Da Gama left India in August of 1498, after he was told to pay a heavy tax and to leave the goods he traded for. Although he was initially well received in India, he eventually wore out his welcome. In India, da Gama traded extensively for Asian products and spices. After making several stops along ports in the eastern African nations of Kenya, Mozambique, and others, and after struggling with Muslim traders in the Indian Ocean who did not take kindly to interference with their trade routes, da Gama reached Calicut, India, on May 20, 1498. After five months on the Atlantic, da Gama and his crew successfully sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Indian Ocean on November 22. Da Gama believed it was possible and left Lisbon, Portugal, on July 8, 1497, with four ships full of criminals and set sail on the Atlantic. Many, however, still believed the trip to be impossible because they did not think the Atlantic Ocean connected with the Indian Ocean. In 1497, Portuguese King Manuel I financed a voyage led by Vasco da Gama. Explorers such as Bartholomeu Dias had made some progress in making the journey, but none had been able to sail around the southern tip of Africa at the Cape of Good Hope (where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans met) and into the Indian Ocean. In the late 1400s, Portugal was desperately trying to find a sea route to Asia so they could obtain spices for cheap prices. He died, however, before he could successfully complete the journey. Vasco’s father was also an explorer and was supposed to make the epic journey from Portugal to India that would eventually make his son famous. Vasco da Gama was born in 1460 to a wealthy Portuguese family in Sines, Portugal.

Vasco da gama route map