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.
The ferry across the Caspian Sea carried 28 big-rig trucks from Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan. A modern seaborne link in the old Silk Road. The crew of Azeris and Russians were unfriendly. The Turkish truckers locked themselves in their trucks or cabins for the night passage. A ghost ship. Empty. Seemingly adrift. Or so I thought. In the early morning the mess room was trashed: empty whiskey bottles, overflowing ashtrays, broken glasses rocking with the swell across tabletops. The tough peroxide Russian steward came in. She kicked the sleeping truckers off the tables, off the benches. I’d missed something.
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
Irina
Ship Steward. Refused to be photographed. No age given.
Who are you?
I am on boat. I bring breakfast, ok? No photo!
Where are you from?
Russia.
Where are going?
Kitchen.
Observations from social media from the Milestone location
Everyone is coming home to celebrate the new year. A student is expressing her happiness celebrating new year’s eve with family, outside the dormitory. A mother is posting about her cozy celebration with her daughter. Corporations are hosting annual parties, and party organizers are finally getting some rest after working through the week.
A tourist summed up the highlight of her trip: “I’ve been dreaming to escape urban bustle for so long… Go to a quiet place… Be where my thoughts will fall into place. Look at the sea and sip coffee quietly, listen to the wind and to the sea waves. In this very moment everything becomes clear and you are able to see true colours of things.”
A video showing the landscape around this Milestone
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