In the 13th century the Mongol Empire stretched from the Far East to Eastern Europe, from Beijing to Moscow and beyond. Created by Genghis Khan, and later ruled by his grandson, Kublai Khan, it was the greatest continuous land empire the world has ever known. To explore these vast and ruggedly beautiful lands, we follow the rail lines of the legendary Trans-Mongolian and Trans-Siberian Railways -- from the Great Wall through the golden dunes of the Gobi to the grasslands of Mongolia. Then along the south shore of 400 mile-long Lake Baikal, the planet's oldest and deepest lake, and across the Siberian steppes to the Kremlin.
Our private train, fitted with mahogany and brass, carries us comfortably through Inner Mongolia, Outer Mongolia, and Siberia. We travel across the far reaches of one continent to the doorstep of another, stopping often to visit with the people and learn about their region's history -- at a remote Buddhist monastery, at a traditional Mongolian yurt camp, and in frontier towns that have grown up along the world's longest railroad. We encounter desert nomads who owe their existence to the steadfastness of their bactrian (two-humped) camels, and Mongolian families whose lives are intertwined with those of their ponies.
Today this part of the world is again in transition due to the far-reaching political changes that recently have swept over the land -- not from the north like the Mongols, but from within. It is an especially fascinating time to travel across Eurasia.
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reprinted with permission of Uniworld.
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