The future architect from Chicago, Nathaniel Douglass, 26, and photographer Josh Gerritsen, 25, have realized their ardent dream - to visit Tuva. These young men have lived for almost six months on the yacht “Tannu Tuva” , which belongs to the Douglass family. “I saw the film “Last voyage of the genius” about the unfulfilled dream of the great American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate Richard Feynman, who hoped to visit the exact center of Asia, republic Tannu-Tuva, which he found out about as a schoolboy from Tuvan postal stamps. Tuva became my own dream, too, - says Nathaniel. - We decided to name our yacht by the name of this romantic country - Tannu Tuva”.
Both friends came to the center of Asia from Peking, having transited Mongolia driving a car. “For a few days, we stayed in a Mongolian yurt, lived with sheep herders, rode horses, and learned about the herdsmen’s way of life. All the Mongolian tour companies offer this type of service, - Josh Gerritsen tells us. Josh is trying to build his own career in photography and to overcome the “son” syndrome. He is the son of a super-popular American writer Tess Gerritsen, author of best-selling detective novels.
Both friends are always travelling all over the world. “We do not have any special plans concerning travel. We simply go wherever we can. Usually fate brings us huge numbers of interesting encounters. For example here, in Tuva, - say the friends.
Being great fans of the documentary film “Genghis Blues”, the story of a trip to Tuva made by the blind American blues musician Paul Pena (the film was nominated for an “Oscar” in the documentary film category), they decided to definitely meet with one of its heroes - the throat singer Kongar-ool Ondar.