This week, I explored National Geographic’s “Out of Eden Walk”. This website tracks Paul Salopek as he walked 21,000 miles across the globe in hopes of tracking the migration of our ancestors. The multiyear adventure began in Ethiopia, leading to the title Eden. As he traveled, his moments were published online via footstep count, pictures and descriptions of the journey made. In this blog I have outlined three of the posts from along his journey that I have examined.
- It’s Not Stone You’re Buying, It’s Men’s Lives
- The red holes in the walls throughout India are manual labor for many men, as a popular profession is the mining industry. However, this work is proving to be more dangerous than expected as many become ill with silicosis, a sickness of the lungs. This occurs from the silica crystals being released in the sandstone drilling process. As Paul interviews those he meets, they explain that almost every household has somebody who has died, or is currently suffering, from this condition. The signs are silent, beginning with coughing, and slowly turn fatal. This particular village in which he was stationed did not have a hospital within a three-hour reach, therefore, making it difficult for individuals to receive the help they needed. The product is mined due to it’s pink to red coloring appearing in many of India’s architecture, including New Delhi’s most commonly known Red Fort. In an area known for being relatively poor, this is one of the best sources of income individuals can find so unfortunately the wealth outweighs the health consequences for many in the profession.
This story may be found here.
- The red holes in the walls throughout India are manual labor for many men, as a popular profession is the mining industry. However, this work is proving to be more dangerous than expected as many become ill with silicosis, a sickness of the lungs. This occurs from the silica crystals being released in the sandstone drilling process. As Paul interviews those he meets, they explain that almost every household has somebody who has died, or is currently suffering, from this condition. The signs are silent, beginning with coughing, and slowly turn fatal. This particular village in which he was stationed did not have a hospital within a three-hour reach, therefore, making it difficult for individuals to receive the help they needed. The product is mined due to it’s pink to red coloring appearing in many of India’s architecture, including New Delhi’s most commonly known Red Fort. In an area known for being relatively poor, this is one of the best sources of income individuals can find so unfortunately the wealth outweighs the health consequences for many in the profession.
- Passage to Another Time
- As Paul walks through the mountains he stumbles upon something unbeknown to him. The passage reads: Her hair was dyed purple. She wore spandex. She was dancing alone, the young foreigner, swaying barefoot on the roof of a car parked at an utterly remote frontier in the rocky core of Asia, hard beside the Panj River that saws Tajikistan from Afghanistan—a notorious opium smugglers’ paradise at the southern edge of the Pamir mountains. The car had EU plates. But who was she? A belated pilgrim on the old hippie trail? A mystic? An addict? An adventurer? It was impossible to know. The way he is able to convey exactly his thoughts is so intricate. The majority of us have never hiked across the country, let alone the world. As he wrote this passage approximately 1940 days into his journey, it is interesting to expand on his critical thinking from a quick thought to an elaborate post. It feels as if the rest of us get a peak into Paul’s own head. Although he has engaged with an abundance of individuals throughout his journey, the reader can’t help but wonder how the many months of solitude have impacted his thoughts. Without even viewing it, the vivid words now allow us to also picture in our heads and be curious about the actions of this woman in passing.
This story may be found here.
- As Paul walks through the mountains he stumbles upon something unbeknown to him. The passage reads: Her hair was dyed purple. She wore spandex. She was dancing alone, the young foreigner, swaying barefoot on the roof of a car parked at an utterly remote frontier in the rocky core of Asia, hard beside the Panj River that saws Tajikistan from Afghanistan—a notorious opium smugglers’ paradise at the southern edge of the Pamir mountains. The car had EU plates. But who was she? A belated pilgrim on the old hippie trail? A mystic? An addict? An adventurer? It was impossible to know. The way he is able to convey exactly his thoughts is so intricate. The majority of us have never hiked across the country, let alone the world. As he wrote this passage approximately 1940 days into his journey, it is interesting to expand on his critical thinking from a quick thought to an elaborate post. It feels as if the rest of us get a peak into Paul’s own head. Although he has engaged with an abundance of individuals throughout his journey, the reader can’t help but wonder how the many months of solitude have impacted his thoughts. Without even viewing it, the vivid words now allow us to also picture in our heads and be curious about the actions of this woman in passing.
- Walking to Zero
- Paul explains that for many months he has been walking towards zero – the ultimate point of origin. Some of the oldest zeros in the world are inscribed on a stone inside an ancient temple called Chaturbhuj, in the north Indian city of Gwalior. Since he has crossed into India, this has been the destination he has been aiming for in order to get a deeper understanding of its history. Once close, he traveled us a steep-hill where the temple lay tucked behind a fortress wall, many of which the locals did not even know. Even though it was pictured to be this breathtaking site, full of wonder, upon arrival he finds nothing larger than what would appear to be a closet. They, along with many other foreigners, search this slab for the first existing zero to find absolutely nothing. The writing on this temple does not exist. Paul states, “My pilgrimage that began with nothing ends with nothing”.
You can find this story here.
Paul is currently beginning his trek through Africa, which can be tracked through the National Geographic website. The blogs, along with picture and video, are updated often so we may stay up to date on the many lessons and adventures encountered as he walks across the world in memory of our ancestors. Follow along at https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/out-of-eden-walk.