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.
We walked up from the industrial port, from the verdigris edge of the Caspian Sea at 200 feet below sea level, and walked out of the city to yet another edge — the oceanic grass steppes of Asia. I stopped to drink my last chocolate milkshake until Tashkent, more than 2,000 miles to the east. People walked to and fro, looking down with inward gazes, absorbed, as if seeking something they’d lost on the sidewalks. And then there were no people at all.
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
Abad Urisbayev, 34, member of regional parliament, his son Abzal, 18 months, and sister Kamila Zhangirkhan, 16
Who are you?
Abad: My name is Abad Urisbayev.
Kamila: I am a human being and student.
**Where …
Who are you?
Abad: My name is Abad Urisbayev.
Kamila: I am a human being and student.
Where are you from?
Abad: I’m from here.
Kamila: I was born here.
Where are you going?
Abad: I’m going to serve my nation. And later today I’m going to go cycling.
Kamila: I’m going to study in Almaty. I want to work in finance.
Observations from social media from the Milestone location
In this region near Akatu, in western Kazakhstan, some tourists are changing their plans due to changes in the weather, and some of the locals are preparing for the Coptic Easter celebration. Someone is posting a video for a horse race, and another is sadly posting about a bad experience at a private clinic. A person is using his Instagram account for e-commerce, selling shorts, watches and other items. The @a_travel_bot account posts this travel tip about Kazakhstan:
“BUY: The stores are on both sides of the street and you can park on the side by meter. Knives and guns are freely available.”
A video showing the landscape around this Milestone
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