Published on Sep, 2024
I had read "Kon-Tiki," the rapturous adventure of this raft voyage from Chile to the Polynesian Islands, when I was 12. Never did I ever think that almost 60 years later I would be standing within a few feet of the actual craft. The museum does an excellent job of not only telling but showing the entire history -- from conception to planning, from voyage to international acclaim. We spent over three hours here for in addition to the Kon-Tiki, it features the papyrus reed craft used to sail from South America to Europe. I highly recommend taking the extra hour to view the Oscar-winning, hour-long documentary that used a home move camera to capture what daily life on the voyage was like. It brought me there, to the actual voyage, where I got to see how these brave adventurers (including one who was a member of the brave Norwegians who blew up the Nazi's heavy water plant) adapted to ever changing conditions -- many of which had not before been chronicled. I kept wondering if I would have had the courage to attempt it. I concluded that the 12-year-old me is still very much alive as I was filled with awe and wonder.