Being a history buff, I got those eerie vibes being at the Mactan Shrine today. I went there in the morning to take some pics and came back at night to inspect the set up for the marathon along with an officemate. I was surprised to see the beach area completely without water. Well of course it's low tide. That's when it hit me. Magellan and his party must have attacked Lapu Lapu late in the afternoon. A tactical error because that forced then to take smaller rafts to get to the beach since their bigger ship would have hit the rocks. And looking at how far the beach extends without water... that's real real far (Take a look at the pic below as well as my post prior to this. The one with the kid jumping into the water that I'd say is 4 feet deep). Even with all the development in the area, the tides remain the same. The Spaniards must have been tuckered out by the time they hit the beach.
So Lapu Lapu and his warriors were far from cannon or rifle range. And as Italian historian Antonio Pigafetta wrote (he was with Magellan if you remember your history) in his diaries, the Spaniards and their Portuguese captain had to wade in the shallow waters that were receding. The water weighed them down since they were armored up. That left them sitting ducks for the arrows and lances of Lapu Lapu's warriors.
Since there were no written records on the side of Lapu Lapu, I wonder what they did with the body of Magellan. The remaining Spanish party asked for a trade for their captain's remains but Lapu Lapu refused. What I'd give to watch history unfold.
Low tide, man. This place back in the 1500s was a marsh. And from the air, you'll see how parts of the coastal areas are still that way. Fascinating stuff!
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