One could say The Silk Road represents the physical path of Western desires hunting the riches and culture of the Far East. It was the route used for the movement of Chinese knowledge across Central Asia and into Europe and Africa for over 2000 years.

Our path plans to retrace as much of Marco Polo’s route as possible but as Westerners we expect the current political climate in the Middle East will redirect our journey along the popular northern route, beginning in Eastern Europe through Turkey, passing into Georgia, touching the most southern tip of Russia, crossing the Caspian Sea into Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan (where we will visit Dushanbe, the Sister City of Boulder, Colorado) and either drop into Pakistan or enter directly into China at the far western town of Kashi. We will cross China near the northern border with Mongolia and finally head south to the center of the country at the historical end of the Silk Road, Xi'an.

HISTORY

Silk was one of the most valued treasures traded from China to Europe. It peaked the interest of European rulers and eventually led the way for many ancient Chinese secrets to move west.

Trade along the Silk Road predates the domestication of Camels, the birth of Buddha, the creation of paper, porcelain, gunpowder, paper currency, block printing, the Islamic faith, Christianity, and much more. It felt the footsteps of the conquerors Alexander The Great, Atilla The Hun, Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, The Ottoman Empire, The Roman Empire, and eventually met it’s most famous merchant, Marco Polo (1275 BC).

Throughout the centuries, wars were won and borders shifted forcing the path of trade to change to keep up with the economic demands of those in power. Historically, the most recognized route of the Silk Road is that taken by Marco Polo running from Italy to China directly through the Middle East.

In addition to the political dangers involved in crossing the borders of possessive empires, the caravans of traders had to face the dangers of bandits, dehydration and disorientation in the vast Gobi Desert, and extreme weather in the high mountains of the Pamirs. To this day many of the physical hardships traders faced on the Silk Road still exist and we have no doubt that a trip like ours will not be a journey for the weak, either physically or emotionally.

OUR PLANNED ROUTE

DETAILED ROUTE OF CENTRAL ASIA