Asia
To rediscover time, go for a walk
National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been walking across continents for his project, the Out of Eden Walk. In that time, his perception of the flow of time has changed drastically from his former sedentary life. He joins Host Marco Werman to explain what he means by that, and shares his discovery of what he calls “walking time.”
A pilgrimage turns to tragedy as scorching heat causes 1,300 people to die during the Hajj
Performing the five days of the Hajj is a profoundly spiritual and physically demanding task. But this sacred journey turned deadly for many this year as temperatures soared beyond 124 degrees in Saudi Arabia’s holiest city of Mecca. Faisal Kutty, professor at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, speaks with host Marco Werman about what made this Hajj fatal for many pilgrims.
Lacquerware artisans are still displaced by earthquake in Japan
Thousands of people are still displaced following an earthquake in Ishikawa prefecture in Japan on Jan. 1. The epicenter of the quake was on the Noto Peninsula, an area known for its deep traditions, including a distinct style of lacquered tableware and teaware made in the town of Wajima. The earthquake triggered a fire in Wajima, and lacquerware craftspeople lost workshops full of specialized tools. Hannah Kirshner caught up with some of these artisans in Yamanaka Onsen, at the southwest corner of Ishikawa, where some have relocated, to see how the move might redefine this centuries-old craft.
Out of Eden Walk: Walking Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor
Afghanistan’s wild and mountainous Wakhan Corridor is an isolated region, home to the rare snow leopard and to a human culture that has gone unchanged for centuries. People still get their flour for baking from water-powered grist mills. Host Marco Werman speaks with National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek about his trek through this rugged alpine wilderness.