Lapu-Lapu Geocoin

To travel the world and get logged by Geocachers.  Teach people a little history and a little mixology at the same time.

This geocoin is dedicated to Chief Lapu-Lapu.  Most school children learn about the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan, the first explorer to sail around the world, but few people ever hear about how he died or know about the man that killed him.  Lapu-Lapu was a chieftain on the Philippine island of Mactan.  When Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the islands in 1516 he befriended the king of the island of Cebu and converted him to the Catholic faith.

This king (Rajah Humabon) later ordered all the chiefs in the surrounding islands to also convert to Christianity and to provide supplies and food for Magellan's ships.  Lapu-Lapu was the only chief who refused the order.

Magellan saw this as an opportunity to strengthen his relations with these chiefs and to subdue the rebellious Lapu-Lapu so he sailed to Mactan to attack him.  Lapu-Lapu sent a message asking to delay the battle while he collected his forces in a small coastal village.  Magellan took the bait and sailed toward that village.

In what would later be known as the battle of Mactan, Lapu-Lapu choose his battlefield well.  Mactan's shallow coastline, rocks and coral, forced the Spanish to anchor their ships far from shore, and wade several hundred yards of shallow water to reach the land.  As a result the mortars and cannon they brought remained out of range and could not be used during the battle.

The Spanish found the village deserted and then exchanged long range arrow and musket fire with the natives for about half an hour with no causalities on either side.  Magellan then ordered a few dozen huts in the village burned.  This enraged the natives and about 1500 men attacked the Spanish forces.  Magellan himself and several of his men were killed and the survivors retreated back to their ships and left Mactan.

In 1522 Magellan's fleet left the Philippine islands and sailed west to Spain completing the first circumnavigation of the earth.  Magellan's body was never recovered; Lapu-Lapu ignored a large reward offered for its return.

Chief Lapu-Lapu is honored to this day by the people of the Philippines as the first person to defend the islands against foreign invaders.  A huge statue of him stands where he fought his battle with Magellan.  A classic tiki bar drink is called the Chief Lapu-Lapu in his honor.

Chief Lapu Lapu

3 oz Orange Juice
3 oz Sours mix
1 oz Passionfruit juice
1½ oz Jamaican Dark Rum
1½ oz Puerto Rican Light Rum

Shake with ice cubes and pour into a large brandy snifter or old fashion glass.  Garnish with a speared marachino cherry pineapple and maybe an orange wheel.  Some bars in the islands will make this drink with a 2 : 3 orange juice to pineapple juice mixture instead of orange juice.