1 |
Captain, it is a real pleasure to meet you, I have heard a lot about you. If you are interested in an adventure, I might have a proposition for you. Let’s discuss it over lunch! |
2 |
I can guarantee you that you have never been a part of a voyage like this! I plan on constructing a traditional Polynesian Kon-Tiki raft. I want to sail from South America to Polynesia. Are you in? |
3 |
The reason for this odd voyage is to prove that Polynesians could have South American heritage. For this, I need proof they could travel across the Pacific so I am going to make such a trip myself. |
4 |
I am glad I got you on board, captain! I will go with a small, tight crew, so I want you to pick your best two men. Bring the others along too though, they can help with the construction of the raft. |
5 |
Captain, it’s been a pleasure. Let’s meet again in a month on the coast of Peru to build our boat and set out on the adventure. Don’t forget to bring supplies and money for anything else we might need! |
6 |
It is so good to see you again, captain! We have a lot of work ahead of us, but for now, I would like you to meet two of my friends who will sail with us. Let's get to know each other over a glass of wine! |
7 |
Now that we all know each other, let’s get to work! I would like to have our traditional Kon-Tiki raft built and on the water within a month. |
8 |
Captain, I know it might slow us down by a couple of weeks, but I think that we should use only basic stone tools that were available thousands of years ago to keep the expedition as authentic as possible. |
9 |
We’re almost done with our boat, but I noticed that most of your men have fallen ill. The local food must not sit right with them. Should we hire some locals to help us finish the boat? |
10 |
Brilliant, the local lads really got to work and we should be ready to set sail on our Kon-Tiki expedition! Sail, sail, what does that remind me of… Oh right, we still need a sail! |
11 |
Alright, we have all of our supplies, the food, water, and some clothes. The four of us are ready, so go get your men and let the Kon-Tiki expedition begin! |
12 |
How are you holding up? It’s been a tough two weeks since the start of our voyage. However, we have a long road ahead of us still and we need to keep our energy levels high! And sugar is best for that. |
13 |
I have noticed we are starting to run low on salted beef and fish, but I think I’ve noticed a flock of sardines. Should we let the net out and fish to make sure we don’t run out of food? |
14 |
It is tough to know for certain, but I think we might be nearing the halfway point of our voyage! We need to make sure to keep our vitamin C intake high. Wouldn’t want to get scurvy stranded on a raft. |
15 |
Can you see those clouds, captain? It looks like we have a big storm coming tomorrow. I was hoping it would not come to this, but we should reinforce the hull with iron beams. I won’t risk our lives here. |
16 |
Well, we have made it through the storm! We just need to make some small repairs to the edges of our raft, but I am confident we can make it to the island of Raroia in time. |
17 |
We are here! Our voyage was successful, captain! We encountered some harsh weather, but we still made it to Raroia on a Kon-Tiki raft. Let’s celebrate our achievement and build a small monument here. |
18 |
The raft is in a rough condition, captain. The smartest thing to do now is to pay for passage to New Zealand on a merchant boat and then fly back to Europe. It won’t be cheap, but we will get home safely. |
19 |
Ah, it feels so good to be home! Apparently there is a ceremony being held in our honor. We will need our strength for it. Can I offer you a drink? These copper cups have been in my family for generations! |
20 |
Incredible! There will be an unveiling of a statue of me in my hometown! The Kon-Tiki expedition really has changed my life, but I cannot wait to be back out on the sea. |
21 |
Captain, it’s been a while! I have a great opportunity for us, you will never guess what. We are going on a scientific expedition to the Easter Island, but we need a strong crew to get us there. |
22 |
It is summer in our destination in the southern hemisphere but a lot of our journey there will still be during the winter. We better pack some warm sweaters, captain! |
23 |
It’s been smooth sailing so far, captain. We’ve brought enough supplies, but some of the scientists who are not accustomed to long trips are craving fresh food. Let’s set out the nets and see what we catch. |
24 |
Your men have caught some beautiful fish, captain! This will surely make the voyage to Easter Island more pleasant for my colleagues. Let’s tin the rest, we wouldn’t want it going to waste. |
25 |
We have finally arrived! My colleagues and I need to get to work on the excavations but some of our tools got damaged on the way here. Could you help fix them? |
26 |
Captain! You will not believe this! One of my colleagues, Arne, dug up a massive boulder carved to resemble a head. I have never had a find like this in all my years of archaeology! |
27 |
We have kept digging and found more of these “Easter heads”. They are all unique with different carvings, truly one of the most fascinating things I’ve seen! This definitely calls for a celebration. |
28 |
I have had a discussion with the locals. They do not seem too happy with us taking the heads, but they will allow us to take two of them, for a fee of course. It is sizable, but these things are invaluable. |
29 |
We should secure the heads, which the locals tell me are called moai, with wooden beams. The safety of my colleagues and your crew is a priority and we can’t have these heads rolling around on deck. |
30 |
It’s been smooth sailing so far, but as we get into more frequented waters, I think we should cover the heads up. We can’t have anyone stealing our find! |
31 |
Captain, I have got a new expedition planned that might be of interest to you. I want to cross the Atlantic from Morocco to the Caribbean on an ancient Egyptian boat. I’ll tell you more over some dinner. |
32 |
I am so glad you agreed to sail with me again, captain! Gather your crew and let’s go to Morocco to make our boat. My fellow scientists will meet us there. |
33 |
Sunny Morocco! What a pleasant change from Norway, it is quite gloomy this time of year. We need to make sure we have enough supplies for our voyage. |
34 |
Right, we need to get to work. I have the ancient Egyptian boat plans here. They used only papyrus, and though it will be less authentic, we should use some wood to reduce costs. |
35 |
Well, the boat is ready, captain. We ought to arrive in Barbados but we might dock elsewhere if the stream takes us off course. Let’s have a drink with my lucky copper cups and set sail for the Caribbean! |
36 |
Captain, we have an issue! The first week has been smooth sailing but once the waves got higher, the front of our ship started dipping and now we’re taking on water. We need to stay strong! |
37 |
We are still taking on water but the weather has favoured us, so it’s manageable. We are not far from the islands, I believe we can make it there if we keep our chins up and energy high! |
38 |
Captain, do you see the storm clouds ahead? We will not be able to make it through. Send out a distress signal and offer a reward to anyone who will take us back to Norway. |
39 |
A fishing ship has picked us up and they are taking us to Norway. The fee is quite hefty but they are willing to reduce it if we help them out. |
40 |
I don’t know what to do, captain. This was a failure and I am not used to failure. I do not feel worthy of that statue right now. |
41 |
Captain, it is good to see you again, it has been a while! Don’t worry I have not given up, I want to make the voyage again, Ra II, if you will, but I want to do everything I can to succeed this time. |
42 |
First things first, we have to get the boat right as that was the main reason we failed last time. I have hired boatmakers from Bolivia to make one for this expedition, but they aren’t cheap. |
43 |
I also want to leave some of the scientists behind and get your most experienced men with us on board in case something goes wrong again. Get your crew and let’s make our way to Morocco. |
44 |
It feels good to be back in Africa. I am nervous, but also ready. Let’s load our supplies on the boat, set course for the Caribbean, and begin the voyage. |
45 |
It has been quite the harsh first week of our voyage so I am very glad that your men have been here to help with repairs on the go. Don’t know what I would do without them, captain. |
46 |
We have made it through the storm, captain! Now that the weather has calmed down, my colleagues and I need to collect some mud samples from the ocean floor with our tools. |
47 |
We are running low on supplies, captain! These are the last of our canned fish for the next couple of days until we get to Barbados. We can set out the nets but I’m not too hopeful. |
48 |
Captain, one of the scientists went overboard after a big wave. We managed to pull him back in, but he suffered a deep gash in his arm as he fell out. We need something to wrap it to stop the bleeding. |
49 |
We have arrived in Barbados! We’ve done it, captain! Our expedition was successful! We do need to build an anchor for our ship until our transport back to Norway gets here though. |
50 |
Captain, it has been amazing to have you accompany me on my travels. Continue with your adventures, and one day you too might get a statue in your hometown! |
Final |
Thank you for your company on our adventures. |