Post #50

I was shocked to find a small monument to Cabeza de Vaca on the lower trail. His fascinating tale of shipwreck, extreme hardship, and surprising gift of healing are recounted in his autobiography, “The Account of Cabeza de Vaca: A Literal Translation with Analysis and Commentary,” translated by David Carson. I had read an older translation many years before this one was published.

In 1528, Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish conquistador, got stranded on a little island off the coast of Texas. It took him eight years to finally get to Mexico City.

He returned to Spain in 1537, only to be appointed governor in much of what we now call Paraguay.

In 1541-42, Cabeza de Vaca led an expedition that took him to Iguazu Falls, making him the first European to see them.