Traveling China's Silk Road: Dispatches
You’re invited to follow along as Tim and Mike embark on a remarkable journey into China’s wild western frontier. They are traveling over 6,000 miles along China’s ancient Silk Road. Their odyssey explores a remote corner of the most populous country on earth, and the most dangerous desert in the world. View the interactive map to learn more about the route and its history.

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June 11, 2006 – Tim’s final thoughts — Trip reflections

June 11, 2006 – Tim’s final thoughts — Turning down Everest

June 11, 2006 – Tim’s final thoughts — Risks and equipment

June 11, 2006 – Tim’s final thoughts — Lao Wang

May 30, 2006 – Back in Beijing

May 24, 2006 – Detained by the National Security Bureau

May 23, 2006 – Unrelenting sand storms

May 19, 2006 – Invited in by a friend of a friend

May 17, 2006 – Lost in the desert; laptop dies

May 17, 2006 – Shipton’s Arch and its goat herder

May 15, 2006 – A lucky donkey and an unlucky rooster

May 11, 2006 – Taken in by the Loulan Beauty

May 10, 2006 – Heading into the dangerous desert, and why everyone is named “Lao”

May 9, 2006 – Learning the ins and outs of the cable car

May 9, 2006 – The mountains call

May 8, 2006 – The Karez System, a construction feat of ancient China

May 8, 2006 – Reaching Turpan, the desert oasis

May 7, 2006 – Riding a camel, comes at a much negotiated price

May 7, 2006 – Frustrations mount over driving non stop

May 6, 2006 – The unrelenting drive

May 6, 2006 – Reaching the spectacular desert and seeing the Great Wall

May 5, 2006 – Dinner, Drinks, and Autographs

May 5, 2006 – First glimpse of the Great Wall

May 5, 2006 – This is right out of Lawrence of Arabia

May 4, 2006 – Axle damage halts progress

May 4, 2006 – A broken axle stops progress

May 3, 2006 – The Yellow Sky of China

May 3, 2006 – Fender Bender with a Taxi in Tianshui

May 2, 2006 – Tim describes his high-tech gear

May 1, 2006 – Experiencing throngs of people in Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City

April 30, 2006 – Mike gives his impressions of Beijing

April 29, 2006 – Mike attends his father's funeral, and begins the trip