Adieu Thor Heyerdahl

Thor Heyerdahl won fame in 1947 by sailing from South America to Polynesia on a balsa raft, the Kon-Tiki. He died in April 2002.

In 1947, the Oslo University-trained zoologist and five Scandinavian companions set sail on their raft from the port of Callao in Lima, Peru, to demonstrate his controversial theory that the South Pacific islands may have been settled by ancient Peruvian Indians using similar watercraft -- a theory that defied the prevailing anthropological view that all South Pacific peoples originally came from Southeast Asia.

Critics warned that his primitive balsa sailing vessel, named after the Peruvian sun god, would become waterlogged and sink within two weeks. But after nearly 4,300 nautical miles and 101 days at sea, the Kon-Tiki landed on a Polynesian atoll.

Heyerdahl's lively chronicle of this remarkable adventure, "Kon-Tiki, Across the Pacific by Raft," became a best-seller that has since sold 30 million copies and has been published in 67 languages.

I read this book at the age of 11. It fired my imagination, because it had a fascinating mix of archeology, science, travelling, audacity, and independent thinking. All kids should read it.

© Copyright 2002 Kalle Barfot. Last update: 2002-04-22; 22:10:47. This theme is based on the SoundWaves (blue) Manila theme.