Brady Fotheringham's fascinating cycling tour, as recounted in his book On the Trail Of Marco Polo, certainly is not disappointing when it comes to providing the reader with an excellent foundation in understanding the geography, economics, political and social conditions that characterize four nations, two deserts and five mountain ranges.

The pilgrimage entailed cycling through some of the old "Silk Road" routes in China and down through the mountains into Pakistan. However, as indicated by the author, it was not so much a cycling excursion but a cultural odyssey.

Asia's ancient "Silk Road" is history's most famous trade route and one that has several different branches comprising an amalgamation of several roads and passages, many which are nothing more than mule tracks. It spreads over an area of 6000 km from China to modern-day Turkey.

How was this to be accomplished? By dividing the trip into three stages: China's Tian Shan Mountains, the Takla Makan desert and the Karakoram Highway.

Throughout the book the author considers his readers as fellow cyclists. As we travel along with him, we can feel the hostile environment of the Takla Makan desert, an area with very little vegetation, its harsh climate, dangerous winds and lack of a continuous water supply.

We are witness to some of the highest mountains in the world, and where four of the greatest ranges in the world converge - the Himalayas, Pamirs, Karakorams and Hindu Kush. Market towns with mystic names like Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent and Kashgar are introduced to us, as they were "towns that once thrived as way stations and supply depots for weary travellers."

Our interest is continually maintained with not only the author's keen perceptions but also his sense of focus and self-discipline. Without focus it would have been impossible to cover long distances day after day, experiencing the desolation and bleakness of the mountains and the desert.

His deft description of the food he endured is most aptly portrayed when he states, "I was counting on a strong immune system to get me through the dubious food and water I ate and drank." There was always the possibility of experiencing unpleasant bouts of diarrhea. An unpleasantness compounded by a lack of proper toilet facilities. You can well imagine!

The author's encounters with Tajik farmers, tribal warlords, Afghan tank commanders, child beggars and Chinese police reinforces his statement, "travel is not so much about where you go as what happens when you get there."

Upon completing the book the reader can most definitely concur with the author: "travel in faraway places, especially rigorous travel, offers us a holiday from the filtered, pasteurized and preservative-laden society we live in."

It opens up our minds and changes the way we look at ourselves as well as other cultures.

"Copyright 2002, Bookideas.com. Originally published at Bookideas.com"