This story narrates the most crucial moment in the life of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa. Balboa (born in Spain in 1475) was an explorer and conqueror who joined an expedition to the New World, now known as South America, and became the governor of the town of Darién in Panama. There, he was in charge of the “civilization”, the Indians and Spaniards of that place, and led an expedition to search for gold and a new sea in order to gain the respect of the King Ferdinand from Spain. In this story "Balboa" (story taken from the book "Tales of the New World written by Sabina Murray in 2011) the main character, Balboa himself, is climbing the mountain that separates the past and the future, “the modern and the primitive” as he stated; he is climbing the mountain that depicts a change in history, the history of humanity. By saying that he is dragging the mantle of civilization up the mountain, we understand that this is not only an important moment for Balboa, but also for humanity. Balboa, thus, is remembered for being the first person to see the Pacific Ocean, the Mar del Sur, and he claimed it for Spain and for the rest of the humanity as well.
