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“ People do not decide to become extraordinary . They decide to accomplish extraordinary things ”
Sir Edmund Hillary
Image © Krystle Wright
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Growing up in an arid region in Southern Africa , it was common to encounter the roving tumbleweed , gambolling seemingly aimlessly across the sparse flat plains , collecting morsels of dust , leaving ashy wisps in its wake . We ’ d chase them , wildly oblivious of their mission : The tumbleweed is a diaspore , a passenger carrier , dispersing seeds in open , arid ecologies .
It ’ s the perfect metaphor for the archetypal explorer : the roamer , guided by the wind , venturing into vast , hostile territories , gathering new influences along the way , and leaving their own ideas to germinate behind them .
Grand odysseys – whether motivated by political expansion , trade , or simply an insatiable thirst for adventure – leave legacies . We pay homage to the great geographical pioneers in photographs ( p14 ), journey along the iconic Trans-Siberian Railway ( p48 ) and the Silk Road ( p58 ), and into a land that the road forgot ( p66 ) – a community that teeters on the brink of change in the shadow of China ’ s new Silk Road Economic Belt .
Explorer Freya Stark said : “ Curiosity is the one thing invincible in Nature ”. Sarah Marquis ( p28 ) lives this message , having spent the last two decades walking the planet – solo – to remind us of our connection with Nature , a relationship that she fears we are in danger of losing completely . Establishing linkages between exploration and the environment are certainly not limited to her : We profile several activists who are using their respective expeditions to raise awareness of the effects of climate change ( p76 ). We also take a look at Asia ’ s new space race , and technological advances to harness resources outside our atmosphere – compelled , in part , by concerns of environmental and resource stress ( p40 ).
What these explorers give us – beyond geographical information , cartographical archives , historical records and fascinating memoirs – is a composite chart of human endeavour . It ’ s brave , bold , and beautiful – but requires us to tread carefully at the best of times .
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Other Asian Geographic Magazines Pte Ltd publications & events :
ASIA DIVE EXPO
ADEX 2018
ALEX W . CAMPBELL