Out of Eden Walk

The Out of Eden walk displays copious facts on Paul Salopek and his journey across the world. The very first thing you get to see when viewing the site is the number of days they have been traveling, how many miles they have traveled, the elevation they are at, where they are, etc. This is such a good website for individuals to virtual visit places they may never get to see. When experiences the “Out of Eden Walk,” it is like you are along side the travelers doing everything they are!

I wanted to view places that I have never been too, and know little-to-nothing about. There are apparently four chapter options to chose from and multiple “milestones” to view within each chapter. First I clicked on chapter 3 “Milestone 24: Pistachios,” which was documented in Argil, Turkey. Each “milestone” inside every chapter included a little introduction that gives a summary of what traveler is choosing to document and why. My favorite part of this web page is the “encounters” tab. The section shows you a picture of someone the traveler encountered on his/her exhibition, and even gives you a brief description of them through simple questions. The traveler for this “milestone” claimed he was from Elbini, but I could not find any information about that place on the internet. At the bottom of the tiny questionnaire it shows when and where they met the unknown person. My favorite part about this particular post is the videography and photography. The pictures were beautiful and the videos made me feel like I was watching a movie but just a very truthful and realistic version of something you might see in a film.
The more I view these “stories,” it honestly just feels like a friend or family went on a vacation and documented most of it to show it to me. I feel like each “milestone” involves a quirky and unique fact or story behind it. It honestly felt like I was living vicariously through other people while viewing the pictures and films the travelers took. Next, I viewed chapter four “Milestones 39: Wind.” This experience took place in Ustyurt Plateau, Uzbekistan. I was super intrigued to read more about Uzbekistan and see what it was like, considering I have never even heard of it. I enjoy the map feature on this site because I get to view what other places are around the area and gain geographical knowledge.
I viewed one of Paul’s very first posts on the “Out of Eden Walk” and it contrasts greatly to the more recent expeditions. The first couple of post do not contain as much information or pictures and videos. The newer content is a lot more organized as well as overall more information. I like how they upgraded their project and made it more visual appealing for the viewer. The older post felt like they were from a stranger who went to a different country and wrote a blog on it, while the newer post were more personal and detailed.
I really appreciate the fact that National Geographic put this project together and made it apart of their website for others to enjoy. I personally loved being able to view Paul journey, even more so because I felt like I was there with him. I think this website could be used in the classroom if you wanted your students to learn more personal facts and details about certainly regions of the world that are less explored or mentioned. I think students would love this site so they can see other countries and learn about places they have never even heard of before. Showing them this site might advance them compared to other classes or students who do not review global projects such as this one.