Its been too long between forts, O meu Capitão! Hove the lateen sail and noon-point the sextant for the latitude of Reis Magos. First built in the late 1500s, this fort swathed in wild forest overlooks the Mandovi river and the lovely town of Panjim, former capital of the (rather ostentatiously named, given its size) Portuguese Estado da India - now capital of Goa state, India.
Reis Magos (the 'Three Wise Men' in Portuguese) is a small village across the river, consisting of a Church, a small village, and this very old fort which once guarded entry to the capital.
The main thing I recall about it - aside from the pearler of a view - was my arrival inside the walls, after climbing the steep, crumbling stairs. Two local guys were sunning themselves, half asleep, and we all surprised each other at awkwardly close proximity. The thought pattern at that instant was probably much like this:
Me: Shit - two men, isolated spot. Are we friendly?
Them: Shit - look at the size of that Gora. Is he friendly?
It was then that I recalled a favourite passage of Gregory David Roberts' Shantaram, which I was then reading. In it he explains that the classic Indian side to side 'head-waggle' (for want of a better term) is in fact a gesture of general affability and friendliness. So I tried it on. And blimey, it worked! They both relaxed visibly, and one said "hello - you seem nice!".
Aside from the cross-cultural gesture awareness breakthroughs, it was a great fort too! Some classic cornice sentry boxes, as you'll see. If you're ever in the area, I'd recommend the semi-hidden Reis Magos over the larger and better known Fort Aguada nearby.
7 comments:
Back to fortifications! Hooray! [Waggles head]
Cracking cannons there.
That in the second photograph BTW, is a sentrybox, not a pillbox. Sentryboxes are tall and narrow, designed for men in hats to say "halt"! Pillboxes are low and squat and you're not meant to see them until someone starts shooting at you from inside it.
Blimey, you're right Liam. corrected! I know FA about military shit; for a fort enthusiast.
Good cannons. You'll see them all over the former Portuuese empire. They're just too heavy to move, so they tend to stay put. Will post some lovely closeups of the Portuguese 'Quina' mark on them some time.
Read all about the Guarita, Izquierdista.
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarita
And then, bunkers. Bunkers!
http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/the_frightening_beauty_of_bunkers/
http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2006/03/bunker-archaeology.html
http://www.atlantikwall.org.uk/index.htm
Nice work in "os" slips, Liamistão!
Guaritas, uh?
Ive been to Torre de Belem in Lisbon (and btw its AWESOME - thats where all the heroic voyages to India departed) - but Im suspecting the "overhang" feature of the guarita is different to your frontline fort sentry box, a la Reis Magos and others?
Put it this way - Ive not seen a classic Guarita outside the home country, myself - note all those images are from Portugal itself.
But quibbles aside, they are henceforth Guaritas at BmL, even if the Asian ones lack the nice overhangy bit.
E mais, Liam is appointed this month's 'Capitão do Fortaleza' for outstanding service in the field of fort architecture research. Todos saudássemos!
Well it's not in Asia, but I've found an extra-Iberian overhanging guarita here.
http://www.fortalezasmultimidia.com.br/santa_catarina/index.php?data=ratones
Liam is appointed this month's 'Capitão do Fortaleza'
Thank you. You're too kind. You don't know what this award means to me. It's the culmination of a long career of war-architecture nerdery. I wish to thank God, and his most gracious majesty the King of Spain.
[Pulls down tatty Portuguese royal ensign, raises in its place the Cross of Burgundy]
às armas, os espanhóis!!! Traidores na fortaleza!
Of course, between 1580-1640 these technically were "Spanish" forts. Until the Glorious Victory of the Duke Braganza over whatisname of Castile y Leon.
Incidentally, it was a low point being part of Spain - meant pretty much everyone attacked the Portuguese colonies, not just the Dutch.
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