A stone’s throw from my house there’s an old Spanish watchtower. It’s similar to the one in the photo but made of large, coral bricks and is even more overgrown.

During the Christmas celebration in the park I heard about its history. Long ago, Moro raiders would come and kidnap people from the area into slavery. When the Spanish arrived they built forts like this to hold them off and the attacks diminished, leading to an increased population as locals took advantage of the security to develop the area.

The clergyman giving the speech gave all the credit to the Church, which seems a bit unfair to the guys with the guns.

I remembered that these days the Moro continue to steal people from other islands, though now it is to hold them hostage. Foreigners are often targeted as their families may be able to pay a larger ransom.