Follow U.S. immigration and life in the U.S.: Paul Salopek, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist, is embarking on a new life goal: he plans to walk around the world over the course of seven years, covering a total distance of 34,000 kilometers.
Now, Salopek has been on the road alone for nearly a year, having walked through several countries in Africa and currently in Jordan.
Retracing the Migration Route
The 51-year-old Salopek set off earlier this year from the East African Rift Valley in Ethiopia, planning to follow the ancient footsteps of humans who left Africa 70,000 years ago, crossing the Red Sea into the Middle East, traversing China and Siberia, and then entering the United States through the Bering Strait into Alaska, before heading south along the west coast of North America to Chile in South America. Salopek has named this walking journey "Out of Eden."
The beginning was not as smooth as imagined. After departing from the Rift Valley, Salopek headed east into Djibouti. Due to concerns about pirates, he stayed there for six weeks waiting for a boat to take him across the Red Sea into Saudi Arabia.
In the past year, Salopek has walked 2,100 kilometers accompanied by a caravan, writing 40 notebooks, with his longest day covering 55 kilometers.
A Different Experience
Salopek says that most residents in many parts of Africa still rely on walking as their primary means of transportation. During his time in Ethiopia, he walked for several days in the desert without seeing a blade of grass, a brick, or anything related to modern society. This made him feel as if he had "traveled back" to ancient times.
Crossing Saudi Arabia was another experience altogether.
Salopek noted that 83% of Saudi Arabia is urban, a higher percentage than in the United States. The British Daily Mail reported on the 20th, quoting him: "I walked slowly with my caravan along the highway in Saudi Arabia. Sometimes I would pass a Pizza Hut, seeing Saudis inside eating sausage pizza, looking out the window at a gaunt American leading a group of camels slowly along. It was truly a surreal experience."
Salopek plans to write a major article for National Geographic each year during these seven years, with his first article focusing on his experiences in Saudi Arabia, to be published in the December issue of National Geographic.
Everything Under Control
In his year of walking alone, Salopek has maintained good health, with no illnesses, just two blisters on his feet. Although a seventh of the time has passed, and he has covered less than 6% of the journey, Salopek says everything is going according to plan. Next year, he will bypass Syria and traverse Iran and Afghanistan.
Salopek does not miss the modern life of cars and comfortable beds much, but he does feel a bit out of place not being able to easily access the internet for news. What he misses most is his family. Currently, his wife is accompanying him for part of the journey in Jordan.
Salopek has never regretted his decision for this "Long March." He said: "It’s incredibly fun and interesting. I have never felt bored. On the contrary, carrying my luggage and a backpack full of notebooks, walking into a new country is truly a fascinating experience."