Explorer halfway through journey to walk around the world
Summary
TLDRPaul Solomon, a National Geographic explorer, is trekking across the globe on foot for the 'Out of Eden Walk' project. In an interview with Stephanie Sy, Solomon discusses his journey through China amid the pandemic, encountering diverse cultures and traditional lifestyles. He shares insights on migration, emphasizing human movement as a survival tool. Despite challenges, Solomon finds inspiration in the kindness of strangers and the stories they share. His journey offers a unique perspective on global interconnectedness and the enduring spirit of humanity.
Takeaways
- 🌏 Paul Solomon, a National Geographic Explorer, is undertaking a global trek on foot called 'The Out of Eden Walk'.
- 🗺️ His journey has taken him through various countries, including Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and currently, China.
- 😷 The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have forced Solomon to adapt his route, navigating around COVID hotspots in China.
- 📚 Solomon encountered a poet in China who believes he is a reincarnation of an ancient Chinese poet, highlighting the rich cultural experiences on his journey.
- 🏞️ His trek through China's Yunnan province revealed a rural, pastoral economy, contrasting with the common international media portrayal of China as a highly industrialized nation.
- 🐎 He met people who still engage in traditional ways of life, such as horse traders moving cargo over mountains and subsistence farmers.
- 🌐 The media in the U.S. often focuses on the competition between the U.S. and China, but Solomon's experiences show a more nuanced view of Chinese society.
- 👥 Solomon's walk through Yunnan involved interactions with over 25 different minority communities, each with unique languages and cosmologies.
- 🏔️ The landscapes he traversed in China varied greatly, from tropical rainforests to high-altitude snowfields in the eastern Himalayas.
- 🚶♂️ Despite the challenges, Solomon finds energy and inspiration from the people he meets and their willingness to share their stories.
- 🌍 He emphasizes that human movement and migration are not problems but solutions, and a natural part of human history and survival.
Q & A
What is the name of the project Paul Solomon is undertaking?
-The project is called 'Out of Eden Walk.'
What is the purpose of Paul Solomon's trek around the world?
-Paul Solomon is trekking the globe on foot for a project to explore and understand the micro-level stories of the world and human migration.
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected Paul Solomon's journey?
-The pandemic has forced Paul to adapt his route, as he had to skirt around invisible boundaries of COVID hotspots in Western China.
What kind of encounter did Paul Solomon have in China that stood out to him?
-Paul Solomon spent time with a poet who believes he is a reincarnation of an ancient Chinese poet, which was a unique and interesting experience for him.
What stereotypes about China did Paul Solomon have in his mind before his visit?
-Paul had a stereotype of China as a country of megacities, robotic ports, massive traffic, and bullet trains, as portrayed by international media.
What surprised Paul Solomon about his journey through Southwestern China?
-Paul was surprised to find rural, pastoral economies still existing in Yunnan province, with people engaged in manual work and traditional lifestyles.
How many different minority communities did Paul Solomon walk through in Yunnan province?
-Paul Solomon walked through more than 25 different minority communities in Yunnan province.
What types of landscapes did Paul Solomon experience during his walk in China?
-Paul experienced a range of landscapes from tropical rainforests to the snowfields of the Eastern Himalayas at over 14,000 feet.
How does Paul Solomon view human migration in the context of his project?
-Paul views human migration as the oldest tool of coping and survival, and he does not see it as a problem but rather as a solution that societies need to adapt to.
What positive impact do people have on Paul Solomon's journey?
-People along the way offer help and share their stories with Paul, which provides him with positive energy to continue his journey.
What does Paul Solomon suggest about the effectiveness of building walls to stop migration?
-Paul suggests that building walls has never been a successful strategy to stop migration, citing the example of the Great Wall of China.
Outlines
🌏 Journey Amidst Pandemic Challenges
National Geographic Explorer Paul Solomon discusses his ongoing 'Out of Eden Walk' project, a global trek on foot. He shares his experiences walking through China during the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced him to adapt his route due to lockdowns and navigate around 'invisible boundaries' of high-risk zones. His journey has taken him through diverse landscapes and communities, from bustling cities to rural, pastoral areas, challenging his preconceived notions about China.
🏞️ Human Movement: A Tool of Survival
Paul Solomon reflects on the broader implications of human migration, drawing parallels to our nomadic past as a species. He emphasizes that movement has been a fundamental survival strategy for Homo sapiens for hundreds of thousands of years. Solomon does not view migration as a problem but as a solution to challenges such as war, economic hardship, and climate change. He suggests that societies should adapt to this reality rather than attempt to build walls to stop it, referencing the historical ineffectiveness of such barriers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡National Geographic Explorer
💡Out of Eden Walk
💡Pandemic
💡Yunnan Province
💡Rural Economies
💡Stereotype
💡Minority Communities
💡Migration
💡Nomadic Lifestyle
💡Human Movement
Highlights
Paul Solomon, a National Geographic Explorer, is undertaking the 'Out of Eden Walk' project, trekking across the globe on foot.
Solomon's journey has taken him through various countries including Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan, and he's currently in Shaanxi Province in China.
The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns have forced Solomon to adapt his route, encountering invisible boundaries of COVID zones in China.
Solomon's experience in China has challenged his preconceived stereotypes, revealing a country with a mix of modernity and rural, pastoral economies.
He encountered diverse minority communities in Yunnan Province, each with their own language and cosmology.
Solomon's trek has taken him through varied landscapes, from tropical rainforests to the high snowfields of the Eastern Himalayas.
The project focuses on micro-level stories of the world, highlighting the similarities and differences among people globally.
Despite the challenges, Solomon finds positive energy from the kindness of strangers and the stories they share.
Solomon reflects on the nomadic lifestyle, acknowledging the privilege and the hardships faced by those who migrate out of necessity.
He discusses the role of human movement as a tool for coping and survival, emphasizing its importance throughout history.
Solomon does not romanticize the difficulties of migration but views it as a solution and a natural part of human history.
The explorer shares his insights on the futility of building walls to prevent migration, referencing historical and cultural examples.
Solomon's journey has given him a unique and profound view of the world, emphasizing the interconnectedness of human experiences.
He had an encounter with a poet who believes to be a reincarnation of an ancient Chinese poet, adding a cultural depth to his journey.
Solomon's trek has been a journey of adaptation and learning, with each step revealing new insights about the places and people he meets.
The explorer's experience in China has been marked by the contrast between the country's rapid development and its traditional ways of life.
Solomon's reflections on migration and human movement provide a broader perspective on current global issues and historical patterns.
Transcripts
W
MANY STEPS THEY TAKE EVERY DAY,
BUT IT IS A SAFE BET THEY ARE
NOT CLOSE TO PAUL SOLOMON, WHO
IS NOW TREKKING ACROSS
CHINA TO THESE IN POINT, THE
SOUTHERN TIP OF SOUTH AMERICA.
STEPHANIE SY RECENTLY SPOKE WITH
HIM ABOUT HIS PROGRESS.
STEPHANIE: THE NATIONAL
GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER IS TREKKING
THE GLOBE ON FOOT FOR A PROJECT
DUBBED THE "OUT OF EDEN WALK."
WE'VE CHECKED IN WITH PAUL ALONG
THE WAY, FROM GEORGIA,
KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, AND
PAKISTAN, BUT IT'S BEEN SOME
TIME SINCE WE CAUGHT UP WITH
HIM.
AND PAUL JOINS US NOW FROM
SHAANXI PROVINCE IN CHINA. MY
FIRST QUESTION TO YOU, PAUL, IS
WHAT IT WAS LIKE DOING THIS
JOURNEY IN THE MIDST OF THE
PANDEMIC AND THE LOCKDOWNS?
I KNOW IT WASN'T THE PEAK AT
THAT POINT, BUT I'M CURIOUS HOW
THAT AFFECTED YOUR PLANS.
PAUL: I HAD TO ADAPT MY ROUTE.
THERE WERE PARTS THAT WERE
LOCKED DOWN.
AND SO MY WALKING ROUTE THROUGH
WESTERN CHINA LOOKS A LITTLE BIT
ERRATIC. THERE ARE NO MOUNTAINS
IN THE WAY, BUT THERE ARE THESE
INVISIBLE BOUNDARIES OF HOT
COVID ZONES THAT I HAD TO SKIRT
AROUND.
STEPHANIE: I READ IN ONE OF YOUR
DISPATCHES THAT YOU SPENT SOME
TIME WITH A POET THAT BELIEVES
HE'S AN INCARNATION OR
REINCARNATION OF AN ANCIENT
CHINESE POET.
THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
WHAT OTHER STORIES AND ANECDOTES
AND PEOPLE HAVE REALLY STOOD OUT
FOR YOU WHILE YOU'VE BEEN IN
CHINA?
PAUL: THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN
CHINA.
AND SO I HAD, TO SOME DEGREE IN
MY MIND, BUILT UP THIS
STEREOTYPE THIS KIND OF CARTOON
IMAGE OF CHINA THAT WE GET FROM
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE FACTORY OF
THE WORLD, A COUNTRY OF
MEGACITIES OF TENS OF BILLIONS
OF PEOPLE, OF ROBOTIC PORTS, OF
MASSIVE TRAFFIC AND HIGHWAYS,
BULLET TRAINS, ALL OF THAT
EXISTS.
BUT WHAT STARTLED ME A BIT ABOUT
COMING FROM SOUTHWESTERN CHINA
IS THAT I'M COMING THROUGH A
FRONTIER PROVINCE OF YUNNAN,
IT'S ONE OF THESE LAST ENCLAVES
OF RURAL, PASTORAL ECONOMIES IN
CHINA, SO IT WAS VERY MUCH AN
AMAZEMENT TO ME TO WALK THROUGH
MOUNTAIN RANGES AND INTO VALLEYS
WHERE PEOPLE WERE STILL DOING,
YOU KNOW, TINKER, TAILOR,
CANDLESTICK MAKER KIND OF
ECONOMIES OR DOING THINGS WITH
YOUR HANDS.
MEETING PEOPLE LIKE HORSE
TRADERS WHO WERE STILL MOVING
CARGO BY HORSEBACK OVER
MOUNTAINS THROUGH YUNNAN
PROVINCE, PEOPLE DOING
SUBSISTENCE FARMING, PEOPLE WHO
WERE DOING ARTISANAL SORT OF
CRAFTS, WORKING VERY MUCH BY
MUSCLE POWER, NOT ROBOTICS.
STEPHANIE: SPEAKING ABOUT THAT
NARRATIVE, SO MUCH OF WHAT WE
HERE IN THE U.S. MEDIA THESE
DAYS IS ABOUT U.S. COMPETITION
WITH CHINA.
WHAT SHOULD VIEWERS UNDERSTAND
ABOUT THE CHINA THAT YOU'VE
ENCOUNTERED?
PAUL: IT SORT OF COMES WITH THE
TERRITORY OF CROSSING THE WORLD
ON FOOT.
YOU CAN'T REALLY SKIM OVER A
COUNTRY OR A CULTURE OR A
SOCIETY.
IT REALLY FORCES ME TO SLOW DOWN
MY OBSERVATIONS AND TO ABSORB
THE CHINA THAT I'M SEEING IN A
VERY SLOW, IMMERSIVE, NUANCED
LEVEL. [11.2S]
AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF MY WALK
THROUGH THE PROVINCE OF YUNNAN,
I WAS WALKING THROUGH MORE THAN
25 DIFFERENT MINORITY
COMMUNITIES THAT EACH HAD THEIR
OWN LANGUAGE.
THEY SOMETIMES HAD THEIR OWN
COSMOLOGIES.
I WAS WALKING THROUGH LANDSCAPES
THAT VARIED FROM TROPICAL
RAINFORESTS TO, YOU KNOW, THE
EASTERN HIMALAYAS, SNOWFIELDS UP
AROUND 14,000 PLUS FEET, WALKING
THROUGH TAOIST COMMUNITIES,
THROUGH BUDDHIST COMMUNITIES.
THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT THE
MICRO-LEVEL STORIES OF THE
WORLD.
YES, WE'RE EXTRAORDINARILY,
KALEIDOSCOPICALLY DIFFERENT, YOU
KNOW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME,
THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT OUR
LIKE, 90% THE SAME.
STEPHANIE: HAVE YOU BECOME A
WEARY TRAVELER, OR DO YOU STILL
HAVE A LOT OF GAS IN THE TANK?
PAUL: I AM TALKING TO YOU FROM
10 YEARS IN, 12,000 MILES IN,
AND ALL ALONG THE WAY, PEOPLE
ARE HELPING ME.
THEY HAVE NO REASON TO, BUT THEY
REACH OUT THEIR HAND AND SAY,
HEY, DO YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM
DIRECTIONS TO THE NEXT VILLAGE
OR ACROSS THIS RIVER VALLEY, TO,
DO YOU NEED A GLASS OF WATER?
EVERY SINGLE TIME I AM
PRIVILEGED TO HEAR SOMEBODY'S
STORY THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO
SHARE IT WITH ME, GIVES ME
POSITIVE ENERGY TO TAKE THE NEXT
STEPS TO KEEP GOING.
STEPHANIE: IT IS ALSO A
PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE
TO LIVE THIS SORT OF NOMADIC
LIFESTYLE.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE ALSO WRITTEN
ABOUT THE TENS OF MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD THAT DO
NOT HAVE A CHOICE, THEY FEEL,
BUT TO LEAVE THEIR HOMELAND.
YOU'VE WRITTEN ABOUT THAT AND
HAD SOME PROFOUND INSIGHT.
WE LIVE IN AN AGE OF MIGRATION.
IT COULD BE MASS VIOLENCE LIKE
WAR.
IT COULD BE ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS
AND INCREASINGLY CLIMATE CHANGE.
CLIMATE CRISES ARE PUSHING A
WHOLE NEW WAVE OF PEOPLE OUT OF
THEIR HOMES.
I HAVE NO ILLUSIONS ABOUT
ROMANTICIZING THE DIFFICULTIES
OF MIGRATION, BUT AT THE SAME
TIME, HOMO SAPIENS HAVE BEEN
RAMBLING AROUND THIS EARTH FOR
ABOUT 300,000 YEARS, AND UNTIL
ONLY ABOUT 10,000 OR 12,000
YEARS AGO, WE WERE DOING IT
CONSTANTLY, MOVING THE WAY TRUE
NOMADS DO FROM ENCAMPMENT TO
ENCAMPMENT, FROM LANDSCAPE TO
LANDSCAPE, FOLLOWING WILD
ANIMALS, FOLLOWING RESOURCES.
HUMAN MOVEMENT IS THE OLDEST
TOOL OF COPING AND SURVIVAL THAT
WE HAVE IN OUR TOOLKIT, AND I
DON'T SEE IT AS A PROBLEM, PER
SE, ON A BIG LEVEL.
IT'S A SOLUTION.
AND BOY, WE HAD BETTER START
GETTING USED TO IT BECAUSE I'M
NOT SURE OF ANY SOCIETY OR ANY
POLITY IN THE WORLD THROUGH TIME
THAT HAS EVER SUCCEEDED BUILDING
WALLS.
JUST ASK THE CHINESE.
STEPHANIE: WHAT A UNIQUE AND
PROFOUND VIEW YOU'VE GAINED OF
THE WORLD IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER
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