Visiting Kon Tiki, the raft that crossed an ocean

Visiting Kon Tiki, the raft that crossed an ocean

In 1947 the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean on Kon Tiki, a rudimentary raft from Balsaholz. We went on a trip to see the legendary ship

"Her mother and father will be very sad when she experienced her death," Thor Heyerdahl was said when he prepared to cross the Pacific with his raft.

The dimensions of the raft were wrong, it was so small that it would go down at sea, the balsa tracts would break under stress or wet a quarter into the sea, storms and hurricanes would rinse the crew overboard and salt water would replace the skin immediately - the warnings did not end.

In fact, according to the experts, "there was no piece of rope, no knot, no measure in the whole raft, no piece of wood that would not make us sink at sea," Heyerdahl wrote in his first hand report on the dangerous journey.

And yet the Norwegian explorer insisted on his so -called suicide mission. His intention? In order to prove the theory that migrants from South America could have populated Polynesia in Precolumbian times.

Critics called it impossible and warned that the makeshift rafts of the Vor-Eink peoples could not navigate thousands of miles of the open ocean in order to reach the distant islands with Stone Age technology.

Alt = "The Route of the Kon Tiki"

The Route of the Kon Tiki over the Pacific

For the Kon Tiki expedition, Heyerdahl only wanted to complete the trip with the materials and the equipment that was available in precolumbian times, proving that such a trip was possible. The expedition carried some modern equipment with it, such as a radio, maps, sextants and metal knives, but Heyerdahl argued that they would have proven that the raft could go on the trip itself.

On an extensive research trip in Polynesia Fatu Hiva, Heyerdahl had determined the presence of South American plants such as the sweet potato as well as similarities between stone figures on Fatu Hiva and the structures built by old South American civilizations.

He also saw similarities in the physical phenomena, rituals and myths of the Polynesians and South Americans and heard Polynesian elders speak of a demigod called Tiki, who came to the islands from a large country beyond the eastern horizon.

Despite his lack of sailing experience - and the fact that he could not swim - Heyerdahl set out to prove that his theory was possible. He collected money through private loans, equipment donations from the US Army and a five-member crew with the promise "nothing but a free trip to Peru and the South Sea and back".

Alt = "Kontiki Museum"

Kon Tiki's only protection offered an open bamboo hut from the elements

Heyerdahl's small team consisted of Erik Hesselberg, navigator and artist; Bang Danielsson, translator and clerk; Knut Haugland, radio expert; Torstein Raaby, radio operator; and Hermann Watzinger, engineer.

The men traveled to Peru and built the 30 -foot x 15 feet of nine balsa wood tribes, which were tied together with hemp ropes, in an indigenous style that is recorded in illustrations of Spanish conquistadors. An open bamboo hut with a roof made of banana leaves offered the only protection against the elements.

With a feast of a coconut against the bow, the raft was called Kon Tiki, after the Peruvian sun god, which is said to have disappeared to the west over the sea; A mythical figure that reflected the Polynesian demigod Tiki who came from the east.

Kon Tiki opened from Peru in the afternoon of April 28, 1947 and began his epic journey over the Pacific Ocean.

• Alt = “Kon Tiki: From left to right: Knut Haugland, Bengen Danielsson, Thor Heyerdahl, Erik Hesselberg, Torstein Raaby, Herman Watzinger”
• old = "Kon tiki: sea breeze"
• Alt = "Kon tiki: shark"
• Alt = "Kon tiki: Watzinger with a Bonito"
• Alt = "Kon tiki: tuna"
• Alt = "Kon tiki: Hesselberg-Sangen"
• Alt = "Kon tiki: in the bamboo hut"
• Alt = "Kon tiki: Slaughter Slebfer ropes"
• alt = "Kon tiki: study the diagram"
• Alt = "Kon tiki navigates a wave"
• old = "Kon tiki with full sailing"
• Alt = "President Truman welcomes members of the expedition in the White House (from left: Knut Hogland, Thor Heyerdahl, Herman Ratzinger, President Truman, Mr. Lykke (embassy council), Erik Hesselberg and Torstein Raaby. Bennett Danielson had stayed on the west coast."

Original pictures of the Kon Tiki expedition

It was this legendary raft that we looked at on our last trip to Oslo in Norway. We made the short bus ride from Oslo Center to Bygdøy with his trio of museums: Fram, the Kon Tiki and the Viking Ship Museum.

Peter, who is a polar research junkie, was most looking forward to seeing the Fram. After reading Heyerdahl's book a few years earlier, I was more excited to see Kon Tiki.

In the foyer of the Kon Tiki Museum we unpacked our many layers and made our way directly to the main attraction. There was the ship of the legends in subdued light.

I stared at it for a minute and felt surprisingly unexcited. Somehow it seemed unreal: a replica or cartoon version of something more serious. I checked and confirmed that it was actually the original raft. It looked too clean, too intact.

Alt = "Kon tiki raft in the middle of damped lighting in the museum"

The main attraction in the Kon Tiki Museum

I walked around the raft and tried to conjure up pictures of the six men who navigated after sun and stars, guided by winds and trends, while struggling against waves that rushed over their masts. Due to its remote location, a rescue would have been almost impossible.

When I stood there next to Kon Tiki, my lack of participation could be best explained by the surrealism of the whole. Heyerdahl and his men sailed over 6,900 km (4,300 miles) of the Pacific Ocean for 101 days. I saw about the same removal of the same ocean and couldn't quite understand how they did it in a provisional raft with Stone Age technology.

After 101 days at sea, Kon Tiki fell on a reef on the island of Raroia on August 7, 1947.

The men were welcomed by locals by a nearby island that arrived in canoes after they discovered drift material from the raft. Heyerdahl and his men were brought to Tahiti - the safe Kon Tiki in tow - and soon enjoyed international recognition because they had successfully completed the trip and proved that Heyerdahl's theory could actually be correct.

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Unfortunately, in later years, linguistic and genetic research proved that Polynesia was populated by peoples from Asia who arrived east in a migration. Heyerdahl had thought it was impossible that the navigators would set sail against the prevailing winds.

In truth, it was exactly the fact that they could use the west wind to safely return home in the event of a failure, which encouraged these old explorers to sail into the Pacific abyss.

The fact that it was difficult to reconcile the ship in the museum with Heyerdahl's legendary journey to harmony speaks for the size of his performance. It was perhaps the indifference that I felt at first, but to see Kon tiki in a bodyy, reminded me of the courage of the discoverers of our past.

Even if there is little to discover from the world, there is still a lot to discover, and we all do well to take our courage together and try something new, even if the probability is great that we fail.

Kon tiki museum: the essentials

What: Visiting the Kon Tiki Museum in Oslo and visiting the legendary raft, which crossed the Pacific Ocean.

Where: We stayed in the Scandic Vulkan Hotel, a modern and environmentally friendly hotel in the pulsating district of Vulkan, not far from the center of Oslo. The hotel is Norway's first hotel in energy class A - which means that it produces almost all of its energy itself.

The stylish rooms have room-high windows with a view of the surrounding quarters, while breakfast-complete with waffle iron and cappuccino machines-is plentiful!

Right next door is the Mathallen Food Hall with a series of boutique restaurants and bars as well as the Akerselva river, which is perfect for walks after breakfast.

When: For the best weather, spring and summer (May to August) are the best time to travel for Oslo. Outside of the season, you can expect that the days are cold and wet under dark sky.

From late autumn the ferries no longer drive, buses are the only alternative. Although the buses drive regularly, they are by no means as pleasant as the ferries and offer far worldly views.

Like: The Kon Tiki Museum in Oslo is located in Bygdøy, a short bus or ferry trip from the city center. The ferry, which runs from the beginning of April to early October, takes off the Pier 3 behind the town hall (Oslo Rådhuset) and takes 10-15 minutes.

If the ferry does not drive, take bus no. 30 instead. This can be climbed on the Kai near the town hall or from the city center and takes about 15 minutes.

There are several other remarkable museums scattered via the Bygdøy peninsula, including the Fram, the Viking ship, the Norwegian shipping museum and the Norwegian folklore museum. All are 15 minutes' walk apart.

Against this background, it is worth buying an Oslo Pass that includes free admission to more than 30 Osloer museums and attractions as well as free ride on all public transport. The passport is available in three pieces:

24 hours: 335 NOK (40 USD) 48 hours: 490 NOK (58 USD) 72 hours: 620 NOK (74 USD) - we chose this

We flew from London to Oslo with a low -cost airline. Book through Skyscanner at the best prices.

Oslo is flown in by three airports: Gardermoen, Torp Sandefjord and Rygge. If possible, we recommend using wardrobes because the other two are further away and require a longer and more expensive transfer. All airports are hit by trains and buses. For more information, see the Visit Oslo website.

You can find more activities in Oslo in the Lonely Planet Guide to Norway.

Additional photography: Fair use

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