Left: A Yuan-Dynasty blue and white porcelain vase.

Right: The Tang-Dynasty tri-coloured glazed pottery figurine with the motif of the camel carrying the musifiians shows the plosperous and merry scene

communication and travel facilities. It is hard to imagine the difficulties Marco Polo faced 700 years ago making a journey of over 5,000 kilometres without the modern conveniences that we now all take for granted. However, through his book we are afforded a glimpse into what it must have been like in those days, and his travelogue remains an important and unique historical document. More than that, it  provides would be adventurers like ourselves with inspiration and motivation to continue the task that he began.