the silk road...

I have currently been reading this book "Shadow of the Silk Road"...a very vivid and well written account of the author's travel from Xian (Central China) all the way to Antakiya (Southern Turkey). Needless to say, I am fascinated and would like to undertake a journey this summer.

While in college I would sometimes brag (mostly in front of girls) that one day I would travel the length of this route. Naturally that bragging led to several dinner dates where we would talk about the history of the Silk Road, various cultures along its path, and how three key Chinese inventions - gun powder, paper and compass - passed through this road towards west and resulted in the rise of western civilization. Inevitably, any mention of China on my campus would turn towards talk of Tibet. And joining the "Free Tibet" Forum was one of the surest ways to get laid with idealistic girls full of dreams and hopes for a better world.

Reading this book has rekindled my interest in fulfilling the promises of my college years. While traveling the full length of it would be quite taxing on time, I would really like to take the road from Xian to the western border city of Kashgar. Another 80 miles west and you would be crossing Khunjrab pass that puts you squarely into Pakistan. You take the Karakoram Highway from there and the next thing you know you are in Islamabad – just in time for the mango season.

The prospect of meeting rosy cheeked Uighur girls along the way makes this journey that much more worth looking forward to