with silver from Peru, gold from Mexico, sugar from the Caribbean. Streets shine with wealth, but I wonder—at what cost? The voices of enslaved Africans echo across the ocean, tied forever to this trade.

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I sail north to Amsterdam. Here, the air smells not of spices, but of ink and paper. Merchants trade not only goods but also shares—the Dutch East India Company rules the seas. In the world’s first stock exchange, I see the rise of capitalism itself.

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My journey ends in London. The River Thames is busy with ships. The English East India Company is growing fast, challenging Spain, Portugal, and the Dutch. London’s merchants dream of an empire that spans the globe. Standing on the docks, I realize: the Age of Discovery has become the Age of Empire.