Today I visited the National Geographic Website and embarked on an interesting journey. Through the footsteps of Paul Salopek, I was able to see the journey humans have taken over thousands of years from Africa to South America. Paul’s documentation consists of videos, pictures, and detailed commentary. In this post I am going to highlight a few of the places I found to be absolutely stunning.
Silk Road– Paul embarks on a journey through Afghanistan. A place where many people associate a War zone. I have always thought of Afghanistan as a dry desert land with minimal accommodations. In Paul’s documentation, you can see a land that really is beautiful. Paul documents men coming back on yaks after checking on the land beyond the Wakhan corridor. These men are ensuring the grass is growing and is maintained for the animals when winter comes. These men have to ensure no animals are eating or using the grass before it is harvested.
Traveling the Holy Land– Paul talks about an encounter with a Palestinian farmer. The man is very upset to see “settlers” on his land. He tries to get Paul and his guide to leave his land, but the men ask to stay. It is here Paul says the man, Khaled Daraghmeh, yells at his son to stop video taping the encounter and to get the men tea. Daraghmeh explains he has to video tape all encounters with settlers because they have been harassing farmers, going as far as physically abusing them. The men continue to talk about how they would like to see a peaceful land instead of the violence that has been ensuing.
Walking the Brahmaputra– As I am writing this blog post, Paul is in India. Just a few weeks ago, he was walking the Brahmaputra River. Paul talks about how important this walk is for many people. They carry their rice on this path, they get to the Khelaupara Bridge, it leads to the Bay of Bengal. This 1,800 mile path has many uses and a history just as long. Paul talks about how the walk has a different meaning for everyone who uses it. He says how everyone is polite, but no one stops to talk. Getting to where you’re going is the reason for the Brahmaputra.