On the Trail of Marco Polo: Along the Silk Road by Bicycle

Sharn Griffin is associate editor of the Canadian Book Review Annual.

Invited on a mountain-biking adventure by a British friend, Brady
Fotheringham spent three months cycling along much of the old Silk Road
trading route through some of the toughest and exotic areas in Central
Asia. The Silk Road, made famous in Europe by the travel journals of
Marco Polo, connects the Mediterranean and Arabic worlds with the Indian
and Chinese. Fotheringham started his trip in Northern China, cycled to
Kashgar, the centre of Muslim Chinese culture, passed through Pakistan
to Islamabad, and then went on a side trip to Afghanistan before
finishing his journey in Delhi, India.

The book includes maps and photos and enough background history and
culture that even a reader unfamiliar with that part of the world can
enjoy the story. But readers will learn as much about Fotheringham as
about where he traveled. Especially interesting are not just his
interactions with the local people, which are extremely colorful, but
also his encounters with other travelers. With the exception of
Afghanistan, there were always other foreigners around having sometimes
similar but often wildly different experiences that they shared.

Considering that the author’s mode of travel is not one most people
would find tempting, especially in the conditions he describes, On the
Trail of Marco Polo is a wonderfully fascinating travel adventure.