All language subtitles for In.The.Footsteps.Of.Marco.Polo.2008.1080p.WEBRip.x264.AAC-[YTS.MX].english

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Man: CAN YOU IMAGINE
ALL THOSE PLACES,

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JUST THE MAGICAL NAMES --
SAMARKAND AND BUKHARA

AND BEIJING AND IRAN
AND AFGHANISTAN, AND...

SO I CALLED UP DENIS, 'CAUSE,

YOU KNOW, WHO ELSE
WOULD BE CRAZY ENOUGH

TO MAYBE GO ALONG
WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS,

AND I SAID,
"WHAT DO YOU THINK, DUDE?"

WE WOULD SIT THERE AND RETREAT
INTO OUR IMAGINATIONS --

"WHAT WAS THIS LIKE FOR MARCO,"
YOU KNOW?

"HOW WOULD IT HAVE
BEEN FOR HIM?"

WE WERE GOING TO TRY
TO MAKE THIS WHOLE JOURNEY

LIKE WE WERE LIVING
IN MARCO POLO'S WORLD.

[ EXPLOSIONS, GUNFIRE ]

[ HEART BEATING ]

Belliveau: "ON THE ROAD
TO BALKH THIS MORNING,

"WE DROVE RIGHT SMACK INTO
THE MIDDLE OF A FIREFIGHT --

"PULLED FROM OUR JEEP
AND FORCED TO OUR KNEES

"IN THE STREET,
THE MUZZLE OF AN AK-47

"SHOVED INTO
THE BACK OF MY HEAD.

"I WAS CONVINCED I WAS
ABOUT TO BE EXECUTED.

"MY FAMILY
WOULD NEVER FIND OUT

"WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO ME
OUT HERE.

MY BODY WOULD NEVER BE FOUND,
AND ALL FOR WHAT?"

[ HEARTBEAT SLOWS ]

[ "VIVA LA VIDA"
BY COLDPLAY PLAYS ]

* I USED TO RULE THE WORLD

* SEAS WOULD RISE
WHEN I GAVE THE WORD *

* NOW IN THE MORNING
I SLEEP ALONE *

* SWEEP THE STREETS
I USED TO OWN *

[ HARMONICS RESONATING ]

O'Donnell: YEARS AGO,
I WAS TOTALLY BROKE.

I HAD NO MONEY,
BUT I HAD A LOT OF POSSESSIONS,

A LOT OF OLD THINGS
THAT WERE WORTH MONEY,

AND TALKED TO MYSELF,
"I LOVE THESE OBJECTS,

"THEY HAVE SOME SENTIMENTAL
VALUE, BUT IT'S JUST,

"REALLY, OPENLY,
IT'S JUST TRASH

THAT I'M CARRYING AROUND
WITH MYSELF."

SO WHAT I DID
WAS I SOLD THEM,

AND I WENT TO GUATEMALA,

AND I STOOD ON TOP
OF THE PYRAMIDS,

AND I LOOKED
OVER THE RAINFOREST,

AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,

"I WOULD TRADE EVERY POSSESSION
I OWN TO TRAVEL."

Narrator: AT THE END
OF THE 13th CENTURY,

A BOOK WAS WRITTEN
THAT WOULD CHANGE THE COURSE

OF HUMAN HISTORY.

ITS PROLOGUE
PROCLAIMED THE AUTHOR TO BE

THE WORLD'S MOST TRAVELED MAN.

IT READ,
"EMPERORS AND KINGS,

"DUKES, KNIGHTS,
AND TOWNSFOLK,

"AND ALL PEOPLE
WHO WISH TO LEARN OF

"THE VARIOUS RACES OF MAN
AND REGIONS OF THE WORLD,

"TAKE THIS BOOK,
FOR HERE YOU WILL FIND

"ALL THE GREAT WONDERS
AND CURIOSITIES

"OF PERSIA AND THE LAND
OF THE TARTARS

"AND OF INDIA
AND MANY OTHER COUNTRIES,

"AS RELATED BY MARCO POLO,
NOBLE CITIZEN OF VENICE,

WHO HAS SEEN THEM
WITH HIS OWN EYES."

EVEN TODAY, SCHOLARS DEBATE
POLO'S CLAIMS ABOUT

THE GRAND JOURNEY HE TOOK
WITH HIS FATHER AND UNCLE.

DID THE NOBLE CITIZEN OF VENICE
REALLY MAKE IT

TO CHINA AND BACK,
SPENDING DECADES EXPLORING

THE LANDS OF THE GREAT
MONGOL EMPEROR KUBLAI KHAN?

TWO NOBLE CITIZENS
OF QUEENS, NEW YORK,

WANTED TO FIND OUT.

THEY WERE JUST TWO ORDINARY GUYS
WHO SET OUT TO DO

AN EXTRAORDINARY THING.

TWO YEARS ON A MISSION,

LEAVING EVERYTHING BEHIND

WITHOUT ANY IDEA WHAT LAY AHEAD.

WE'RE GOING
RIGHT THROUGH THAT.

BING, BING, BING,
THAT WAY.

Narrator: THEIR NAMES?

DENIS BELLIVEAU
AND FRANCIS O'DONNELL.

OW!

THEY WEREN'T SCHOLARS
OR HISTORIANS.

THEY WEREN'T CONNECTED
TO MAJOR MUSEUMS.

THEY WEREN'T
ON THE FACULTY ANYWHERE.

THERE WAS NO
PROSPECT OF GLORY,

AND THEY SURE WEREN'T
GOING TO BE PAID.

IT WAS THE EARLY '90s.

THEY WERE IN THEIR EARLY 30s.

DENIS WAS
A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER,

FRANCIS, A VETERAN OF
THE U.S. MARINES.

THEY HAD A FEW SPONSORS,
INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANIES

THAT DONATED CAMERAS, FILM,
AND SOME VIDEO EQUIPMENT

THAT'S WAY OUTDATED NOW.

BUT, MOST OF ALL,
THEY WERE ON THEIR OWN,

JUST A COUPLE OF BUDDIES
WHO TOOK THIS TRIP

BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY LOVED.

THEY LOVED ART,

HISTORY, CULTURE,

AND THEY LOVED ADVENTURE,
AND THEY WERE ABOUT TO TRY

WHAT NO ONE HAD EVER DONE --

SUCCESSFULLY RETRACE
MARCO POLO'S ENTIRE ROUTE

SOME 25,000 MILES
TO CHINA AND BACK...

ACROSS FORBIDDEN
MOUNTAIN RANGES,

FORLORN DESERTS,
WONDROUS CITIES,

AND DANGEROUS WAR ZONES.

THEIR ONLY GUIDE WAS POLO'S
OWN ACCOUNT OF HIS TRAVELS,

AND THEY MADE A FEW SIMPLE RULES
FOR THEMSELVES.

THEY WOULD DOCUMENT
EVERY INSTANCE

WHERE THEY FOUND
WHAT POLO HAD DESCRIBED.

[ CAMERA SNAPS,
WINDS, BEEPS ]

THEY WOULD GO ONLY
BY LAND OR SEA.

FLYING WAS UNKNOWN TO POLO,
SO FLYING WAS OUT.

AND, NO MATTER WHAT,
THEY WOULD NOT TURN BACK.

WE HAD MADE A PACT THAT
UNDER ANY CONDITIONS,

NO MATTER WHAT,
WE WERE ONLY COMING BACK

TO THE UNITED STATES TWO WAYS --
EITHER DEAD OF SUCCESSFUL.

Narrator: IN MARCH, 1993,
THEY BEGAN WHERE POLO HAD --

IN VENICE.

HERE, THEY HOPED TO SET EYES
ON THEIR FIRST MARCO MILESTONE

IN THE ARCHIVE
OF THE CITY LIBRARY.

Belliveau: MARCO POLO'S

LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
IS THE ONLY DOCUMENT

WE KNOW
HE HAD HIS HANDS ON.

HE ACTUALLY TOUCHED
THIS PIECE OF PAPER.

SO, FOR US, THAT WAS KIND OF
A HOLY GRAIL.

WE WANTED TO TOUCH IT,
WE WANTED TO SEE IT.

AND THEY TURNED US DOWN,
AND IT WAS KIND OF DEVASTATING.

AND AS WE WERE WALKING
DOWN THE STEPS OF THE LIBRARY,

WE SAID, "TWO YEARS LATER,
WHEN WE GET BACK,

"THEY'RE GOING TO SERVE US UP
THAT MARCO POLO'S WILL

ON A SILVER PLATTER."

MARCO POLO!

Narrator: MODERN ISRAEL,
THE HOLY LAND.

THIS WAS THEIR ENTRANCE

INTO POLO'S ACCOUNT
OF HIS TRAVELS.

Belliveau: JERUSALEM
WAS JUST AMAZING,

AND WE JUST FELL IN LOVE
WITH THE PLACE.

[ CHANTING ]

[ BELL TOLLS ]

Narrator: ON HIS TRIP HERE,

MARCO POLO
HAD OBTAINED HOLY OIL

FROM THE CHURCH
OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE,

THE TRADITIONAL SITE
OF CHRIST'S BURIAL.

FOR THEIR JOURNEY,

DENIS AND FRANCIS
COLLECTED SOME OF THE SAME

ON EASTERN ORTHODOX
EASTER SUNDAY.

[ CROWD YELLING ]

THE VIVIDNESS OF THE HOLY LAND
HAD FIRED THEIR IMAGINATIONS.

THE INSPIRATION REMAINED
AS THEY MADE THEIR WAY

UP TOWARD ANATOLIA,
TODAY'S TURKEY.

/Belliveau: WE TRIED TO MAKE IT
THE 13th CENTURY IN OUR HEADS.

IF THERE WAS
A TELEPHONE WIRE THERE,

IT WAS CROPPED
OUT OF THE SCENE.

IF THE CAR WENT BY,
WE DIDN'T NOTICE IT.

ANOTHER TOURIST, FOREIGNER,
WE DELETED HIM.

WE WERE GOING TO TRY
TO MAKE THIS WHOLE JOURNEY

LIKE WE WERE LIVING
IN MARCO POLO'S WORLD.

FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW,
WE LANDED IN AYAS.

NOW IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW,

IT'S JUST A SMALL
FISHING VILLAGE,

BUT WHEN WE STOOD THERE,
WE WERE LIKE,

"THIS WAS THE NEW YORK HARBOR
OF ITS TIME."

EUROPEAN SHIPS
WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE

TO GET ALL THESE GOODS
COMING FROM ASIA,

DROPPING OFF THEIR CARAVANS
TO MAKE THEIR WAY.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN
A REALLY BUSTLING PORT.

Narrator: THE JOURNEY
WAS GOING ALONG BREEZILY,

JUST TWO GUYS ON A ROAD TRIP.

ONLY THIS TRIP HAPPENED TO BE
ON THE FAMED SILK ROAD.

[ CAMERA SHUTTER SNAPPING ]

THEY VISITED CARAVANSERAIS,

THE KIND OF MEDIEVAL
ROADSIDE HOTELS

WHERE POLO MUST HAVE STOPPED,

PLACES WHERE MERCHANTS
COULD SPEND THE NIGHT

SAFE WITH THEIR PACK ANIMALS
INSIDE PROTECTIVE WALLS.

Belliveau: AND...

WE STARTED A TRADITION
THAT WE DID THROUGHOUT THE TRIP,

WAS TO TRY TO GET OURSELVES
IN THE LOCAL NEWSPAPERS.

IT'S WRITTEN
IN THEIR LANGUAGE,

IT MAKES YOU VERY OFFICIAL.

WE WEREN'T JUST TOURISTS.

PEOPLE WOULD STOP US
IN THE STREET, LIKE,

"HEY, MARCO POLO GUYS,
MARCO POLO..."

AND IT JUST OPENED UP DOORS.

*

O'Donnell: YOU ALMOST CAN'T
SPEND ANY MONEY IN THAT COUNTRY.

I MEAN, YOU CAN ON RUGS
AND SOUVENIRS, I SUPPOSE,

BUT THE FRIENDSHIP
AND THE HELP THAT YOU GET,

YOU ALWAYS HAVE A FRIEND
IN TURKEY.

[ MAN SINGING IN TURKISH ]

[ SINGING ]

[ SNAPS FINGERS ]

[ LAUGHTER ]

* ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT

* THIS IS THE END

* MY ONLY FRIEND, THE END

* DESPERATELY IN NEED

* OF A STRANGER'S HAND

* IN A DESPERATE LAND

* THIS IS THE END

* MY ONLY FRIEND, THE END

[ "THE END" BY THE DOORS PLAYS ]

Narrator: BUT WOULD THE WHOLE
JOURNEY BE SUCH A BREEZE?

THE NEXT COUNTRY
ON MARCO POLO'S PATH

WAS CALLED PERSIA
IN HIS TIME.

WE KNOW IT AS IRAN.

WITH NO DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
BETWEEN IRAN AND THE U.S.,

THE COUNTRY WAS VIRTUALLY
CLOSED TO AMERICANS.

BUT DENIS AND FRANCIS
HAD PLANNED AHEAD,

CONTACTING TEHRAN'S
U.N. AMBASSADOR IN NEW YORK

BEFORE THEY LEFT.

THEY HAD EXPLAINED
THE HISTORICAL

AND NON-POLITICAL NATURE
OF THEIR TRIP.

HE WAS VERY PLEASANT,
HE WAS VERY WARM TO US,

HE LOVED THE IDEA
OF THE PROJECT,

AND HE TOLD US,
"YOUR VISAS WILL BE

WAITING FOR YOU
IN ANKARA, TURKEY."

AND WE BELIEVED HIM.

AND WE GOT TO ANKARA,
AND WE WENT TO

THE IRANIAN EMBASSY,
AND THEY WERE LIKE,

"WE NEVER HEARD
OF YOU GUYS."

[ "THE END" CONTINUES ]

SO, EVERY SINGLE DAY,

WE WOULD GO INTO
THE IRANIAN EMBASSY

AND EVERY DAY, IT WAS,
"OH, YEAH, YOU'VE --

"OH, YES,
WE DO KNOW ABOUT YOU,

IT'S STUCK NOW IN THE MINISTRY
OF ISLAMIC GUIDANCE,"

AND THEY JUST GAVE US
THE RUN-AROUND.

AND THEN AFTER SIX
AGGRAVATING WEEKS

OF BEING STUCK THERE,
THEY FINALLY SAID NO.

AND THAT WAS --
I MEAN, THAT WAS DEVASTATING.

THAT WAS IT,
THE PROJECT'S OVER.

WE MIGHT AS WELL
PACK IT UP AND GO HOME.

Jim Morrison:
* THIS IS THE END

* MY ONLY FRIEND, THE END

Narrator: IN A CHEAP HOTEL
IN ANKARA,

ONLY THREE MONTHS
INTO THEIR JOURNEY,

HAVING SEEN
ONLY THREE COUNTRIES,

DENIS AND FRANCIS
FOUND THEMSELVES

FACE TO FACE WITH FAILURE

AND THEN TOOK
A LEFT TURN AROUND IT,

INSPIRED BY THE WAY MARCO POLO
HAD TOLD HIS STORY,

NOT AS A SET ITINERARY
BUT RATHER AS SIMPLY

A DESCRIPTION OF THE WORLD.

IN HIS ACCOUNT,
POLO TOLD OF HOW

HIS FATHER AND UNCLE
HAD VISITED BUKHARA

IN PRESENT-DAY UZBEKISTAN.

DENIS AND FRANCIS WOULD NOW
PICK UP THAT TRAIL.

EVENTUALLY, THEY'D FIGURE OUT
HOW TO GET INTO IRAN,

BY HOOK OR CROOK,
ON THE WAY BACK.

[ TRAIN RUMBLING ]

WE WERE ABLE TO GET
THESE TRANSIT VISAS

AND CUT THROUGH GEORGIA
AND AZERBAIJAN,

AND WE MADE IT INTO TURKMENISTAN
AND CENTRAL ASIA AFTER THAT,

AND IT WAS JUST AMAZING

BECAUSE THERE WAS
NO OTHER FOREIGNERS THERE.

[ CAMERA SHUTTER SNAPS ]

THOSE REPUBLICS
ARE SOME OF THE MOST...

REPRESSIVE AND DIFFICULT
COUNTRIES

TO GET INTO
IN CENTRAL ASIA.

PEOPLE CAME UP TO US,
AND THEY WERE LIKE,

JUST SO HAPPY TO TALK
TO A FOREIGNER.

YOU KNOW THAT FOR 70 YEARS
THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN

ARRESTED BY THE KGB,

AND THEY WOULD COME UP TO US,
AND, YOU KNOW,

TELL US,
"WHERE ARE YOU FROM?"

THEY WERE SO INTERESTED IN US.

AND BUKHARA IN PARTICULAR,

WE DOCUMENTED THE THINGS
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN STANDING

WHEN POLO WAS THERE,

BUT THE HEIGHT OF BUKHARA
HAPPENED UNDER TAMERLANE,

SO THAT MOST OF
THE ARCHITECTURE THAT'S THERE

DATES FROM THAT TIME PERIOD,
BUT IT'S STILL SPECTACULAR,

THAT PERSIAN BLUE-TILE DOMES
AND JUST A REALLY MAGICAL,

BEAUTIFUL SILK ROAD CITY.

Narrator: IN UZBEKISTAN,
THE REGIME REQUIRED

A DIFFERENT VISA
FOR EVERY CITY THEY VISITED.

THEY DUTIFULLY OBTAINED ONE
FOR THE BORDER TOWN OF TERMEZ.

FROM THERE, THEY THOUGHT
IT WOULD BE SIMPLE

TO CROSS THE SO-CALLED
FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE

INTO AFGHANISTAN.

AND WE WENT
TO CROSS THE BRIDGE,

AND THE UZBEK BORDER GUARDS
WERE LIKE,

"YOU DON'T HAVE A VISA
FOR THE BRIDGE."

AND WE WERE LIKE, "WHAT?

"WE HAVE VISAS FOR TERMEZ.

"OUR VISAS ARE GOING TO BE
EXPIRING SOON,

YOU KNOW, LET US GO."

AND THEY WERE REALLY
GIVING US A HARD TIME.

EVERY SINGLE DAY,
A GUY FROM THE FSB,

WHICH IS THE FORMER KBG,
WAS INTERROGATING US,

"WHY WERE YOU HERE,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING,

"WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO
TO AFGHANISTAN,

WHO ARE YOU GUYS?"

SO WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO --
WE THOUGHT ABOUT

SWIMMING ACROSS
THE AMU DARYA RIVER,

BUT THERE'S GUARD TOWERS,
AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR

DRUG SMUGGLERS
COMING FROM AFGHANISTAN,

SO WE FIGURED WE'D GET SHOT
IF WE TRIED TO DO THAT,

AND THEN OUR VISA
FOR TERMEZ RAN OUT.

"OCTOBER 11.

"IF YOU WOULD HAVE TOLD ME
A YEAR AGO THAT I'D BE IN

"A HIGHLY RESTRICTED AREA
OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

"WITH AN INVALID VISA
IN MY PASSPORT

"AND PISSED OFF BECAUSE

"WHAT USED TO BE THE KGB
WOULDN'T LET ME ENTER

"THE CHAOS AND CIVIL WAR
RAGING IN AFGHANISTAN,

"I WOULD HAVE SAID
YOU WERE CRAZY.

"NOW I'M QUESTIONING
MY OWN SANITY.

MARCO POLO NEVER NEEDED
TO FORGE A VISA."

Belliveau: AND EVERY DAY,
WE'D GO BACK

AND WE'D PRESENT
OUR PASSPORTS AGAIN

AND THE SAME
MONOTONOUS QUESTIONS,

AND THE FORGERY
WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT AGAIN.

YOU KNOW, FINALLY,
AFTER ALL THIS,

FRAN WAS LIKE, "THAT'S IT,
I'VE HAD ENOUGH, WE'RE GOING."

THE NEXT TIME WE GOT
IN FRONT OF THE KGB GUY,

HE SAID, "LOOK.

"OUR VISAS FOR YOUR COUNTRY
HAVE EXPIRED.

"WE'RE CROSSING THAT BRIDGE
INTO AFGHANISTAN.

"WE'RE AMERICAN CITIZENS,
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?

"ARE YOU GOING TO SHOOT US?

DO YOU WANT AN INTERNATIONAL
INCIDENT, OR WHAT?"

AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN,
THE GUY WAS LIKE,

"OH, UM, BUT THERE'S THE FINE
YOU HAVE TO PAY.

"YOU FORGOT TO PAY THE FINE.

IF YOU HAD JUST
PAID THIS FINE --"

SO I THINK IT WAS LIKE
100 BUCKS OR SOMETHING.

WE GAVE THE GUY $100,
STAMPED US,

AND WE ENTERED
AFGHANISTAN.

GOING FROM THE FORMER
SOVIET REPUBLIC

WHERE IT HAD PAVED ROADS,
ELECTRICITY, CARS,

INTO AFGHANISTAN
WAS REALLY LIKE TAKING

A STEP BACK
INTO THE 13th CENTURY.

[ LAUGHS ]

THERE'S KEBAB HOUSES
ALL OVER THE PLACE,

OR ROASTED LAMB.

IN FACT, WE JOKED ABOUT IT.

WE ATE EVERY LAMB THING
YOU COULD IMAGINE.

LAMB EYEBALLS,

LAMB BRAINS,

LAMB TAIL, LAMB...

INTESTINES.

EVERY THING OF A LAMB
YOU COULD EAT,

WE DID, FOR MONTHS.

Narrator: BUT AS THEY JOURNEYED
DEEPER INTO THE PAST,

IT BECAME HARDER
AND HARDER

TO CROP THE PRESENT
OUT OF THE SCENE.

IN 1993, AFGHANISTAN'S
WAR WITH RUSSIA WAS OVER,

AND THE TALIBAN HAD YET
TO TAKE CONTROL.

ARMED MUJAHIDEEN FACTIONS

RULED THE COUNTRY.

[ CAR HORN BEEPS ]

[ ENGINE ACCELERATES ]

Narrator: FRANCIS AND DENIS
HAD CONCOCTED A PLAN

TO GET SAFELY ACROSS
THE COUNTRY --

A PLAN INSPIRED
BY MARCO POLO.

ON AN EQUALLY PERILOUS PATH
700 YEARS BEFORE,

THE VENETIAN HAD HAD
THE BEST SHIELD AVAILABLE --

A POWERFUL PATRON.

POLO RECOUNTED THAT KUBLAI KHAN
PROVIDED HIS PARTY

A GOLDEN TABLET
ON WHICH WAS WRITTEN

THAT THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN
ALL THE LODGING THEY MIGHT NEED

AND HORSES TO ESCORT THEM
FROM ONE LAND TO ANOTHER.

THE TRAVELLERS HAD NO EMPEROR
TO SHIELD THEM,

BUT THEY DID HAVE
SOME CONNECTIONS.

THEY HAD OBTAINED
A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

FROM A COMRADE OF A LOCAL
AFGHAN WARLORD.

Belliveau: WE GOT DROPPED OFF
AT THEIR STRONGHOLD,

WHICH WAS BASICALLY

A WALLED COMPOUND
WITH A SOVIET TANK

PARKED IN FRONT
AS THE GATE,

AND WE PULLED UP,
WE PRESENTED THE LETTER,

THE GUARD READ, I GUESS,
THE OPENING OF IT,

THE TANK MOVED OUT OF THE WAY
LIKE A GATE --

RRRH --
THEY STARTED UP THE TANK,

MOVED UP, AND WE ENTERED
INTO THIS COMPOUND,

AND THE TANK CLOSED BEHIND US,
AND WE --

WE KNEW RIGHT THERE AND THEN
THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK.

WE WERE NOW IN WITH
THE MUJAHIDEEN.

HEY, WHERE ARE YOU?

I'M IN OZ.

[ CAR HORN BEEPS ]

Belliveau: SO THEN THEY --

THEY BROUGHT US UP
INTO THE VILLA

THAT WAS REALLY A FORTRESS,

AND THEY BROUGHT US
INTO A ROOM.

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]

,AND THEN, ALL OF THE SUDDEN,
THE DOOR OPENED UP,

AND COMMANDER ATTA CAME IN.

HE WAS KIND OF MAJESTIC --

TALL FOR AN AFGHAN,
BIG BLACK BEARD,

HAD A PHALANX OF GUARDS
BEHIND HIM,

AND, "THIS IS IT.

"IF THIS GUY DOESN'T HELP US,
WE'RE DONE FOR.

THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN
MAKE IT ACROSS AFGHANISTAN."

SO HE READ THE LETTER,
AND THEN HE PUT IT DOWN,

AND HE SAID, "THE MAN WHO WROTE
THIS LETTER IS MY BROTHER,

"AND ANYTHING I CAN DO FOR YOU,
IT'S WITHIN YOUR GRASP.

WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU?"

SO WE TOOK OUT OUR MAP,
AND WE SAID,

"WE NEED TO GO
FROM HERE TO HERE

TO HERE TO HERE,
THROUGH AFGHANISTAN."

HE TURNED TO HIS GENERALS
AND THEY TALKED

FOR A LITTLE WHILE,
AND THEN HE CAME BACK TO US,

AND HE SAID, "LOOK.

"THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY

"IS REALLY DANGEROUS.

"I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU
A HELICOPTER,

"AND WE'RE GOING TO
FLY YOU OVER THE SCARY BIT,

AND THEN YOU CAN PICK UP
MARCO POLO'S TRAIL AFTER THAT."

SO NOW HERE'S THIS GUY
WHO MADE THIS

GENEROUS OFFER TO US,

AND WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER,

AND THEN WE KIND OF
CAME BACK TO HIM AND SAID,

"THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
BUT WE CAN'T FLY."

Narrator: THE AFGHAN WARLORD
WAS TAKEN ABACK,

BUT THE LETTER FROM HIS COMRADE
HAD ALL THE POWER

OF MARCO POLO'S GOLDEN TABLET.

AND HE CAME BACK AND HE SAID,
"LOOK, IT'S REALLY DANGEROUS.

"I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU
25 BODYGUARDS.

"WE HAVE EIGHT JEEPS FILLED WITH
ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADES,

"MACHINE GUNS,
THE WHOLE THING.

"YOU'RE GOING TO MOVE IN HERE
IN THE VILLA WITH US.

"WE NEED TO DRESS YOU AS AFGHANS
BECAUSE IT'S SO DANGEROUS.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
CARRY WEAPONS YOURSELF."

JEEZ.

OKAY, THAT'S COOL.

NO, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

YEAH, I DON'T WANT TO.

THAT'S COOL.

I DON'T.

I'M NOT INTO GUNS.

WHEN WERE WITH THOSE GUYS,
IT WAS ANNOYING

AFTER A WHILE.

I MEAN, YOU'D WANT TO GO
AND TAKE A LEAK,

AND THE GUY'S FOLLOWING YOU WITH
A MACHINE GUN, AND YOU'RE LIKE,

"PLEASE, I REALLY WOULD LIKE
TO BE ALONE RIGHT NOW,"

AND HE'S LIKE,
"NO, I PROTECT YOU."

YOU KNOW,
IT'S LIKE, "PLEASE."

AT THAT POINT,
WE HAD BEEN IN AFGHANISTAN

QUITE A FEW WEEKS,

AND WE HAD LEARNT,

JUST FROM THE SOUND
OF MACHINE GUN FIRE,

WHICH WE HEARD
EVERY SINGLE DAY,

TO DISCERN
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

A CELEBRATION, A WEDDING,
A CHILD'S BIRTH,

WHEN YOU HEAR --
TKKT-TKKT-TKKT-TKKT,

AND THAT'S JUST
A GUY CELEBRATING.

TKKT-TKKT-TKKT-TKKT.

OR, IF YOU HEARD --
"POP, POP, TKKT,

TAT-TAT, POP, POP,"
THAT'S A FIREFIGHT.

DON'T GO OUT
WHEN YOU HEAR THAT.

THIS --
TKKT-TKKT-TKKT-TKKT --

IT'S OKAY,
SOMEBODY GOT MARRIED.

Narrator: DENIS AND FRANCIS
HAD JUST A DRIVER

AND TWO BODYGUARDS
WHEN THEY SET OUT FROM

THE TOWN OF MAZARI SHARIF
FOR A NEARBY MARCO MILESTONE.

POLO HAD DESCRIBED IT
AS "A SPLENDID RUIN" --

THE CITY OF BALKH.

Belliveau: SO WE'RE DRIVING TO
THE ANCIENT SITE, AND WE HEAR,

"POP, POP, TKKT, CHICKA, PEW,"
YOU KNOW,

THERE'S A FIREFIGHT
SOMEWHERE CLOSE BY.

WE CAN HEAR IT.

SO WE TURNED DOWN THIS BLOCK,

I'M IN THE FRONT SEAT,
FRAN'S IN THE BACK SEAT,

AND THEN, ALL OF THE SUDDEN,

FROM THE CORNER OF MY EYE,
15, 20 FEET AWAY,

A KID COMES OUT OF THE SHADOWS,
BAM, HE'S GOT HIS AK

POINTING RIGHT AT ME,

AND I SAID, "THIS IS IT."

O'Donnell: SO THEY PUT US
UP AGAINST THE WALL,

THOSE GUYS THAT WERE GUARDING US
WITH MACHINE GUNS,

AND THEY TAKE OUR GUYS
AND THEY STICK THEM

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET,
AND A GAUNTLET

FORMS AROUND THEM,
AND THEY START BEATING THEM

AND PUSHING THEM
AND STICKING THEM

WITH THE MACHINE GUNS
AND SCREAMING AT THEM,

SO DENIS TURNS TO ME
AND HE SAYS, "DUDE,

IF WE GET OUT OF THIS ALIVE,
WE'RE OUT OF THIS COUNTRY."

ACTUALLY, WE MADE A PACT
BEFORE WE LEFT,

AND THAT WAS THAT
NO MATTER WHAT,

UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES,

THAT WEREN'T GOING TO
QUIT OR TURN BACK.

AND THEN WHEN WE WERE
AGAINST THE WALL,

WE WERE LIKE, "WE'RE QUITTING,
WE'RE TURNING BACK."

Belliveau:
THERE WAS ANOTHER GUY

WITH ANOTHER 60-MILLIMETER GUN
WHO WAS RIGHT THERE,

AND HE HAD THAT KIND OF
POINTED AT ME AND FRAN.

I HAD A PACK OF CIGARETTES
IN MY POCKET RIGHT HERE.

AND I SAW HIM LOOK AT
MY CIGARETTES.

I LOOKED AT HIM,

AND OUR EYES MET,
AND I WENT --

AND HE WENT --

AND THE MACHINE GUN CAME DOWN,
AND I WAS LIKE --

I COULDN'T WAIT
TO HAVE A SMOKE MYSELF.

I WENT, "HERE," AND THE TWO
OF US -- HE WASN'T SHAKING,

BUT I WAS LIKE --
HE, LIKE, LIT HIS CIGARETTE,

AND, LIKE --
[ EXHALES ]

IT WAS LIKE, "OKAY, HE'S NOT
GOING TO SHOOT ME RIGHT NOW."

Narrator: FINALLY,
THEIR CAPTORS REALIZE

DENIS, FRANCIS,
AND THEIR BODYGUARDS

POSE NO THREAT --
THEY WEREN'T FROM THE FACTION

THAT WAS ATTACKING THEM.

THE SOLDIERS THAT
DETAINED THE TRAVELLERS

WERE FROM A TRIBE
CALLED THE HAZARAS,

BELIEVED TO BE DESCENDANTS
OF MEDIEVAL MONGOL WARRIORS.

SUCH MEN HAD AMBUSHED
MARCO POLO AND COMPANY

SOME 700 YEARS BEFORE.

POLO RECALLED THAT ALL BUT
SEVEN OF HIS GROUP WERE CAUGHT.

THE REST, HE SAID,
WERE TAKEN CAPTIVE AND SOLD

AND SOME PUT TO DEATH.

AS FOR DENIS AND FRANCIS,

THEY MADE IT SAFELY
TO THE CITY OF BALKH.

Belliveau: WE RETREATED
INTO OUR IMAGINATION

INTO THE 13th CENTURY,
AND WE READ

FROM MARCO POLO'S BOOK
ABOUT BALKH,

AND WE SAT OVER -- YOU KNOW,
WE WATCHED THE SUNSET,

AND, THAT NIGHT,
WE WENT BACK,

AND OUR GUARDS TOLD US
THAT 38 GUYS DIED IN MAZARI

DURING THAT FIREFIGHT.

BEFORE WE LEFT, WE CHECKED WITH
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.

PRETTY MUCH EVERY COUNTRY
WE WERE GOING TO,

THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAID,
"DON'T GO."

THAT KIND OF VIOLENT DEATH,

IT REALLY BROUGHT HOME TO ME
THAT, "WHOA," YOU KNOW?

"I COULD GET KILLED DOING THIS."

Narrator: STILL SHAKEN
FROM HIS CAPTURE,

DENIS BELLIVEAU
WONDERED WHETHER OR NOT

HE SHOULD TURN BACK.

/EARLIEEARLIER THAT YEAR,
HIS FAMILY HAD BEEN RIPPED APART

BY THE DEATH OF HIS
BELOVED YOUNGER COUSIN.

HE HAD JUST COME INTO HIS OWN.
HE WAS AN ACTOR.

HE WAS GOING TO GO PLACES,
YOU KNOW?

HE WAS TALENTED.

AND IT WAS AROUND
CHRISTMAS TIME,

AND HE HAD JUST COME BACK
FROM CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

WITH A FRIEND FROM THE PLAY,

AND AS THEY WERE
GETTING OUT OF THEIR CAR,

ALL OF THE SUDDEN,
A GROUP OF KIDS COME AROUND HIM.

THEY STARTED TO ROB THEM,

AND THEN ONE OF THEM SAID,
"DO HIM."

AND A 14-YEAR-OLD SHOT ROB
RIGHT IN THE HEAD.

HE DIED BEFORE
HE HIT THE GROUND.

SO...IT JUST WAS...
IT WAS JUST HORRIBLE.

IT WAS JUST THE WORST TIME.

IT MADE ME SIT BACK
AND REALLY REEVALUATE

WHETHER OR NOT I WAS WILLING
TO TAKE THE RISK,

AND I CAME TO THE REALIZATION
THAT IF I DIDN'T DO THIS,

THAT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T WANT
TO BE A MIDDLE-AGED GUY

WHO LOOKED BACK AND SAID,
"I WISH I HAD."

[ "THE SECRET WEDDING"
FROM "BRAVEHEART" PLAYS ]

[ CAMERA SHUTTER SNAPS ]

Narrator: CONTINUING EAST,

THE EXPLORERS ENTERED
THE PERILOUS NARROW CANYON

AT THE EASTERN EXTREME
OF AFGHANISTAN,

A FORGOTTEN PASSAGE TO CHINA
SELDOM, IF EVER,

TRAVELED BY WESTERNERS --
THE WAKHAN CORRIDOR.

Belliveau:
THE WAKHAN CORRIDOR

WAS ONE OF THOSE
TRULY WILD PLACES

WHERE WE KNEW WE WERE REALLY

WALKING IN
MARCO POLO'S FOOTSTEPS.

WE WERE TRAVELING
THE WAY HE DID,

'CAUSE THE ONLY WAY
TO GET THROUGH THOSE MOUNTAINS

IS BY HORSE AND PACK MULE.

YOU KNOW, ONE SLIP,

AND THERE'S SOME SNOWY PATHS,

AND THERE'S A 1,000-FOOT DROP
DOWN THIS ICY ABYSS,

AND EVEN IF ONE OF
THE PACK MULES WENT,

CARRYING OUR FOOD,
WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN TROUBLE.

Narrator:
THERE WERE FEW BREAKS

FROM THE SLOW
AND ARDUOUS SLOG.

WHEN THEY CAME,
FRANCIS AND DENIS WORKED ON

THEIR ON-CAMERA SKILLS
FOR THE FILM

THEY SOMEDAY HOPED TO MAKE
OF THEIR ADVENTURES.

[ Groaning ]
MY ACHING BONES.

THEM BONES, THEM BONES.

YOU SYOU SEE
THE LIGHT FLASHING?

YEAH.

WE'RE IN
THE WAKHAN CORRIDOR --

WE'VE TRAVELED
THROUGH THE COUNTRY.

THIS IS
THE WAKHAN CORRIDOR.

MARCO POLO
WENT THROUGH THIS WAY

ON HIS WAY
THROUGH THE PAMIR,

TAJIKISTAN, TO CHINA.

I MEAN, RIGHT NOW,
IT'S NOVEMBER.

WE'RE HERE A LITTLE BIT LATER
THAN WE'D LIKE TO BE,

BUT IT IS FREEZING.

RIGHT NOW,
IT'S NOT SO BAD, BUT...

LAST NIGHT WAS BRUTAL.

[ MAN SHOUTS ]

Belliveau:
YOU CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE

THAT YOU CAN BE THAT COLD

FOR EVERY SECOND,
24 HOURS A DAY,

SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

IT DIDN'T MATTER
HOW MANY BLANKETS WE HAD ON,

YOU WERE JUST FROZEN.

BUT, FOR ME, IT WAS JUST
SO TRANSCENDENT

AND SO PRISTINE.

WE WERE IN A PLACE THAT WAS
SO REMOTE AND SO RUGGED

AND SO RAW THAT EVERY --
ALL OF YOUR SENSES

WERE JUST, LIKE,
TINGLING AND ALIVE.

"IN THIS LAND
THAT TIME FORGOT,

"I'M TRULY IMMERSED IN
THE 13th CENTURY OF MARCO POLO.

I CAN FEEL HIS PRESENCE HERE."

Narrator: POLO SAID,
"THIS PLAIN,

"WHOSE NAME IS PAMIR,
EXTENDS FULLY 12-DAYS' JOURNEY,

"AND IN ALL OF THESE 12 DAYS,

"THERE IS NO HABITATION
OR SHELTER.

THE TRAVELER MUST TAKE
PROVISIONS WITH HIM."

THE WAKHAN STARTS AT ABOUT
9,000 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL

THEN RISES TO ABOUT 25,000

TO WHAT IS CALLED
THE BOMI DUNYO --

THE ROOF OF THE WORLD.

O'Donnell: AND SO,
AS IT ASCENDS,

IT BECOMES
INCREASINGLY HOSTILE,

AND WE WERE IN THIS FORTRESS
IN ISHKASHIM, AT THE BASE --

Belliveau:
AND WE WERE FREEZING,

SLEEPING ON THIS DIRT FLOOR,
AND HE'S, YOU KNOW,

HE'S GOT THIS NICE WARM BLANKET
OR SOMETHING AROUND HIM,

AND I'M, YOU KNOW,
I'M A LITTLE THINNER,

SO MAYBE IT'S
AFFECTING ME MORE,

SO I KIND OF LIKE
ROLLED OVER NEXT TO HIM.

I'M, LIKE, TRYING
TO GET SOME BODY HEAT.

HE'S LIKE, "GET OFF."
I GO, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

I WAS LIKE,
"ALL RIGHT, COME HERE."

[ LAUGHS ]

Narrator: GRINDING THROUGH
THE WAKHAN,

THEY FREQUENTLY
SAW ROAD MARKERS

JUST AS MARCO POLO
HAD DESCRIBED --

"THE HORNS OF
A TREMENDOUS BEAST,

A MASTER OF THESE MOUNTAINS."

IT'S BECOME KNOWN
AS THE MARCO POLO SHEEP.

NOT ONLY DOES HE DESCRIBE
THESE MOUNTAIN SHEEP,

BUT HE SAYS THAT THE LOCALS
USE THE HORNS TO BUILD CAIRNS

ON THE SIDE OF THE ROADS
TO POINT TRAVELLERS

THROUGH THE SNOW.

Narrator: THESE SIGNPOSTS
WOULD EVENTUALLY SHOW THE WAY

OUT OF THE WAKHAN
AND TOWARD ANOTHER COUNTRY

MIRED IN CIVIL WAR,

UNTIL RECENTLY,
A SOVIET REPUBLIC --

TAJIKISTAN.

[ MARTIAL BAND PLAYING ]

THE LAST THING
THE BORDER GUARDS EXPECTED

WAS A PAIR OF
GRIZZLED AMERICANS.

AND WE CAME UP AND, YOU KNOW,
GINGERLY PULLED OUT

OUR PASSPORTS --
"AMERIKANSKI, AMERIKANSKI."

AND THE GUY WAS LIKE, "WHAT?"

HE CAME OVER TO US,
AND HE WAS LIKE,

"NO FOREIGNERS HAVE EVER
CROSSED THIS BORDER BEFORE.

"WHERE ARE YOU GUYS
COMING FROM?

WHO ARE YOU, WHAT DO --
HOW DID YOU GET THESE VISAS?"

Narrator: THESE VISAS
WEREN'T FORGED.

DENIS AND FRANCIS WERE IN.

Narrator:
ALMOST AS SOON AS

THEY HAD ARRIVED IN TAJIKISTAN,
THE TRAVELLERS

WERE READY TO LEAVE.

THE QUESTION WAS, HOW?

* LATELY I'VE BEEN
RUNNING ON FAITH *

Belliveau: HOLD ON TO MY BAG,
WILL YOU?

* ALL OF OUR DREAMS
WILL COME TRUE *

* AND OUR WORLD
WOULD BE RIGHT *

* WHEN LOVE COMES OVER

* ME AND YOU

Belliveau: A MODERN
GEOPOLITICAL MAP

WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE
CROSSED THE BORDER INTO CHINA,

BUT WE DIDN'T FEEL
WE WERE IN CHINA.

WE WERE STILL IN CENTRAL ASIA.

OUR FIRST STOP WAS IN KASHGAR.

Narrator: KASHGAR
IS A SILK ROAD OASIS

IN WESTERN CHINA

IN A REGION MARCO POLO
CALLED "UYGHURSTAN" --

LAND OF THE UYGHURS.

TODAY, THE UYGHURS ARE
A MUSLIM MINORITY WITHIN CHINA.

SOME ARE SEEKING INDEPENDENCE.

Belliveau: THEY'RE
MORE CLOSELY RELATED

TO THE KAZAKHS AND THE UZBEKS
THAN THEY ARE THE CHINESE,

WHO CONTROL THEM,
BASICALLY.

Narrator: AS MARCO POLO
DESCRIBED KASHGAR,

"THE INHABITANTS LIVE BY
TRADE AND INDUSTRY.

"THIS IS THE STARTING POINT
FROM WHICH

"MANY MERCHANTS SET OUT
TO MARKET THEIR WARES

ALL OVER THE WORLD."

[ SHOUTING ]

AND, JUST AS TRAVELLERS DID
IN POLO'S TIME,

DENIS AND FRANCIS WOULD
PREPARE IN KASHGAR

FOR THE NEXT LEG
OF THEIR JOURNEY.

RAHMET.

Narrator: FRAN'S
NEW LOOK INCLUDED

THE WARMEST COAT
HE COULD FIND,

BECAUSE THE TRAVELLERS
WERE GETTING READY

TO ENTER AN ENORMOUS,
FORBIDDINGLY COLD DESERT --

THE TAKLAMAKAN.

Belliveau: NEXT TO THE SAHARA,
IT'S THE SECOND-LARGEST

SAND-SHIFTING DESERT
ON THE PLANET.

THE NAME "TAKLAMAKAN"
BASICALLY MEANS

"YOU GO IN,
BUT YOU DON'T COME OUT."

Narrator: NOT ONLY DID THEY NEED
TO CROSS THE TAKLAMAKAN,

THEY WANTED TO DO
AT LEAST PART OF THE JOURNEY

AS POLO AND COMPANY MUST HAVE.

SO WE WENT FOR THREE WEEKS
TRYING TO BUY CAMELS,

AND THERE WERE NO CAMELS
AT MARKET.

OKAY, SO...

[ SPEAKING UYGHUR ]

O'Donnell: THERE WAS A REASON
THERE WAS NO CAMELS

BECAUSE NOBODY WAS
REALLY USING THEM

AT THAT POINT TO TRY
TO GO INTO THE DESERT

EXCEPT FOR
A VERY FEW PEOPLE.

AND US.

THEY THOUGHT WE WERE CRAZY.

IT'S LIKE,
MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN

ONLY GO OUT
IN THE MIDDAY SUN?

WELL, IT'S LIKE,
MAD DOGS AND AMERICANS

ONLY GO INTO THE TAKLAMAKAN
IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER.

[ "KASHMIR" BY
LED ZEPPELIN PLAYING ]

Belliveau: WE HAD RIDDEN HORSES
THROUGH AFGHANISTAN.

IT WAS ACTUALLY

VERY NICE TO BE ON
THE BACK OF A CAMEL

AFTER BEING ON THOSE PONIES,
'CAUSE THE PONIES WERE,

YOU KNOW, IT WAS THIS
ALL DAY.

AND THE CAMELS
HAD A MORE --

THEY ARE FUNNY CREATURES.

I MEAN, THEY WOULD
REGURGITATE THEIR INNARDS,

AND THEY STINK, AND...

THEY JUST DO
THIS WEIRD THING.

THEY JUST GO "BRAAH,"
AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN,

LIKE THIS BIG VEINY RED THING
BUBBLES OUT OF THEIR MOUTH,

AND THEN THEY GO --
AND THEY SUCK IT BACK IN,

BUT WHEN YOU'RE RIDING

ON THE BACK OF IT,
YOU GET THIS

SMELL COMES RIGHT --
IT HITS YOU.

REMEMBER THAT?
DID YOURS DO THAT?

MINE WAS DOING IT A LOT.

I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOU.

[ LAUGHS ]

Belliveau: WHEN YOU'RE RIDING

FOR HOURS AND HOURS
AND IT'S JUST THIS MONOTONY

AND IT'S DAY IN AND DAY OUT,
THE SAME THING --

YOU GO TO SLEEP,
YOU BREAK CAMP,

AND IT'S MONOCHROMATIC SAND
AND NOTHING,

NOT EVEN BIRDS FLYING AROUND,

YOU CAN IMAGINE YOURSELF
ALMOST LOSING IT A LITTLE BIT.

* OH, LET THE SUN BEAT DOWN
UPON MY FACE *

* STARS TO FILL MY DREAM

Narrator: MARCO POLO SAID OF
THE TAKLAMAKAN,

"WHEN A MAN IS RIDING BY NIGHT
THROUGH THIS DESERT,

"HE HEARS SPIRITS TALKING.

"THESE VOICES MAKE HIM
STRAY FROM THE PATH

SO HE NEVER FINDS IT AGAIN."

DEEP IN THE DESERT,
ENTERING A SMALL UYGHUR VILLAGE,

THE TRAVELLERS RECALLED
SOMETHING CURIOUS

THEY HAD READ
IN MARCO POLO'S ACCOUNT.

EACH ONE HAS WRITTEN
ON HIS DOOR

HIS OWN NAME
AND THAT OF HIS WIFE'S

AND ALL THE OCCUPANTS
OF THE HOUSE.

IF ONE OF THEM DIES,
HE HAS THE NAME STRUCK OUT.

IF ONE IS BORN THERE,
HIS NAME IS ADDED TO THE LIST.

AND WE WERE INCREDULOUS.

LIKE, "OH, MY GOD,
THIS IS STILL GOING ON."

BACK THEN, 700 YEARS AGO,
IT WAS A WAY FOR THE KHAN

TO KNOW HIS DOMAINS,
WHO TO COLLECT TAXES FROM,

HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVED --
YOU KNOW, A CENSUS.

IN THESE REGIONS,
THERE'S A SEPARATIST MOVEMENT.

THE UYGHURS ARE CHAFING
UNDER CHINESE RULE,

JUST LIKE THE NEIGHBORS
TO THE SOUTH, THE TIBETANS.

THERE'S NO LOVE LOST

BETWEEN THE UYGHURS
AND THE CHINESE.

AND, FOR THE CHINESE
TO CONTROL THE UYGHURS,

THEY MAKE THEM WRITE THIS
ON THEIR DOORS.

Narrator: OVER 300 DAYS,
OVER 4,000 MILES,

NOW ONWARD THROUGH
THE DESERT BY BUS

/AND AN ONBOARD ENCOUNTER WITH
TWO CHINESE SECURITY OFFICERS.

ALL OF THE SUDDEN,
THEY ASKED FOR OUR PASSPORTS,

AND WE SAID, "NO."

AND THE GUY --
AND THEY WERE LIKE,

"GET OFF THE BUS."

AND WE WERE LIKE, "NO."

AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW WE WERE
BEING SHAKEN DOWN.

THEY WANTED MONEY.

THEY WERE LIKE, "YOU HAVE
TO PAY, YOU'RE FOREIGNERS.

YOU HAVE TO PAY,
YOU HAVE TO PAY."

WE DIDN'T WANT TO PAY.

SO WE WERE LIKE, "MEI YOU,"
'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF

THE FIRST THINGS
YOU LEARN IN CHINA

IS THE WORD MEI YOU
IF YOU'RE A FOREIGNER.

YOU KNOW, TECHNICALLY,
MEI YOU DOESN'T MEAN "NO."

IT MEANS "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE,"
'CAUSE THE CHINESE

ARE VERY AMBIVALENT
IN THEIR LANGUAGE.

IT'S LIKE YAO BU YAO?
DO YOU WANT OR YOU DON'T WANT?

HAO BU HAO?

ARE YOU GOOD
OR YOU'RE NOT GOOD?

SO THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPTION,
AND SO OUR OPTION WAS,

MEI YOU.

"PASSPORTS."

"MEI YOU."

"OFF THE BUS!"

"MEI YOU."

AND THAT WAS,

YOU KNOW,
THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE

THAT SOMEBODY WAS
STANDING UP TO THEM,

BECAUSE THE UYGHURS
WOULD NEVER DO IT

BECAUSE THEY'D END UP
IN SOME CHINESE PRISON

FOR THE REST
OF THEIR LIVES.

AND THEY STARTED, YOU KNOW,

ONE OF THEM GRABBED ME,
SO FRAN GOT UP,

AND ONE OF OUR SPONSORS,
THE FORMER PRESIDENT

OF SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT,
HAD GIVEN US THESE LETTERS

WITH PROPER LETTERHEADS
WRITTEN IN CHINESE

TO ALL THE GOVERNORS OF
THE PROVINCES WE WERE GOING TO.

Narrator:
ALONG WITH THE LETTERS

WAS A PHOTO OF THEIR SPONSOR
WITH SOME CHINESE OFFICIALS

UNKNOWN TO DENIS AND FRANCIS.

FRAN SHOWED IT
TO THE POLICE OFFICERS.

THEN, A DARING BLUFF.

Belliveau: HE POINTED
TO OUR SPONSOR,

AND HE SAID, "THIS IS MY FATHER.

"THIS IS DENG XIAOPING'S SON.

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"

AND I TOOK OUT A PEN,
AND I STARTED WRITING

THE CHINESE GUY'S
BADGE NUMBER.

THEY GOT OFF THAT BUS SO FAST.

AND THE UYGHURS WENT CRAZY.

THEY WERE PATTING US ON
THE SHOULDERS AND THEY WERE --

ALL OF THE SUDDEN,
MELONS WERE BROKEN OUT.

THEY WERE FRIENDLY TO US
BEFORE THAT,

BUT NOW WE WERE, LIKE --

WE WERE LIKE SUPERSTARS
FOR DEFYING THE CHINESE.

THEY LOVED THAT.

Narrator: IF CHINA'S
SECURITY BUREAU

HARASSED THEM ON A BUS RIDE,

WHAT WOULD IT DO
IF IT FOUND THEM SNEAKING

THROUGH A RESTRICTED
MILITARY AREA?

WE'RE JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE
MUSLIM AREAS

AND ENTER MIDDLE CHINA.

WE'RE ON A PAVED SECTION
OF THE SOUTHERN SILK ROAD

SKIRTING THE DESERT OF LOP.

NOT FAR FROM HERE
IS WHERE THE CHINESE

DO THEIR NUCLEAR TESTING.

THAT ROAD DOESN'T EXIST
ON THE CHINESE MAP.

THEY DON'T WANT ANYBODY
GOING THERE BECAUSE

THAT'S WHERE THEY DO
THEIR NUCLEAR TESTING.

WE NEEDED TO GO
THROUGH THAT DESERT.

Narrator: WITH THE HELP
OF UYGHUR GUIDES AND A JEEP,

DENIS AND FRANCIS
WENT UNDERCOVER.

IF WE WOULD HAVE
GOTTEN CAUGHT,

YOU KNOW,
WITH AMERICAN PRESSURE,

MAYBE WE WOULD HAVE SEEN
THE LIGHT OF DAY

AFTER A COUPLE OF YEARS.

HOPEFULLY, THEY WOULD HAVE JUST
KICKED US OUT OF THE COUNTRY.

THE UYGHURS THAT TOOK US
THROUGH THAT PLACE,

WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAVE
HAPPENED TO THEM?

THEY DROVE US THOUGH AT NIGHT,
LIGHTS TURNED OFF.

WE WOULD DRIVE
HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS,

AND WHEN THE SUN
STARTED COMING UP,

WE'D GO HIDE INTO THE DESERT
AND HIDE BEHIND A DUNE,

BECAUSE IF THE MILITARY CAME BY
AND SAW US OUT THERE,

THAT WOULD BE THE END
OF MARCO POLO.

SO WE DID THAT
FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS,

AND WE EVENTUALLY GOT
TO DUNHUANG.

YOU KNOW,
WE'D BEEN IN CHINA

FOR HUNDREDS
AND HUNDREDS OF MILES

AND FOR MONTHS ALREADY,
BUT WE DIDN'T FEEL

LIKE WE WERE IN CHINA.

THIS WAS CHINA.

Narrator: CHINA --

THE BIGGEST
MARCO MILESTONE SO FAR,

EMBODYING THE REASON
FOR THEIR JOURNEY,

FOR THE RISKS
THEY HAD TAKEN,

SURVIVING FIERCE COLD
AND FIERCE WARRIORS,

DEFYING AUTHORITIES
AT EVERY TURN.

IN THE CITY OF DUNHUANG
WERE LUXURIES FIT

FOR THE GREAT KHAN HIMSELF,

FOOD THAT SEEMED EXQUISITE
AFTER WEEKS IN THE DESERT.

Belliveau: SO, AT DUNHUANG
IS WHERE WE HAD

OUR FIRST REAL CHINESE MEAL.

NO MORE SHEEP GUTS.

Narrator: AND EVEN
MORE EXQUISITE --

A HOTEL ROOM
WITH A PROPER SHOWER.

Belliveau:
AND WE FLIPPED A COIN

AFTER WEEKS AND WEEKS
WITHOUT WASHING OURSELVES

WHO WAS GOING TO GET
THE SHOWER FIRST.

FRAN WON.

SO AFTER SINGING ABOUT
20 OR 30 SONGS

IN THE SHOWER,
DENIS FINALLY CONVINCED ME

TO GET OUT,
AND, YOU KNOW,

WHEN HE STEPPED IN,
HE WAS LIKE, "DUDE,

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME
OVER HERE," RIGHT?

'CAUSE THE WATER WAS, LIKE,
ALL FILLED UP.

WHEN IT FINALLY DRAINED,
THERE WAS A LAYER OF SAND,

JUST FROM MY BODY,
THAT HAD TO BE,

I DON'T KNOW,
AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH THICK

ACROSS THE WHOLE
BOTTOM OF THE --

BOTTOM OF THE TUB.

Narrator: MARCO POLO
HAD CHANGED WORLD HISTORY

WITH HIS ACCOUNT OF A LAND

VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN
TO EUROPEANS,

HELPING TO INAUGURATE

AN UNPRECEDENTED ERA
ON INTERACTION

BETWEEN DISTANT CULTURES.

NOW DENIS AND FRANCIS
WOULD STEP UP THEIR SEARCH

FOR EVIDENCE THAT
HIS WORDS WERE TRUE.

POLO NOTED THAT
"AMONG THE CHINESE

"ARE WISE PHILOSOPHERS
AND PHYSICIANS

"WITH A GREAT KNOWLEDGE
OF NATURE.

"HERE AT EVERY HOUR
ARE CROWDS GOING TO AND FRO

"THAT ANYONE SEEING
SUCH A MULTITUDE

"WOULD BELIEVE
IT STARK IMPOSSIBILITY

"THAT FOOD COULD BE FOUND
TO FEED SO MANY MOUTHS.

"MEN AS WELL AS WOMEN
ARE FAIR-SKINNED

"AND GOOD-LOOKING.

"MOST OF THEM WEAR SILK
ALL OF THE TIME

SINCE IT IS PRODUCED
IN GREAT ABUNDANCE."

THERE WERE MANY PLEASURES
FOR THE TRAVELLERS IN CHINA,

BUT THERE WERE DIFFICULTIES,
TOO,

ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY
KNOWN AS CAMBALUC TO MARCO POLO.

TODAY, IT'S CALLED BEIJING.

HERE, POLO TELLS US

HE MADE HIS HOME BASE
FOR 17 YEARS

IN THE SERVICE OF
THE MONGOL EMPEROR KUBLAI KHAN.

BUT THE MODERN TRAVELERS
IN POLO'S FOOTSTEPS

DIDN'T FEEL AT HOME AT ALL.

IT WAS EARLY 1994.

CHINA WAS MUCH LESS
OPEN TO THE WORLD

AT THAT TIME
THAN IT IS TODAY,

WITH MANY FEWER VISITORS
FROM THE WEST.

Belliveau: IT WAS A VERY
DIFFICULT PART OF THE JOURNEY.

THE PROBLEM FOR US
WAS WE HAD BEEN

TRAVELING FOR A YEAR
ALREADY.

WE WERE TIRED,
WE WERE COLD,

WE WERE HOMESICK --

AND USED TO BEING TREATED
EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.

AND USED TO BEING INVITED
INTO PEOPLES' HOMES,

CALLED "BROTHER," YOU KNOW,
THE HOSPITALITY THAT

WE HAD RECEIVED
UP UNTIL THAT POINT

WAS AMAZING,
SO WHEN WE GOT

TO THE HEART OF CHINA,
BEIJING,

WE DEFINITELY
FELT A CHANGE.

I MEAN, IF MEI YOU

WAS THE FIRST WORD
WE LEARNT IN CHINESE,

THEN GWEILO AND LAOWAI

WERE THE SECOND
AND THIRD WORDS WE LEARNED.

AND GWEILO IS "FOREIGN DEVIL,"
AND LAOWAI MEANS "BIG NOSE."

WHETHER THEY WERE
AFRAID OF US,

MAYBE OUR APPEARANCE WAS --
WE HAD LET OURSELVES GO

BEING OUT IN THE WILDERNESS,

AND WE HAD
THIS FIERCE LOOK ABOUT US

AND WE KEPT IT GOING,
I DON'T KNOW.

WHEN I WAS THERE,
THERE WAS A LOT OF TIMES

I WISHED I WASN'T THERE.

"I'M JUST EXHAUSTED.

"I NEVER THOUGHT
I'D FEEL THIS WAY,

"BUT THE ENDLESS MOVEMENT

"FROM ONE FLEABAG HOTEL
TO THE NEXT,

"SLEEPING WITH ONE EYE OPEN
AND WAITING FOR DAYS

"FOR A SEAT FOR A BUS
OR A TRAIN,

"THE NEVER-ENDING STARES
AND ATTENTION

"OF BEING A CURIOSITY.

IT'S REALLY GETTING TO ME."

CHINA.

WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE.

I [ BLEEP ] HATE IT HERE.

I HATE MARCO POLO.

I HATE DENIS.

WATCH OUT WHAT YOU WISH FOR,
YOU MIGHT GET IT.

WE HAD A TOUGH TIME,

BUT CHINA
ISN'T AN EASY PLACE.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT
THAT MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL

AND THAT MUCH MORE ENDEARING,
THAT MUCH MORE RICH,

BECAUSE SOMETIMES,

YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S EASY,
YOU TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

SOMETHING'S DIFFICULT,
THAT'S WHAT MADE...

THE EXPERIENCE
THAT MUCH SWEETER

AND THAT RICHER.

Narrator: A VISIT
TO GANSU PROVINCE

PROVIDED PERHAPS
THE SWEETEST,

RICHEST MARCO POLO MOMENT
IN CHINA

AND A CRUCIAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE

THAT THE VENETIAN HAD BEEN
WHERE HE SAID HE'D BEEN.

MARCO POLO TALKS ABOUT THIS
RECLINING BUDDHA IN ZHANGYE,

AND IT'S ONE OF THE FEW
PIECES OF ARTWORK

THAT HE DESCRIBES
IN HIS BOOK

THAT STILL EXISTS TODAY.

WHEN HE STOOD THERE,
IT WAS ALREADY

300 OR 400 YEARS OLD.

Belliveau: AND WE SPENT
SO MANY HOURS IN FRONT OF IT

THAT IT BECAME
LIKE A MEDITATION ON

NOT THE PAST,
BUT THE PRESENT,

AND THAT'S --
I MEAN, THAT'S BUDDHISM.

BUDDHA SAID, YOU KNOW,
"IT'S RIGHT HERE,

RIGHT NOW, IN THIS MOMENT."

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT YESTERDAY,
IT'S GONE.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT
TOMORROW, IT HASN'T COME YET.

LIFE IS RIGHT HERE."

[ WOMEN SINGING ]

Belliveau: THE MONGOLS
WERE IN CHINA

WHEN HE WAS THERE.

IN FACT, HE WRITES
MORE ABOUT MONGOL LIFE

THAN HE DOES THE CHINESE.

WE FELT IT WAS NECESSARY
THAT WE HIT THE STEPPES

AND GO OFF TO MONGOLIA.

WE WERE, BOOM, RIGHT BACK INTO
THE 13th CENTURY AGAIN.

Narrator: POLO SAID
OF THE MONGOLS,

"THEY HAVE CIRCULAR HOUSES
COVERED WITH FELT,

"WHICH THEY CARRY ABOUT
WITH THEM

ON WAGONS
WHEREVER THEY GO."

WE WALK UP TO THE TENT
AND WE JUST

INGRATIATE OURSELVES
TO THE PEOPLE.

JUST WALK UP OUT OF NOWHERE
AND SAY,

"HOLD THE DOG,"
AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE,

"HELLO, WE'RE HERE."

Narrator:
THE MONGOL FAMILIES HERE

INVITED THE TRAVELLERS
INTO THEIR DAILY WAY OF LIFE.

THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS
WOULD HAVE

BEEN FAMILIAR
TO MARCO POLO.

[ SHEEP BLEATS ]

Belliveau:
THEY SLAUGHTERED THEIR SHEEP

EXACTLY LIKE MARCO
SAID THEY WOULD.

THEY WOULD GRAB A SHEEP,
TURN IT OVER ON ITS BACK,

MAKE AN INCISION
IN THE CHEST,

THE SHEEP WOULD JERK AROUND
FOR A LITTLE BIT,

AND THEN IT WOULD DIE,

BUT THE BLOOD WOULD POOL
INTO THE CHEST CAVITY.

THEN THEY WOULD OPEN IT UP,

/TAKE OUT THE ORGANS AND STUFF,
AND COLLECT ALL THAT BLOOD

AND MAKE BLOOD SAUSAGE
OUT OF THE INTESTINES.

EVERY SINGLE EDIBLE PIECE
OF THE ANIMAL WASN'T WASTED,

AND MARCO NOTICED THIS, TOO.

IT WAS ENDLESS.

I MEAN, WE KEPT SEEING
QUOTE AFTER QUOTE

COMING TO LIFE
OUT OF HIS BOOK.

Narrator: POLO SAID
OF MONGOL WARRIORS,

"THEY RELY MAINLY
ON THEIR BOWS,

FOR THEY ARE EXCELLENT ARCHERS."

AND, OF COURSE,
HE SPOKE OF THE MONGOLS'

FAMED WAY WITH HORSES.

"THEY SPEND THE WINTER
IN THE STEPPES

"AND WARMER REGIONS

"WHERE THERE IS GOOD GRAZING
AND PASTURAGE FOR THEIR BEASTS.

"YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THEY

DRINK MARE'S MILK."

Belliveau: THEY DRINK
EVERY KIND OF MILK PRODUCT

THAT YOU COULD IMAGINE.

I THINK THEY HAVE
LIKE 22 DIFFERENT

MILK PRODUCTS
OR CHEESES OR YOGURTS.

THEY ARE THE MILK-EATING
PEOPLE.

[ BABY LAMB BLEATS ]

[ SPEAKING MONGOLIAN ]

[ LAUGHTER ]

[ SPEAKING MONGOLIAN ]

Belliveau:
AS A PHOTOGRAPHER, TOO,

JUST THE LIGHT,
THE LIGHT IN MONGOLIA

IS SPECTACULAR.

IT WAS DEFINITELY ONE OF
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JOURNEY

AND ONE OF THE PLACES, YOU KNOW,
PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME,

YOU KNOW, "OF ALL THE COUNTRIES
YOU WENT TO,

WHAT ARE THE ONES THAT YOU
WANT TO GO BACK TO?"

MONGOLIA'S VERY HIGH UP
ON THE LIST.

Narrator: POLO'S CHARGE
FROM KUBLAI KHAN

WAS TO TRAVEL
THE WIDTH AND BREADTH

OF THE GREAT MONGOL EMPIRE,

VISITING NOT JUST GREAT CITIES
AND FORBIDDING DESERTS

BUT ALSO WHAT,
FOR THE TRAVELERS,

WAS ANOTHER MARCO MILESTONE --

MOUNTAINOUS, GLORIOUS TIBET.

O'Donnell: YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE IN THE DESERT FOR MONTHS.

SO YOU GOT BEIGE AND BEIGE
AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF BEIGE.

AND THEN, ALL OF A SUDDEN,
YOU'RE IN THIS TOWN WHERE

THEY'RE, LIKE,
IN TECHNICOLOR.

THEY'RE WEARING REDS
AND YELLOW YELLOWS

AND CORAL NECKLACES
AND AMBER DECORATIONS

AND SILVER AND LEOPARD PELTS,
AND THEY'RE WARM

AND THEY'RE INGRATIATING,
AND, YOU KNOW,

IT'S KIND OF LIKE BEING,
LIKE,

IN "THE WIZARD OF OZ"
WHERE DOROTHY,

YOU KNOW, SHE GOES TO OZ
AND IT GOES FROM

BLACK AND WHITE TO COLOR,
IT'S JUST LIKE THAT.

[ DUNGCHENS PLAY ]

[ CHANTING, DRUMMING ]

Narrator:
MARCO POLO RECOUNTED,

"THEY SPEAK A LANGUAGE
OF THEIR OWN

AND CALL THEMSELVES 'TIBET.'"

"CORAL FETCHES A HIGH PRICE,
FOR IT IS HUNG AROUND

THE NECKS OF WOMEN
AND IDOLS WITH GREAT JOY."

"THEY MAKE
THE MOST MAGNIFICENT FEASTS

"FOR THEIR IDOLS,
WITH THE MOST MAGNIFICENT

HYMNS AND ILLUMINATIONS
THAT WERE EVER SEEN."

"THEY HAVE HUGE
MONASTERIES

"AND ABBEYS, INHABITED
BY 2,000 MONKS

"WHO ARE BETTER-DRESSED
THAN OTHER MEN.

THEY WEAR THEIR HEADS AND CHINS
CLEAN-SHAVEN."

[ CAMERA SHUTTER SNAPS ]

[ CAR HORNS HONKING ]

WHEN WE FINALLY
REACHED HONG KONG,

IT WAS JUST A CULTURE SHOCK.

I MEAN, INITIALLY, I HATED IT,
BECAUSE I WAS

SO USED TO BEING
OUT IN REMOTE PLACES WITH,

YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL PEOPLES
AND KIND OF ROUGHING IT.

AFTER A COUPLE DAYS,
IT FELT GOOD.

SO WE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW,
WENT TO PLACES

THAT WE TRY TO AVOID HERE,
LIKE PIZZA HUT AND McDONALD'S

AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

Narrator: AUGUST, 1994.

IN HONG KONG,

THE TRAVELERS COULDN'T
BEGIN TO IMAGINE

THEY WERE IN THE 13th CENTURY.

THEIR NEXT DESTINATION --
THE ISLAND OF SUMATRA.

POLO AND COMPANY
WERE GIVEN ROYAL PASSAGE

BY KUBLAI KHAN
IN THE LARGEST AND MOST

SEAWORTHY CARGO SHIPS
OF THEIR DAY.

ACCORDING TO POLO,
THEY SET SAIL

FITTED OUT WITH
A FLEET OF 14 SHIPS,

EACH OF WHICH HAD FOUR MASTS
AND AS MANY AS 12 SAILS.

Belliveau: SO WE FIGURED,

"LET'S GET ON
A BIG CONTAINER SHIP

AND SAIL LIKE HE DID
ON A MERCHANT SHIP."

AND THEY SAID, "NO,
YOU GUYS ARE CRAZY.

"THE DAYS OF SAILING
AROUND THE WORLD

"ON A STEAMER SHIP
ARE LONG GONE.

"WITH INSURANCE LIABILITIES
AND UNIONS,

WE DON'T JUST LET ANYBODY
GET ON THE SHIPS."

WE DIDN'T ACCEPT THAT.

WE WERE GOING TO GET ON A SHIP
COME HELL OR HIGH WATER.

Narrator: IT WAS NEITHER HELL
NOR HIGH WATER,

BUT A LITTLE LOCAL PUBLICITY
THAT DID THE TRICK.

Man: WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS?

WELL, WE GOT SPONSORSHIPS
FROM DIFFERENT COMPANIES

BEFORE WE LEFT,
BUT AT THIS POINT,

WE'RE RUNNING OUT, SO...

ANYBODY IN HONG KONG
WHO'S INTERESTED IN

A HISTORICAL PROJECT
CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH US.

AND AFTER OUR RADIO INTERVIEW,

WE WENT TO SEE
THE LAST BIG SHIPPING COMPANY,

P&O, AND WE WENT IN
AND WE PITCHED THEM,

AND, FORTUNATELY,
THE PERSON WE WERE PITCHING

HEARD OUR RADIO INTERVIEW
AND HE WAS LIKE, "WE'RE GOING TO

SHIP YOU GUYS
ALL THE WAY TO INDIA."

WE HAD TO SIGN ON
AS CREW MEMBERS,

BUT WE WERE ON A CARGO SHIP,
WE WERE SAILING

FOR FREE FROM CHINA,

SO WE WERE PRETTY HIGH
AT THAT POINT.

Narrator: PERHAPS THEY DESERVED
A LITTLE GOOD LUCK.

THEY FIGURED THEY HAD MADE
THEIR OWN LUCK.

EITHER WAY, THEY WERE ON A SHIP
SAILING SOUTH TO SUMATRA,

JUST AS MARCO POLO HAD.

Belliveau: MARCO TELLS US

THAT HE'S STRANDED THERE
FOR FIVE MONTHS

BECAUSE THE MONSOON WINDS
HAVE CHANGED

HE GOES ON TO DESCRIBE THAT --

THE PEOPLE THERE
AS SAVAGES, CANNIBALS.

AND THERE'S EVEN A FAMOUS
ILLUMINATION THAT'S IN HIS --

ONE OF HIS ORIGINAL BOOKS WHERE,
IT'S KIND OF FUNNY,

BECAUSE IN THE MIDDLE AGES,
THEY MADE ALL THESE

ASIATIC PEOPLE
LOOK LIKE EUROPEANS,

SO THERE'S THESE GUYS
WITH WHITE BEARDS AND,

YOU KNOW,
EUROPEAN CLOTHES ON,

AND THEY'RE, LIKE,
EATING ARMS AND LEGS.

Narrator: CANNIBALISM
IS LONG GONE FROM SUMATRA,

BUT DENIS AND FRANCIS
DID DETECT

TRACES OF THE 13th CENTURY

ON THE INDONESIAN ISLAND
OF SIBERUT,

WHERE THEY WOULD SOON ENCOUNTER
ANOTHER MARCO MILESTONE.

[ SPEAKING MENTAWAI ]

Belliveau: I MEAN,
IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW,

THE LOST WORLD, YOU KNOW?

[ SPEAKING MENTAWAI ]

Narrator: POLO TOLD IN DETAIL
OF THE LOCAL PEOPLE'S SKILL

IN THE ART OF THE TATTOO.

"MALE AND FEMALE HAVE
THEIR FLESH COVERED ALL OVER

"WITH PICTURES
MADE WITH NEEDLES

"IN SUCH A WAY
THAT THEY ARE INDELIBLE.

"THEY MAKE THESE
ON THEIR FACES,

"NECKS, BELLIES, HANDS, LEGS.

"THE MORE ELABORATE
ANYONE IS DECORATED,

THE GREATER AND HANDSOMER
HE IS CONSIDERED."

O'Donnell: WHEN HE ASKED THEM,
"WHY DO THEY DO THAT?"

THEY SAID, "THAT'S BECAUSE,
WITHOUT THE TATTOOS,

THEY WOULD FEEL NAKED."

SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE
THEIR CLOTHING.

WE HAD BEEN THERE
FOR SEVERAL WEEKS,

AND I WAS TRYING TO COAX THEM
INTO GIVING ME A TATTOO,

AND THEY KEPT
YESSING ME TO DEATH,

AND I DIDN'T THINK I WAS
GOING TO ACTUALLY GET ONE.

[ SPEAKING MENTAWAI ]

Belliveau: I'M WATCHING THE GUY
GIVE HIM THE TATTOO,

AND I'M SITTING THERE,
AND I'M GOING,

"MAN, HE'S GOING TO GET
HEPATITIS OR SOMETHING.

HE'S GOING DOWN
WITH THIS THING,"

BECAUSE THEY BASICALLY TOOK
SOME SORT OF BLACK SOOT, ASH,

FROM THE FIRE,
CHARCOAL OR SOMETHING,

AND HE MIXED THAT
WITH WATER

AND HE MIGHT HAVE PUT
SOME SORT OF OIL FROM A PLANT.

AND, YOU KNOW,
TURNED IT INTO AN INK,

AND HE HAD THIS --

STINGRAY SPINE.

YEAH, IT WAS SOME SORT OF
NATURAL NEEDLE

THAT HE HAD ON
THE END OF A STICK,

AND HE WOULD DIP THE NEEDLE
IN THE INK,

AND THEN HE HAD ANOTHER STICK
THAT HE WOULD WHACK.

THE NEEDLE WAS KIND OF
CANTILEVERED ON THE STICK,

AND HE WAS, "WHACK,
WHACK, WHACK, WHACK,"

AND I'M --

AND HE WAS WIPING THE BLOOD
WITH THIS DIRTY RAG,

AND I'M GOING,
I'M LOOKING AT HIM,

I'M LIKE,
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

THIS IS GOING TO BE BAD."

[ WOMAN LAUGHS ]

[ MAN SPEAKING MENTAWAI ]

AFTER I GOT IT, I WAS LIKE,
"OH, MY GOD,

WHAT DID I DO TO MYSELF?"
IT LOOKED TERRIBLE, I THOUGHT,

BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY
MY FAVORITE ONE,

BECAUSE,
YOU KNOW --
IT'S REAL.

BECAUSE IT'S REAL,
IT'S THE REAL McCOY.

Narrator: SOON WOULD COME
A MODERN MILESTONE

FOR THE TRAVELERS --

A MATTER OF GEOGRAPHY
AND THE COMPASS NEEDLE.

Narrator: HEADING WEST
TOWARDS HOME AT LAST

WAS BITTERSWEET,

A REMINDER THAT THE ROAD
DID NOT GO ON FOREVER.

NOT ONLY THAT,
THEY COULDN'T FORGET

THAT THEIR ROAD
RAN THROUGH PERSIA -- IRAN,

WHERE, SOON ENOUGH,

DENIS AND FRANCIS
WOULD DETERMINE

IF THEIR TRIP
WAS TO END IN SUCCESS

OR FAILURE.

FOR A YEAR AND HALF,
WE TRAVELED WITH

THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES
HANGING OVER OUR HEADS,

NEVER KNOWING WHETHER
ALL THE EFFORT

AND TIME AND ENERGY

AND HOPES AND DREAMS
THAT WE PUT INTO THE PROJECT

WAS GOING TO BE
JUST FOR NAUGHT

OR WHETHER WE WERE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW,

MAYBE SOMEHOW
PULL THIS THING OFF,

AND IT ALL KIND OF
HINGED ON WHETHER

WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET
VISAS FOR IRAN.

Narrator: BUT BEFORE IRAN
LAY INDIA,

AND AS THEY SAILED TOWARD
THE PORT OF MADRAS,

THEY STOPPED WORRYING ABOUT

ACCESS TO MARCO'S PERSIA
AND STARTED WORRYING

ABOUT HOW THEY WERE GOING TO
GET OFF THE SHIP.

Belliveau: "OCTOBER 20.

"INDIA'S VISIBLE
IN THE DISTANCE.

"WE'VE DROPPED ANCHOR OUT HERE

"AS THE CAPTAIN SAYS
IT WILL BE THREE OR FOUR DAYS

UNTIL WE GET A BERTH
IN THE PORT OF MADRAS."

O'Donnell: "OCTOBER 22.

"WE'VE BEEN HANGING
WITH THE CREW

"AN"AND DRINKING CHEAP BRANDY,
FISHING FOR SQUID OFF THE STERN.

"THE SEA IS AWASH
WITH THESE GLOBS

OF MUSHROOM-LIKE JELLYFISH,
HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF THEM.

Belliveau: "OCTOBER 25.

"WE WILL BE ANCHORED
AT LEAST ANOTHER THREE DAYS.

"THE LAST TWO HAVE BEEN CONSUMED
BY SLEEP AND READING.

"I FINISHED MY BOOK
AND HAVE NOW READ

"EVERY MAGAZINE ONBOARD THE SHIP

AND NOW EVEN
CONSIDERING THE BIBLE."

O'Donnell: "OCTOBER 30.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE
WE'RE STILL ON THIS VESSEL.

"APPARENTLY THEY'VE NEVER HAD
FOREIGN NATIONALS

"DISEMBARKING AS PASSENGERS

OFF OF A CARGO SHIP BEFORE."

Belliveau: "OCTOBER 31 --
WHAT A BUREAUCRATIC NIGHTMARE

"THIS HAS TURNED OUT TO BE.

"THEY'RE NOW GRILLING US

"OVER OUR ITINERARY
AND WANT TO KNOW

"EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF FILM
WE'RE MAKING.

"WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

WE HAVE VALID VISAS,
JUST LET US OFF THE BOAT."

"NOVEMBER 1.

"FINALLY, THEY'VE ALLOWED US
TO SIGN OFF AS CREWMEN

"ON THE CONDITION WE LEAVE
THE COUNTRY IN 72 HOURS.

"THAT GIVES US
THREE-DAY HEAD START

"TO GET LOST
IN THE SUBCONTINENT.

THEY'LL HAVE TO CATCH US."

INDIA IS ALIVE.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE
1,000-YEAR-OLD TEMPLES

AND PEOPLE ARE STILL
PRAYING IN THEM.

IT'S NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW,

YOU GO TO EGYPT AND YOU SEE
THIS ANCIENT CULTURE

BUT IT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.

YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT
THESE RUINS.

YOU GO TO INDIA
AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT RUINS

AND THE PEOPLE
ARE STILL PRAYING IN THEM,

SO IT'S LIKE, "WHOA."

Narrator: AND EVERYWHERE
WERE ECHOES

OF POLO'S DISTANT WORDS.

HE SAID THE LOCAL PEOPLE
"COULD TRUST NO SAILOR,

"FOR THEY SAY THAT A MAN

WHO GOES TO SEA MUST BE
A MAN IN DESPAIR."

HE DESCRIBED THE BRAHMANS WHO
"ARE KNOWN BY AN EMBLEM

"WHICH THEY WEAR,
FOR THEY CARRY A CORD OF COTTON

ON THEIR SHOULDER
AND FASTENED ACROSS THE CHEST."

WE'VE COME ACROSS
MORE MARCO POLO DESCRIPTIONS

FASTER HERE IN INDIA
THAN ANY OTHER PLACE.

Narrator: POLO TOLD AS WELL
OF INDIA'S GODS.

"THEY HAVE IDOLS WITH
THE HEADS OF FOUR FACES

"AND SOME WITH THREE HEADS,
ONE IN THE RIGHT PLACE

"AND ONE ON EITHER SHOULDER.

"SOME HAVE FOUR HANDS,
SOME TEN,

AND SOME 1,000."

AND HE DESCRIBED THE HABITS
OF THE PEOPLE HE ENCOUNTERED.

"AS SOON AS A CHILD IS BORN,
THE FATHER AND MOTHER

"HAVE A RECORD MADE IN WRITING
OF HIS NATIVITY.

"THIS THEY DO
BECAUSE THEY GUIDE

"ALL THEIR ACTIONS BY
THE COUNCIL OF ASTROLOGERS

"AND DIVINERS
WHO ARE SKILLED

IN ENCHANTMENT
AND MAGIC AND GEOMANCY."

DENIS BELLIVEAU HAD A DIVINER
READ HIS FORTUNE.

Belliveau:
"HE READ MINE AND SAID

"I WILL DIE
WHEN I'M 75 YEARS OLD.

"MY WIFE WILL BE
A STRONG PERSON

"AND VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ME.

"SHE WILL MAKE ME
A BETTER MAN.

"WE'LL HAVE TWO KIDS
WHO WILL GROW UP

"STRONG AND WELL-EDUCATED.

SOUNDS GOOD,
CAN'T WAIT TO MEET THEM."

Narrator: BUT RATHER THAN
THE FUTURE,

IT WAS THE PRESENT
THAT CAUGHT UP

WITH FRANCIS O'DONNELL
IN INDIA.

O'Donnell: "NOVEMBER 30.

"I JUST CALLED HOME
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS.

"MY POOR MOTHER.

"SHE HAD TO TELL ME
THAT MY FATHER IS DEAD.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

"I'M FULL OF REMORSE AND GUILT
FOR NOT BEING THERE

TO COMFORT
MY MOM AND SISTERS."

MY FATHER USED TO
PACK UP THE WHOLE FAMILY

AND STICK US IN A STATION WAGON
AND TRAVEL UP AND DOWN

THE EASTERN SEABOARD TO ALL,
LIKE, THE REVOLUTIONARY

AND COLONIAL FORTRESSES
AND STUFF.

WE WENT TO FORT WILLIAM HENRY
AND TICONDEROGA AND,

YOU KNOW, WILLIAMSBURG
AND VALLEY FORGE,

AND I BELIEVE MY DAD
WAS A FRUSTRATED HISTORIAN,

AND HE KIND OF PUT THAT LOVE
OF HISTORY INTO MY SOUL.

I WAS KIND OF GUILTY ABOUT
HAVING NOT BEEN THERE

TO BE ABLE TO COMFORT
MY MOTHER AND SISTERS,

SO, YOU KNOW, DENNY SAID TO ME,
"WELL, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?"

HE KIND OF THOUGHT THAT
MAYBE I'D WANT TO GO HOME,

BUT WHAT I DID WAS REDEDICATE
THE WHOLE JOURNEY TO HIS MEMORY

BECAUSE HE HAD TAUGHT ME
TO REALLY LOVE HISTORY,

AND IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR HIM,
IN A LOT OF RESPECTS,

I PROBABLY WOULD NEVER HAVE
BEEN ON THIS PATH,

SO I SWORE THAT WE WOULD
GET INTO IRAN NO MATTER WHAT

JUST SO THIS -- YOU KNOW,
IT WOULDN'T ALL BE IN VAIN.

O'Donnell: "DECEMBER 19.

"ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
ARE TWO VISAS TO IRAN.

"LIKE DEJA VU,
WE'VE BEEN STUCK FOR WEEKS

AS THE IRANIANS MESS WITH US."

Belliveau: IF WE DIDN'T
GET INTO IRAN,

WHY ARE WE BUSTING OURSELVES?

WHY ARE WE GOING THROUGH
ALL THIS?

LET'S JUST GO ON THE BEACH
IN GOA AND, LIKE,

HANG OUT AND, LIKE,
CATCH A TAN AND,

YOU KNOW, MEET GIRLS.

THAT WOULD HAVE
BEEN DEVASTATING.

EVERYTHING WOULD HAVE BEEN
NO JOY IN ANY OF IT.

Belliveau: "WE'VE REMAINED
FAITHFUL TO OUR DREAM

"AND DAY-IN AND DAY-OUT
HAVE DONE OUR JOBS

"BELIEVING IT WOULDN'T,

"COULDN'T BE IN VAIN,

"THAT IF WE PUT OURSELVES
LITERALLY ON THE RIGHT PATH,

"DOORS THAT SEEMED CLOSED
WOULD MAGICALLY OPEN.

"WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU
JUST HAVE TO KICK THEM DOWN.

"WE'VE COME UP
WITH A DANGEROUS PLAN.

"WE'LL GIVE THEM
ONE MORE WEEK FOR OUR VISAS,

"THEN WE'LL CUT THROUGH
AFGHANISTAN AGAIN,

"USE OUR CONTACTS THERE
TO SNEAK INTO IRAN,

"AND THEN INTO THE HANDS
OF THE KURDISH UNDERGROUND,

"WHO WILL THEN SMUGGLE US
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS

"AND BACK INTO TURKEY.

"IT'S UTTER INSANITY,
SO I'M TRYING

NOT TO THINK OF THE CONSEQUENCES
IF WE GET CAUGHT."

Narrator: BUT BEFORE TRYING
TO SNEAK INTO IRAN,

THE AMERICAN TRAVELERS DECIDED
TO MAKE ONE LAST-DITCH EFFORT.

THEY WOULD DIVERT FROM
POLO'S ROUTE TO PAKISTAN,

WHERE THEY MADE A DESPERATE PLEA
TO THE IRANIAN AMBASSADOR.

EVERY SINGLE DAY
FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

WE'D GO TO THE IRANIAN EMBASSY,
AND THE GUY

WORKING BEHIND THE DESK
WAS LIKE LAUGHING AT US.

HE WAS LIKE,
"THERE'S NO WAY.

"THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE
GOING TO GET A VISA.

IT'S JUST IMPOSSIBLE."

AND THEN ONE MORNING,
THE PHONE RANG.

[ TELEPHONE RINGS ]

HELLO?

AND HE SAID,
"GET TO THE EMBASSY NOW,

YOUR VISA'S GOING TO BE
WAITING FOR YOU."

HEY, WE'RE IN IRAN.

SOUTHERN IRAN.

Belliveau: THEY TOLD US
WHEN WE GOT OUR VISAS,

"YOU'RE BASICALLY
THE FIRST AMERICANS

"ALLOWED IN HERE SINCE 1979.

"AND WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU
A THREE-DAY

"TOURIST TRANSIT VISA.

"WE'RE GIVING YOU
A FULL MONTH

TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO."

Narrator:
SEVEN CENTURIES EARLIER,

MARCO POLO KNEW IRAN AS
"A VERY LARGE COUNTRY

WITH EIGHT KINGDOMS."

HE DESCRIBED
A WONDROUS TECHNOLOGY --

"THE CLIMATE IS SO HOT
THAT HOUSES ARE FITTED

"WITH VENTILATORS
TO CATCH THE WIND.

"THE VENTILATORS ARE SET
TO FACE THE QUARTER

"FROM WHICH THE WIND BLOWS

AND LET IT BLOW
INTO THE HOUSE."

POLO ALSO TOLD
OF A MURDEROUS MEDIEVAL SECT.

[ CLEARS THROAT ]

[ COUGHS ]

THIS IS THE VALLEY
OF THE ASSASSINS

IN NORTHERN IRAN

AND MARCO POLO WRITES ABOUT
THIS OLD MAN IN THE MOUNTAIN,

THIS MYTH ABOUT THIS SECT,
AND THE WORD "ASSASSIN"

BASICALLY COMES FROM
THIS SECT.

THEY WERE THE HASHSHASHINS,
OR HASHSHASHIYYINS,

WHICH MEANS "HASH EATERS."

YOUNG MEN WERE
BROUGHT TO THIS PLACE

AND THEY GOT HIGH
ON HASHISH.

THEY WERE GIVEN
HASHISH AND OPIUM.

THEY WOULD GO
AND THEY WOULD KILL

WHOEVER THAT THEIR LORD
TOLD THEM TO KILL.

Man: JIHAD!
[ CHILDREN YELL IN RESPONSE ]

ISLAM!
[ CHILDREN YELL ]

Narrator: POLO SAID
THAT THE OLD MAN

WOULD TELL HIS ASSASSINS
THAT "HE WAS MINDED

"TO DISPATCH THEM
TO PARADISE.

"THEY WERE TO KILL
SUCH-AND-SUCH A MAN.

"IF THEY DIED
ON THEIR MISSION,

THEY WOULD GO THERE
ALL THE SOONER."

WHO WOULD EVER THINK THAT,
YOU KNOW, A GROUP OF TERRORISTS

WOULD ACTUALLY ORIGINATE
HERE IN PERSIA?

I DIDN'T --
[ LAUGHS ]

YEAH, THAT'S BASICALLY
WHAT THEY WERE.

THEY WERE
MEDIEVAL TERRORISTS.

O'Donnell: I THINK,
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE,

AS HAVING
BEEN IN THE MARINES

AND JUST GOTTEN OUT RIGHT BEFORE
THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION

AND THE TAKEOVER
OF THE AMERICAN EMBASSY,

THEY WERE KIND OF LIKE
A DEMON TO ME.

IRAN WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW,
KIND OF AN EVIL PLACE

IN MY SUBCONSCIOUS,
IN THE BACK OF MY MIND.

Belliveau: PART OF THE DEAL

WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO
HAVE A CAR AND DRIVER

MEET US AT THE BORDER
AND STAY WITH US

THE WHOLE TIME.

WE WERE, LIKE WE ALWAYS DO,
ENGAGING PEOPLE,

TALKING TO PEOPLE
IN THE STREETS,

AND THIS --
OUR HANDLER WAS LIKE,

"YOU MUST NEVER
TALK TO PEOPLE!"

"DON'T TELL THEM
YOU'RE AMERICANS."

"THEY WILL KILL YOU!"

Belliveau: "FEBRUARY 11.

"TODAY IS THE ANNIVERSARY
OF THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION

"THAT BROUGHT DOWN THE SHAH,

"INSTALLED KHOMEINI AS LEADER,

AND STORMED
THE AMERICAN EMBASSY."

WHEN WE WOKE UP THAT MORNING,
WE HEARD PEOPLE

MARCHING PAST OUR HOTEL
ON THEIR WAY TO THE SQUARE.

[ PEOPLE CHANTING ]

DENIS AND I, WE TRIED
TO APPROACH THE CROWD

AND WE HAD OUR CAMERA BAGS
WITH US.

EVERY CELL IN OUR BODIES
WAS TELLING US

TO GO THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION,
BUT WE WERE --

WE JUST --
WE WENT WITH IT.

WE KNEW WE HAD TO
GO INTO THAT SQUARE.

"AS WE WANDERED INTO A SQUARE

"WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
CHANTING 'DEATH TO AMERICA,'

"BURNING THE FLAG
AND AN EFFIGY OF THE PRESIDENT,

"WE WERE DEFINITELY NOTICED.

"SOME PEOPLE ASKED
WHERE WE WERE FROM

AND LOOKED BEWILDERED
WHEN WE TOLD THEM."

DENIS WAS TALKING TO A GUY
AND HE WAS SAYING TO HIM,

"WE'RE FROM THE MOST FAMOUS

ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD."

AND THE GUY WAS LIKE,
"AUSTRALIA?"

"NO, IT'S BIG AND RICH
AND POWERFUL,"

AND HE'S LIKE, "ENGLAND?"

HE'S LIKE, "WE'RE THE MOST
FAMOUS COUNTRY,

THE MOST FAMOUS COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD."

"UH, ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRY
IN THE WORLD."

HE'S LIKE, "NEW ZEALAND?"

"CANADA?"
CANADA, YEAH, SO...

THERE'S NO WAY THEY BELIEVED.

"AMERICANS CAN'T COME
TO THIS COUNTRY."

Belliveau: "BUT WHAT REALLY
GOT OUR ATTENTION TODAY

"WAS SEEING THE INDOCTRINATION
OF CHILDREN BY THE REGIME --

YOUNG MINDS BEING SCHOOLED
IN HATRED."

[ PEOPLE CHANTING ]

"BUT, IN TRUTH,
I NEVER FELT PERSONALLY MENACED.

"ONCE WE GOT AWAY
FROM THE MAIN SQUARE

"WITH ITS TV CAMERAS
AND RANTING CROWDS,

"IT SEEMED THAT MOST PEOPLE
WERE JUST HAPPY

"TO HAVE THE DAY OFF FROM WORK.

"IN FACT,

"THE IRANIAN PEOPLE
ARE AMONGST

"THE NICEST
AND MOST HOSPITABLE

WE HAVE EVER COME ACROSS."

AS MUCH AS THE TURKS
WERE HOSPITABLE,

THE IRANIANS
WERE THAT MUCH MORE.

Narrator: IT WAS EARLY 1995.

THEY HAD BEEN TRAVELING
FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS.

AND, LEAVING IRAN,
DENIS AND FRANCIS

KNEW, FINALLY,
THAT THEY HAD DONE IT.

AGAINST ALL ODDS,
THEY HAD BEEN WHERE

THE VENETIAN HAD BEEN,
SEEN WHAT HE HAD SEEN.

NOT ONLY HAD THEY
FOLLOWED THEIR HEARTS,

THEY HAD MET THEIR GOAL --

WALKING IN THE FOOTSTEPS
OF MARCO POLO.

Belliveau: SO WHEN WE CROSSED
FROM IRAN INTO TURKEY,

IT WAS ALMOST TOO OFFICIAL.

PEOPLE LINED UP ON A ROAD,
AND WE'RE SHAKING HANDS

WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM

WITH MOUNT ARARAT
IN THE BACKGROUND.

O'Donnell: NOT ONLY DID THEY
ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET FOR US,

BUT IT WAS KIND OF LIKE
A MAGIC CARPET.

THEY KIND OF TOOK US
BY THE HAND,

LED US ACROSS THE COUNTRY,
AND SHIPPED US TO VENICE,

WHICH WAS NICE,
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO YEARS,
WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TO THINK.

WE WERE JUST LIKE STARS,
AND THEY PUT US UP

AT A NICE HOTEL,
AND WE GOT TO EAT GOOD FOOD

AND SLEEP IN A NICE BED.

Belliveau: AND THEY PUT US
ON A SHIP,

AND WE SAILED INTO VENICE.

O'Donnell: SO DENIS AND I
KIND OF STOOD

ON THE BOW OF THE SHIP
AS VENICE FLOATED BY,

AND KIND OF HAD
THIS LITTLE MOMENT OF,

YOU KNOW, UNSPOKEN,
YOU KNOW, REALIZATION BETWEEN US

THAT THIS WAS IT, YOU KNOW?

YEAH.

AND IT WAS
KIND OF MELANCHOLY

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
WHILE YOU'RE OUT THERE

AND YOU'RE
YEARNING FOR HOME

AND MAYBE YOU'RE SAYING,
"I WISH I WASN'T HERE"...

IT IS FREEZING.

RIGHT NOW,
IT'S NOT SO BAD,

BUT LAST NIGHT
WAS BRUTAL.

I [ BLEEP ] HATE IT HERE.

I HAVE
A SPLITTING HEADACHE.
SO SOMEBODY SEND HIM

HIS SUNGLASSES
AND SOME ASPIRIN.

YOU NEVER -- ALMOST LIKE
YOU NEVER THOUGHT THIS POINT

WAS EVER GOING TO COME,
AND NOW, HERE IT IS,

AND YOU WANT TO DO
ANYTHING YOU CAN TO, LIKE,

TURN AROUND AND GO BACK
AND NOT HAVE TO GO HOME.

I WANTED TO GO BACK OUT THERE
BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK

I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE
TO KIND OF GO BACK

TO THE QUOTE-UNQUOTE
"REAL WORLD."

[ LAUGHTER ]

IT'S ME, MARCO POLO,
RETURNED HOME.

SO WE HAD AN AMAZING RECEPTION.

THEY GAVE US A ROYAL REGATTA
OF GONDOLAS

DOWN THE GRAND CANAL,
TOOK US RIGHT TO

ST. MARK'S SQUARE
AND THE BELLS

OF ST. MARK'S ITSELF
WERE RUNG IN OUR HONOR

AS WE DISEMBARKED
INTO THE SQUARE.

Belliveau: TOURISTS
ARE TAKING OUR PICTURES.

THEY DON'T KNOW WHO WE ARE,
BUT ALL OF THE SUDDEN,

ALL THESE TOURISTS,
AND WE HAD A GROUP AROUND US.

O'Donnell: OUR FAMILIES
ARE SURROUNDING US.

YEAH, MY MOM NEARLY
KNOCKED ME OVER

AND, LIKE, CLUNG ONTO ME

FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS,
AND IT WAS...

IT WAS GREAT.

I MEAN, IT WAS GREAT,
IT WAS WONDERFUL,

BUT SAD THAT IT WAS ENDING.

DIDN'T WANT IT TO END.

WISH THERE WAS A COUPLE OF
MORE COUNTRIES TO GO SEE.

WE HAD COLLECTED
ALL THAT STUFF.

MARCO POLO --

DURING MARCO POLO'S TRIP,
DURING HIS JOURNEY,

HE TALKS ABOUT THINGS
THAT HE COLLECTED...

AND BROUGHT BACK.

SAGO SEEDS

FROM THE SAGO PALM
IN SUMATRA.

HE TALKS ABOUT FLY SWATTERS
MADE FROM YAK TAILS.

AND WE COLLECTED
THE SAME THINGS.

PAPER MONEY AS WELL.

YEAH, PAPER MONEY.

ALL THE THINGS THAT HE SAYS
THAT HE BROUGHT BACK,

WE TRIED
TO BRING BACK TODAY,

AND WE PRESENTED THESE
TO THE MAYOR OF VENICE,

AND I HAD MY AFGHAN HAT ON
AND THE MAYOR WAS LIKE,

"I WOULD LIKE
TO HAVE YOUR HAT."

AND I WAS LIKE,
"NO, MEI YOU."

[ CHUCKLES ]

SO THAT NIGHT,
THEY THREW A --

THERE WAS A GALA RECEPTION
FOR US

WITH THE MAYOR AND TOURISM
AND OUR PARENTS AND FAMILY,

AND THE MAYOR GOT UP
AND MADE A SPEECH AND,

YOU KNOW, HE WAS LIKE,

"WHAT CAN WE DO FOR YOU,
TWO AMERICANS

WHO HAVE VESTED SO MUCH
IN OUR HISTORY?"

AND WE JUST SAID,
"WE ONLY HAVE ONE REQUEST.

WE WANT TO SEE
MARCO POLO'S WILL."

Narrator: TODAY,

FRANCIS O'DONNELL IS AN ARTIST
LIVING IN QUEENS.

LIKE DENIS BELLIVEAU,
HE'S CONVINCED THAT MARCO POLO

SAW ALL HE CLAIMED TO SEE
OF THE WORLD.

HIS OWN WORK

REFLECTS ALL
HE HAS SEEN OF IT.

JAKE, GIVE ME A BIG SLIDE,
GO AHEAD!

AS FOR DENIS,

THAT INDIAN DIVINER
TURNED OUT TO BE RIGHT.

TODAY, HE HAS A WIFE
AND TWO CHILDREN

WHO HE LIVES WITH IN QUEENS.

HE CONTINUES HIS WORK
AS A PHOTOGRAPHER.

Belliveau: I WOULD SAY THAT...

MOST OF THE WORLD
IS FULL OF GOOD PEOPLE.

THERE'S A LOT MORE GOOD PEOPLE
ON THE PLANET THAN BAD.

O'Donnell: IT'S EASY TO HATE
SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER MET.

TRAVEL IS THE ENEMY
OF BIGOTRY.

Belliveau: GET OUT THERE,
MEET THEM.

THEY'RE GOOD.

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE.

DON'T BELIEVE
THE STATE DEPARTMENT.

DON'T BELIEVE THE MEDIA.

THE FUTURE MAY NEVER COME,
SO IT'S JUST RIGHT HERE AND NOW

AND JUST TO ENJOY THE MOMENT
IS, I THINK,

THE MOST PRECIOUS LESSON
THAT I'VE LEARNED, I THINK.

THERE'S A FEW OBJECTS
THAT HAVE SPECIAL MEANING

THAT I JUST HAD TO HAVE
AND HAD TO BRING HOME.

I BROUGHT BACK MY SADDLE
FROM XINJIANG PROVINCE

WHEN DENIS AND I RODE
THE 400 MILES

FROM KASHGAR TO HOTIAN,

AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL ART OBJECT.

IT'S NOT VERY PRACTICAL
AS A SADDLE,

BUT I DON'T REALLY THINK ABOUT

THE HARDSHIP
THAT WAS ENDURED ON IT.

I THINK ABOUT THE MAJESTY
OF OUR JOURNEY.

I REALLY DON'T NEED
PICTURES OR ARTWORK

TO REMEMBER THESE THINGS

BECAUSE IT'S LOCKED IN MY HEART,

BUT I DO LIKE TO SURROUND MYSELF
WITH BEAUTIFUL THINGS.

BUT I'LL STILL SELL THEM
TO TRAVEL.

[ LAUGHS ]

* I HEAR A WIND

* WHISTLING AIR

* WHISPERING

* IN MY EAR

* BOY MERCURY

* SHOOTIN' THROUGH
EVERY DEGREE *

* OH, GIRL, DANCIN'
DOWN THOSE DIRTY *

* AND DUSTY TRAILS

* TAKE IT HIP TO HIP

* ROCKET THROUGH
THE WILDERNESS *

* AROUND THE WORLD

* THE TRIP BEGINS WITH A KISS

* ROAM IF YOU WANT TO

* ROAM AROUND THE WORLD

* ROAM IF YOU WANT TO

* WITHOUT WINGS,
WITHOUT WHEELS *

* ROAM IF YOU WANT TO

* ROAM AROUND THE WORLD

* ROAM IF YOU WANT TO

* WITHOUT ANYTHING
BUT THE LOVE WE FEEL *

Belliveau: WE'RE GOING TO HAVE
TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE.

WHAT ARE WE
GOING TO DO NEXT?

O'Donnell: WE'VE BEEN THINKING
ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PLANS
ON THE TABLE.

WHAT ABOUT GETTING ELEPHANTS
AND RETRACING

THE ROUTE OF HANNIBAL
ACROSS THE ALPS?

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I JUST DON'T KNOW IF I CAN
HANDLE THE COLD ANYMORE,

YOU KNOW?