Who is Vasco Núñez de Balboa?

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Vasco Núñez de Balboa
Vasco Núñez de Balboa was a Spanish governor, conquistador, and explorer. He is widely famous for heading an expedition and reaching the Pacific Ocean (Linehan 172). He is considered the first European to see the beauty of water closely. Just like other explorers of his time, Balboa was fond of seeing the beauty of the world and seeking adventures and riches. Born in 1475 in Jerez de los Caballeros, Vasco received training as a knight and a soldier. He was then sent to Moguer, where he began serving the Lord. During his time there, he learned the skills of hunting and fighting.
Balboa showed an interest in the stories of the riches. He used to sit with the sailors to hear these stories throughout the night, and it urged him to explore the world from a new perspective (Linehan 175). In those days, Spain was spending a lot of money on projects of searching for new lands, riches, and opportunities with an aim to colonize the natives. In 1500, Vasco Núñez de Balboa and Don Rodrigo de Bastidas began their journey toward the present-day South America. Vasco and some other warriors were sent there to defend the expeditions from hostile natives, and it was the first trip of his life as an adventurer. The next year, in 1501, Balboa took his men and two ships and began their journey in the Atlantic Ocea...