Silk Road Stories

In September I set out to explore the fabled Silk Road with my friend Sue Light. We hopped trains, buses, and the occasional hired car. In a month we covered 3,200 miles—from Xian, China, to Islamabad, Pakistan.

Our quest led us to Tibetan monasteries, Gobi desert ruins, Buddhist caves, oasis civilizations, bazaars and China's new high-rise "ghost towns."

We also experienced every bump of the legendary Karakoram Highway, which weaves its way through five great mountain ranges: the Pamir, the Kunlun, the Karakoram, the Hindukush and the Himalaya.