Hiking the Glenn Highway through Alaska. Published in Asphalt Pilgrims.
Paul Salopek
Every hundred miles Salopek pauses to record the landscape and a person he meets, assembling a global snapshot of humankind. Milestones reflect straight-line distances, but his walked distances are generally much longer. More on these waypoints here.
Every hundred miles Salopek pauses to record the landscape and a person he meets, assembling a global snapshot of humankind. Milestones reflect straight-line distances, but his walked distances are generally much longer. More on these waypoints here.
1,200 miles of Milestones. There are no portraits of women. This is an artifact of chance. Of geography. Of culture.
We walk through remote Bedouin country. Miles of blank desert. Then — in the vast burning distance — a black dot. The goat-hair tent of a nomad. One day we approach an encampment. Little girls scatter, slink behind thorn scrub. A grown woman, caught in the open 50 yards away, falls suddenly to the ground. She wraps her old cloak over her entire body, head to toe: a mummy. She lies there immobilized, on her back, her faded robe almost the color of sand. She is nearly invisible. She will not move until we leave. The surface of the desert is a griddle. We speak to her husband. We do this quickly. We leave so she can get up.
A wraparound soundscape at this Milestone
This Milestone’s location on a map
Photos of the ground under Paul’s feet and the sky above at this Milestone
A brief question and answer with the first person Paul meets at this Milestone
Naji Suleiman Slayim
Camel and sheep herder, Age 28
Who are you?
I am the son of Suleiman Slayim. There are 10 people living here. My father, mother, three brothers and two sisters, and my brothers’ wives and their children.
Where do you come from?
I was born here. In a tent. I don’t know exactly where. But my identity card says Yanbu.
Where are you going?
We’ll not move from here. I don’t like roads. Roads are bad for camels. My father likes it here. And I like it here, too. But I’ll go where my father says we will go. It’s not about money. If I had a million riyals I would spend it on the camels. Buy more camels. Spend it on alfalfa for the camels.
A video showing the landscape around this Milestone
To comment, log in using one of the options below. If you don’t have an account, write your comment, enter your name and email address, and select “I’d rather post as a guest.” Paul may respond, so keep an eye out.
