Just saying the term “the Silk Road” conjures up images of far-off and fabulous places just shy of pure myth. Actually a system of routes over land and sea, the Road was the interstate highway system of its time, linking cities and nations that were legendary in the minds of most, save a few hardy merchants. Beginning in the imperial Chinese city of Xian, the Silk Road then shot off in different directions; the “main” stretch wound its way from China through the Middle East and all the way to Constantinople (Istanbul), with off-ramps leading to India, Africa, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia. It was a big deal.
And it still is. It’s not quite as busy as it was back in the day, but the Silk Road is still very much alive, and the cities along its routes are still bustling with the same goods as they were 1000 years ago, silk being just one. Gold, silver, spices, carpets, glass, art, and ideas all sloshed back and forth along the road, and they still do. In other words, if you take a trip along the road today, you will do what you would have done 1000 years ago: shop.
Empires came and went, but the Silk Road remained. Once you get into Central Asia, you can see an obvious hybridization of influences from East and West that became its own “thing.” Silk Road cities like Merv, Tashkent, and Samarkand were some of the first places in world where multiculturalism was the way to go. It’s also about history, culture, archeology, and lot and lots of other horizon-broadening experiences, but it is also an exercise in planning.
The only way to truly experience the Silk Road is to travel along a good portion of its length. In the day, that meant a two-year trip. Modernity reduces that time drastically, but also adds a new hitch. Today the road runs through several different countries, some of whom don’t like each other: Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Iraq, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, and finally China (and that’s just the main route). Some of these countries are perfectly cool to visit, like China; some you need to watch your Ps and Qs, like Tajikistan, and others are just plain bonkers, like Afghanistan.
“Winging it” is not going to serve you well here. Be sure to contact Steele Luxury Travel for all of your booking needs to Thailand and beyond. www.SteeleTravel.com