re: #137 Barefoot Grin

It’s just amazing how quickly Goa, Manila, Macao, etc. became major trading hubs.

International trade of the period is quite fascinating.

I am sure you know this, but for others:

At the time Ottoman Turkey sat directly astride the trading routes to India and Asia. Other nations were looking for ways around that monopoly. The Portuguese were the first to figure out how to go around Africa. With the Spanish right behind them. And of course early explorers who accidentally tacked a little too far out to sea from the African coast ended up in Brazil.