Beijing, Harbin & Ulaanbataar
Early June, 2011
Rustiocello da Pisa's stories of the young Marco Polo journey to the East has always fascinated my imaginations.
Throughout my childhood I wondered how someone could spend years on the route to uncertainty. The person and
the term Marco Polo, has adapted and found a place in modern terminology even though the proof of his existence
relies on a myth. The book written by Rustiocello on Marco's journey from Venice to China has no factual backing.
During his stay in China in the late 13th Century, Marco apparently became good friends with the Mongol ruler,
Kublai Khan, never the less no records in China show a relationship between an explorer and the ruler. But even
more bizarre is that there is absolutely no records at all in the Chinese history of Marco being in China at all. At that
time everything was recorded, the exact number of people in villages in cities and any notable characters. Also very
strange is that Marco Polo describes in great detail of obscurities within cultures & customs, but he fails to mention
anything of 'chop sticks', which were only used in the far East at that time. But what hits the nail for me of being
skeptical of Marco's existence is that he traveled to Beijing and didn't write anything about the Great Wall of China,
a wall stretching over 3,000 miles... very strange.
Throughout my childhood I wondered how someone could spend years on the route to uncertainty. The person and
the term Marco Polo, has adapted and found a place in modern terminology even though the proof of his existence
relies on a myth. The book written by Rustiocello on Marco's journey from Venice to China has no factual backing.
During his stay in China in the late 13th Century, Marco apparently became good friends with the Mongol ruler,
Kublai Khan, never the less no records in China show a relationship between an explorer and the ruler. But even
more bizarre is that there is absolutely no records at all in the Chinese history of Marco being in China at all. At that
time everything was recorded, the exact number of people in villages in cities and any notable characters. Also very
strange is that Marco Polo describes in great detail of obscurities within cultures & customs, but he fails to mention
anything of 'chop sticks', which were only used in the far East at that time. But what hits the nail for me of being
skeptical of Marco's existence is that he traveled to Beijing and didn't write anything about the Great Wall of China,
a wall stretching over 3,000 miles... very strange.
And by the way, you can not see me from space!
They might have used a billion bricks to try to prevent the Mongolians from enter, but fixing a chair properly seems
to be a more difficult task.
to be a more difficult task.
Three weeks into the Preduce China trip, the Thai's became immune to long train rides, the Chinese cuisine and
the smog, but could they get adjusted to the Manchurian cold climate? We trained up to Harbin to find out & find
some skatespots along the way.
the smog, but could they get adjusted to the Manchurian cold climate? We trained up to Harbin to find out & find
some skatespots along the way.
Leo Anzevui from Laussane in Harbin.... I could have not predicted this a year ago when I was with him in Switzerland .
Peter ready to fly back home...
Harbin is famous for the Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival which is held throughout January and February each
year. Since our main intentions relied on skateboarding, we didn't quite plan our visit for the right month looking
from a touristic point of view. Never the less, I was anxious to check out the heart of Manchuria, the northern
eastern part of China, which was invaded by the Japanese, fought by the Russian and played a key role during
the rise of the Chinese communist-era during the twentieth century.
year. Since our main intentions relied on skateboarding, we didn't quite plan our visit for the right month looking
from a touristic point of view. Never the less, I was anxious to check out the heart of Manchuria, the northern
eastern part of China, which was invaded by the Japanese, fought by the Russian and played a key role during
the rise of the Chinese communist-era during the twentieth century.
Giving the endangered Siberian Tigers, a.k.a. Panthera tigris altaica, a short visit on a rainy day was on top of my
agenda. As much as the Thai's were not immune to the climate, they were used to large cats such as tigers, an
animal which they see on daily bases back home in Thailand, alongside monkeys and elephants. It was a hike
finding the Tiger Reserve, but being in a caged bus with curious Chinese passing through the tigris' home was
something else... Only 300 left in the wild and a couple thousand in preserves.
agenda. As much as the Thai's were not immune to the climate, they were used to large cats such as tigers, an
animal which they see on daily bases back home in Thailand, alongside monkeys and elephants. It was a hike
finding the Tiger Reserve, but being in a caged bus with curious Chinese passing through the tigris' home was
something else... Only 300 left in the wild and a couple thousand in preserves.
Siberian tigers need around ten kilos of meat for their daily diet. They eat chicken, deer, elk, and pigs or monkeys,
fowls, frogs and fish when times get hard.
fowls, frogs and fish when times get hard.
I guess that's not her dream job...
Siberian Tigers don't usually eat humans unlike the Bengal Tigers. In the twentieth century only six cases of man
getting eaten by these large cats have been recorded. But just recently at this same preserve, around early
January 2011, a Chinese bus driver replaced himself as breakfast, when trying to fix the engine of the caged bus.
The entire tourist group on the bus saw him getting eaten alive...
getting eaten by these large cats have been recorded. But just recently at this same preserve, around early
January 2011, a Chinese bus driver replaced himself as breakfast, when trying to fix the engine of the caged bus.
The entire tourist group on the bus saw him getting eaten alive...
Souvenir!
After traversing Ulaanbataar on our '10,000 Kilometers' trip, I didn't really think I would be back in Mongolia any time
soon. Straight after a four week 'Thai-Chi' China tour with Preduce, I found myself on a 30 hour train with Eric Lai,
Anthony Claravall and the Converse China team towards Mongolia. At that moment, I was just confused and
exhausted, I asked myself "What am I doing?"... After almost having Michael Mackrodt & Danny Hochman murdered
by some taxi drivers in 2009, I somehow found myself back on the route to a patriotic country that doesn't quite
welcome foreigners and skateboarders. Watch the ten minute documentary, "Where do we Land?".
soon. Straight after a four week 'Thai-Chi' China tour with Preduce, I found myself on a 30 hour train with Eric Lai,
Anthony Claravall and the Converse China team towards Mongolia. At that moment, I was just confused and
exhausted, I asked myself "What am I doing?"... After almost having Michael Mackrodt & Danny Hochman murdered
by some taxi drivers in 2009, I somehow found myself back on the route to a patriotic country that doesn't quite
welcome foreigners and skateboarders. Watch the ten minute documentary, "Where do we Land?".
Mongolian version of Snickers, Mars and Twix.
Thanks to Converse & Eric Lai! Eric is the person who made this whole experience possible!
I asked Anthony Claravall if he was interested in coming along and helping me out with the filming for the Mongolia
skateumentary. He was hyped and for the longest time thought that we would be going to Nepal for some weird
reason. He got himself into what he would call a 'shit sandwich'...
skateumentary. He was hyped and for the longest time thought that we would be going to Nepal for some weird
reason. He got himself into what he would call a 'shit sandwich'...
Kirill Korobkov came along as our English interpreter.
