Marco Polo's Silk Road Redux

The fabulous exploits of Marco Polo, whose name has become synonymous with travel and adventure, included a trek over the history-redefining Silk Road. Marco Polo, who worked with the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan, gained fame and wealth from his expeditions via the Silk Road, an overland trade route that extended from the Mediterranean Sea into China.

Some of the cities or frontier towns along the Silk Road include Samarkand and Tashkent in Uzbekistan; Taraz, Otrar, and Turkestan in Kazakhstan; and Kashgar and Xinjiang in China.

Although today's version of the Silk Road may not be exactly the same as then due to geopolitical and geological reasons, the journey can be very challenging as they traverse rugged terrain thru large mountain ranges and deserts such as the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts.

The journeys of Marco Polo opened the eyes of the world to unprecedented riches and views of the Orient in his time. The reasons for Marco Polo's travels - that of expanding one's horizons - remain true to this day. It is worth reliving the experience, whether virtual or in actuality.

(Video from youtube.com; posted by steve7502 04.08.02)

(Video from youtube.com; posted by tokuo312 11.21.06)

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