28 April to 7 Aug 1947
I first read Kon Tiki as a 12-year-old, and have been fascinated by this wonderful story my entire life. As an adult, I read it again (pre-Internet) and now as a 75-year-old, I have just finished rereading this tale of a high seas adventure once again.
While reading the story as an older person, I began to read between the lines of the exploits of the Kon Tiki. It was not a trip planned by James Cameron, the famed director of the movie Titanic, where everything falls into place at the exact moment it was supposed to. It was a sea adventure that almost did not happen. Heyerdahl was laughed at and insulted by various corporations, including the National Geographic Society. I suppose in modern terms they did not want the insurance liability of six foolish young men fresh from World War 2 killing themselves on a crazy adventure with a balsa raft lashed together with hemp rope. No modern materials, suchas bolts, screws, or wood cut to precise measurements. The Kon Tiki was to be a simple design as had been used 1500 years ago. The notion of drifting and sailing thousands of miles from Peru out to somewhere, but where exactly no one knew, was considered a foolish adventure.
The most recent movie on Kon Tiki, (“Kon-Tiki,“ 2012), with Norwegian actors (speaking English) was
