Trade along the ancient Silk Road brought wealth and access to new ideas for those along the route. Like the paths of the Silk Road once did, pipelines now cross this area, bringing oil and gas to Europe and China. Traveling through Kazakhstan, he walked through oil fields that are a key resource in this region. During Salopek’s walk, he has found many examples of how globalism has affected local areas. Today, the people who live along this route are also impacted by trade. The impact of trade along the ancient Silk Road was immense. Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism spread and took root in new areas. Europeans were introduced to algebra, paper-making, and the bubonic plague. Along with the many kinds of goods, traders also brought less tangible things- disease, religion, culture, and ideas. As far back as 2,200 years ago, humans were trading along this web of roads connecting China to the Roman Empire. As part of his walk, Salopek traced the path of the ancient Silk Roads. Among them are interesting connections between the modern world and our past. There are many stories to be told from Paul Salopek’s explorations. He asks the nearest person three questions: Who are you? Where do you come from? Where are you going? These images and encounters will help him tell the story of humanity along his path. Every one hundred miles, he stops and photographs his surroundings. He is sharing his stories through dispatches from the trail, articles for National Geographic, and interviews with news organizations. This storytelling is the main focus of Salopek’s walk. To immerse yourself in the stories of the day and to get to know the people who are behind the headlines, the ordinary people who are behind stories about mass migration, refugee crises, climate change…” As Salopek describes it: “It is about slowing down enough to actually inhabit the stories of the day. The goal is to deeply explore some of the major news stories of our times by talking to ordinary people who are affected. The Out of Eden Walk was born from this desire. But he felt he was missing part of the story and wanted to dig deeper. In 2006, he was jailed in Sudan while working on a story for National Geographic about the Sahel region of Africa.Īs a journalist, Salopek would often fly into an area to cover a story and then quickly leave again. He has reported on topics ranging from the environment to immigration to human DNA. Salopek has covered conflicts and crises around the world. He spent more than ten years traveling through Africa as the Chicago Tribune’s chief foreign correspondent. He crossed his first border at age six when he moved with his parents from the United States to Mexico. Traveling the world is not new for Salopek, either. His work has earned many awards, including two Pulitzer Prizes. He has written for The Atlantic, the Chicago Tribune, National Geographic, and other publications. As he puts it: “I am engaged in a seven, eight, nine-year-long conversation with total strangers.”įollowing a story is not new for Paul Salopek. He has spoken to thousands of people since his walk began. Salopek has conversed with everybody from Turkish pistachio farmers to Saudi generals to Afghan cobblers. Walking gives him more time to look around and to talk to the people he encounters. An important part of Salopek’s mission is to tell the stories of ordinary people. He doesn’t even ride bikes or horses, though he does use pack animals. Besides a few rides on boats or ships, Salopek is walking the entire way. Often, his hosts share a little bit about their lives with him. Sometimes, they give him a place to stay for a night or two. Along the way, he meets people from small villages, cities, and rural farms. During each part of his walk, Paul is joined by a local guide. As he walks through different countries, landscapes, and cultures, Salopek is documenting what he sees and hears. Salopek has named his journey the Out of Eden Walk. He estimates his journey, which he began in 2013, will take about ten years. It took ancient humans around 50,000 years to migrate from Africa to South America. Salopek is following the path our human ancestors took out of Africa about 200,000 years ago. His walk will take him through the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek is walking from Africa to the tip of South America. This is just one moment in what will be a very long walk. The two men and the mule walk away, heading east. Behind them, the hotel where they were staying smokes from a fire caused by a cosmetics bag left in a hot laundry room. Around them, people stand in their pajamas. Two men load their belongings on a pack mule. It is the middle of the night in Yumurtalik, Turkey.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |