The Marco Polo Odyssey is history wrapped in adventure. This is the account of Harry Rutstein's ten year 13,000-mile overland journey from Italy to China in pursuit of the thirteenth century explorer.
Marco Polo Foundation, Inc.
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Seattle, WA 98122
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The Expeditions
We welcome you to travel with an intrepid American in search of the exoctic regions and cultures of Marco Polo's thirtteenth-Cenlury world.
Harry Rutstein. executive director of the Marco Polo Foundation. set out in 1975 to record afresh Polo's journey, a trip Marco took with his father and uncle in 1271.
It took three major expeditions and finally in October 1985 Rutstein arrived in Beijing to become the first person in 700 years to authentically follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo.
This website will help you relive these exciting expeditions through the magic of the Internet.
1975 Expedition
On July 20, 1975 three adventurers left Baltimore, MD for Venice Italy where they began to recreate the journey of Marco Polo.
1981 Expedition
In the summer of 1981 Harry Rutstein picked up the trail of Marco Polo in the Hindu Kush and Karakoram mountains of Pakistan.
1985 Expedition
After a dozen years of negotiaton. Harry Rutstein finaly won approval from the Chinese.
Harry Rutstein
Harry Rutstein was the first person to have made the journey from Europe to Asia following Marco Polo. Like Marco Polo, Harry Rutstein has been a merchant of high technology in China for 20 years. He and his wife reside in Seattle, Washington.
View a photo gallery and video trailers of the three expeditions taken by Harry Rutstein and his fellow travelers.