I just learned about the world's longest walk. The trail goes from Cape Town in South Africa all the way to Magadan in far eastern Russia.
Turns out that this hike can be done without taking any ferries, just a walk all the way. Seems incredible to me but my European friends are not so surprised. Something about the geography lessons of the common US education system left me with somewhat of a lack in terms of how I think the world is divided and what is possible and how the land masses are separated. I figured that
at least there would be roadless areas through the Himalaya, or that the crossing from Africa would require a ship.According to the mapping softward that delivers this trail, it is a 22.387 kilometer, that's about 14,000 miles or 5 and a half times across the US from Maine to California. The trail crosses at least 17 countries and six time zones.
Here is a poem by Mary Oliver called 'How I go to the woods' from her book Swan: Poems and Prose Poems
Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single
friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore
unsuitable.
I don’t really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds
or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of
praying, as you no doubt have yours.
Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit
on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds,
until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost
unhearable sound of the roses singing.
If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love
you very much.” Here is a regularly updated list of other things Cory writes
