Thor Heyerdahl (1914 – 2002)

Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian adventurer and ethnographer with a background in zoology, botany, and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands.

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“Otherwise he was glad we had missed our landing, for he still had three books to read.” 

“It was a great moment on board when two large boobies were spotted above the horizon to westward” 

“Pearls rarely turn up in oysters served to you on a plate; you have to dive for them.” 

“Agreement and acceptance rarely stimulate experiments and progress.”

“Если вы не в состоянии справиться с собственными демонами, последнее, что вам остается - дрейфовать посреди Тихого океана на маленьком плоту...” 

“The task of science is investigation pure and simple,” he said quietly. “Not to try to prove this or that.” He” 

“The dolphin (dorado), which is a brilliantly colored tropical fish, must not be confused with the creature, also called dolphin, which is a small, toothed whale.” 

“But you can’t navigate a raft,” he added. “It goes sideways and backward and round as the wind takes it.” 

“The Kon-Tiki expedition opened my eyes to what the ocean really is. It is a conveyor and not an isolator.” 

“I definitely smelled a delicious odor of steak and onions. But it turned out to be only a dirty shirt.” 

“Then we heard, rather faintly, in the receiver: “If all’s well, why worry?” 

“When the day of our departure was approaching, we went to the regular passport control office to get permission to leave the country. Bengt stood first in the line as interpreter. “What is your name?” asked a ceremonious little clerk, looking suspiciously over his spectacles at Bengt’s huge beard. “Bengt Emmerik Danielsson,” Bengt answered respectfully. The man put a long form into his typewriter. “By what boat did you come to Peru?” “Well, you see,” Bengt explained, bending over the mild little man, “I didn’t come by boat. I came to Peru by canoe.” The man looked at Bengt dumb with astonishment and tapped out “canoe” in an open space on the form. “And by what boat are you leaving Peru?” “Well, you see, again,” said Bengt politely, “I’m not leaving Peru by boat. I’m leaving by raft.” “A likely story!” the clerk cried angrily and tore the paper out of the machine. “Will you please answer my questions properly?” 

“dissidence and controversy are what bring science forward. Agreement and acceptance rarely stimulate experiments and progress.” 

“SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE IN FATE, OTHERS DON’T. I DO, and I don’t. It may seem at times as if invisible fingers move us about like puppets on strings. But for sure, we are not born to be dragged along. We can grab the strings ourselves and adjust our course at every crossroad, or take off at any little trail into the unknown.” 

~ Thor Heyerdahl