Admittedly traveling has been different than we expected. But that again that is to be expected right? The weird thing is that the more we travel the more we know that we aren’t seeing even a fraction of what is out there. Since we don’t have any set travel plans our “plan” is constantly changing. Recently we’ve been thinking more and more about our general trek around the world, realizing that we can’t see the whole world the way we want in two years.
Our goals for the trek are simple: take a long and serious break from our careers to make a difference in our lives and the world, go places and do things that we’ll probably never be able to do again. (Idealistic, I know!)
The recent upheaval in Iran got us thinking about where we really wanted to go and what type of travel experiences we want to have. Which of course led to changes in our proposed itinerary. We’re off to South America next so we have some time, but the new idea is after Africa and the Middle East to overland from to China via the silk road. Thoughts?
Great Idea! I think central Asia is missed on a lot of these trips and there are a lot of cool things!
I think there are certainly pros and cons to every route; however the silk road would be very intersting. Should you put this on the itinerary, I would be interested to hear your present-day perspective on one of the most populous and diverse commerical trade routes that ever exisited. After over 500 years of dimsinishing trade, what remains of the route, its people, and culture? Also, it seems that you would experience a more accurate east-west culutral transition with less impact from urban centers.
Sounds like an amazing trip! Be sure to keep a watch on the situation in China though. There was an extremely bloody riot last week in Urumqi, a major city on the silk road, in Xinjiang Province, and the Chinese officials aren’t letting anyone in or out of the area- esp foreigners! It may go on for a while- never know with China…
May consider going to Lhasa in Tibet (Check out BBC’s “A Year in Tibet”) and taking the “World’s Highest Train” from Lhasa to central China. I’ve heard it’s expensive, but truly an amazing experience! Could also stop by the Everest base camp…
I was in Mongolia 2 years ago and I met up with some people going on the Mongol Rally (you buy a cheap car in London, drive it all the way from there to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, then auction the car for charity) Most people basically took the silk road route, and they all loved it- esp Kazakhstan! If your plans have you in the area in spring or summer, you may be able to hook up with someone and get free or cheap transportation- albeit probably not too comfortable…
Best of luck to you guys!!
This sounds like a great idea—the silk road sounds like an amazing trip. I’ve heard that both Kazakhstan and Mongolia are unbelievable trips. Also, you might be able to pass through Xinjiang and check out cities like Turpan, Tien Shan, amd Urumqi. Plus you could ride the ‘Iron Rooster’ Paul Theroux–style. Even though he’s a grumpy old cynic, sometimes, that book is worth a read even if just for the chapter on the Northwest area of China, ie Xinjian where the silk road passes right through! We’ve added your blog to our blogroll, and have subscribed to your RSS feed. Looking forward to keeping abreast of your travels!
@ Daniel- Thanks for checking us out. We’re posting our budget and gear reviews on the webpage too- hopefully this will help you guys as you prepare for next year! I haven’t read Theroux yet but I’m hoping to read The Old Patagonia Express as we make our way through South America. I’ll have to pick up the Railway Bazaar before reaching Central Asia. We’ll add you guys to our tips-links page as well. Happy planning!
You guys need to confer with your first cousin, who will be in Beijing all year. Her specialty is becoming Western China, and particularly the Xinjian area — check out her blog at http://chinaxinwenblog.blogspot.com/.
@Mellissa-
Thanks for posting! Its always good to have first hand information- have you read “Lost on Planet China?”. I wonder how the authors experience compares to yours.