Welcome!

Hey guys -- welcome!

This blog is about my upcoming summer trip from Kazakhstan to Croatia (and everything in between). As some of you know, I've talked about traveling across Central Asia for a long time. With a three-month break until I start law school, this summer seemed like the perfect time to do it.

A little bit of (distant) background: in the thirteenth century, Marco Polo left Venice and traveled eastward along the Silk Road. He visited the great cities of the time and (by his own account) had a bunch of interesting adventures. After several years, he reached the Mongol Empire, where he met Kublai Khan. Years later, he returned to Venice where he published stories of his adventures. He's believed to be the first European to make it to East Asia and return home. And all this without a Lonely Planet guide!

My plan is to do Polo's trip roughly in reverse. I'll start my trip in Almaty, Kaz. (once part of Mongolia) and end up in Split, Croatia (once Venetian territory). Like Marco Polo, I want to do the whole thing overland and, where necessary, by boat. Along the way I'll pass through a few different places -- the 'stans of Central Asia, the remaining Silk Road cities, the Caspian Sea, the countries of the South Caucasus, Turkey, Greece and the Western Balkans. My plan is to do it in about two months.

I've read some great travel blogs recently and thought I would start my own. This will probably be pretty simple -- just occasional posts with stories and pics whenever I get internet access. Hope you enjoy!