Omg. I met these two madmen in Ulan Baator in 1994 and for a couple of weeks we travelled together. I was 20 years old at the time, crossing Eurasia overland. Absolutely insane trip. Frank and Dennis were so much fun! Made a hell of an impression on me. PBS describes them above as "two ordinary guys". Well, they were anything but ordinary. Btw, that's me @55:49, on top of a truck that we hitchhiked with as we were going west, towards Charchorin (Karakorum). A little bird accompanied us for hours, singing to us. Can't belive I'm seeing this now, almost 30 years later. Guys, if you're reading this, thank you for your company on that strange and wonderful journey!
My father was in the Armed Forces in Canada immigrated from England after the war. So I grew up in the Cold War. Move ahead years and my daughter after graduating high school and going to university asked if she could finish her studies off in China. I was reluctant. She went. She told me that people in China were just like us. The people she home stayed with asked all the same questions about us as we were asking about them. She said the only way to know people is to open your mind and go travel. People all around the world are just like us. So I took up her cause and I’ve travelled ever since. It’s true the more you travel and learn about the people and live with the people not just taking tours the more you appreciate how we really are all alike. I thank my daughter to this day for opening my eyes.
Made a similar journey in 1965, however without money and camera. Almost died. Have traveled ever since. Now living for 48 years in Japan and been almost 50 times to China since 1983. So I understand very well what they went through.
Authentic, daring, unorthodox, dangerous, fascinating - Francis and Dennis made the most unique journey literally revisiting antiquity in every sense 1993/4.
Danke from Germany. Really touching story and great guys. More good people then bad ones and try to live and enjoy the moment. Open your heart and let it shine.
Right on. Especially applaud the sentiment & advice at the end. This world truly is populated with MANY more good people than malicious. It’s time we all realize that & make it our superpower.
What a gem. Marco Polo was one of my early icons and in 1970 l went East from Europe to India overland and back by sea. . I remember Afghanistan as particularly medieval and awe inspiring...I am happy to have stumbled on this. I echo the sentiment .The world is great place, but you have to smell and feel it. The media is no substitute for being there alone.
I'm not Marco polo but I have been to 5 continents, except central Asia 😅 it's not how many countries I stepped foot into, but some places are so special that I have to visit more than once, for example, Turkey 4 times, Morocco twice etc. Some countries don't put a stamp on my passport but just a piece of paper like Macau, Hong Kong. My only regret is that the pandemic postponed my visit to Israel, but I did made it to Egypt and Jordan in 2021
An incredible journey! I was in several of the same places in China in 1983. This was before individual travellers were allowed in (I aquired a fake visa in Hong Kong). It was rare that I saw another foreigner. I traveled alone, with no knowledge of Chinese, and no guide book (none existed). Rarely did I meet a Chinese who could speak English. My reception in Beijing was similar. "No" and "foreign devil" were the first Chinese words I learned too! I was an object of curiosity, as few had ever seen a foreigner. I remember 30 Chinese faces pushed against the windows of the restaurant, watching me eat, for 1 hour. I left China via the Trans-Siberian train to Berlin, crossing Mongolia and Russia. Quite an adventure!!
I loved this video. I had just finished reading Marco Polo's book and found this video because I couldn't figure out where he was traveling. But I never expected such a magnificent travelog. I was literally crying (I'm 78 and I don't cry so easily) at the end. These two guys are an incredible inspiration.
What a remarkable & dangerous journey ! Glad they traveled in the 90's before the world went nuts. No chance of successfully completing that trip now ......
What an INSANE and courageous adventure! 😮Congrats! You made it! My father came to Brazil as a teenage Japanese immigrant, and succeeded in here in search for a better living. I remember in my childhood, he used to mention quite often about Marco Polo. Certainly, Marco was his inspiration for long- distance journeys. When I lived in Japan in the mid-90s I took interest for the Silk Rode, a time we didn't have much access to information. Later, I could read on the National Geographic magazine about an amazing traveling tracking on Polo's route heading China and back to Venice. Now, just in 2024 I found this documentary. What a lifetime experience! Thanks a lot for sharing with us!
I have read Marco Polo's travels since high school and would never have imagined that anyone would travel in his footsteps even in the 1990's. THANK YOU.
This was 1990's Chinese was slowly open to the world. Ewin McGregor did a motorcycle trip around the world in the 2000. From London to Eastern Europe, to Russia , Mongolia, thru Siberia and flew to Alaska, and ended up in NYC. This journey is called LONG WAY ROUND. His second journey was from north Africa to south Africa, that journey was called LONG WAY DOWN, also on his Bike. The latest one was LONG WAY UP, from the last city in south America to LA. It was on Apple tv but I haven't seen it because I don't have a TV since 2009😅 I too,😢 am a world traveler, I don't need a TV 😅
I first saw this documentary around the time it got uploaded here, and I have to say, this is my favorite documentary of all time. Their story is incredible. I would love to meet them.
What an incredible journey. This was my dream in 1991 to travel in the footsteps of Marco Polo right after I read the book about it. 1990 I traveled in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh with a friend and it was a more pleasant journey than yours. You are so brave. Thanks for this gorgeous video.
Loved this! Beautiful story, adventurous experiences, wonderful photography of peoples and places from all over the East. You feel as if you are traveling and adventuring with the two guys! I was a former peace corps volunteer in Iran in the 60's. This brings back so many memories!!
Thank you for that beautiful and inspirational story! I would love to experience the same kind of grandeur of your travels in Asia. I went around Europe and Turkey earlier this year, even got in Ukraine just before it being unjustly terrorized. I am setting myself up for my birth continent in the future and hope for the best - An asian from Toronto.
I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF YOUR ROUTE OF MARCO POLO. I am a World Traveler myself. I've wanted to travel to the Stands myself but have been reluctant because of their ideas of Women. I just never felt this would be a safe trip. I have spent time in Turkey, and you are so right about how great the People are. My next trip will for sure be to Mongolia and the Steps with the Nomads. By the way, my Daughter has lived in Hong Kong the last 6 years on a teaching job. I will be watching for your next great Adventure. I can become an addiction.
I was reading Medieval History of India, got to know about Marco Polo.I was surprised at how can the same person be at Indonesia,India,China and alot of surrounding areas,and on top of that, at that time. Searched the Wikipedia for any documentary on him, and got yours. Watching this video, now I am more amazed at how and why people were passing those mountainous regions for wars, where even travelling is so much tedious. Thanks for this masterpiece.
Wonderful. Wish they had explained how they managed to power their camera the whole time and what they did with all the tapes. Can’t imagine keeping everything they recorded with them in case it was destroyed.
I thoroughly enjoyed this voyage. As an elder, I am virtually traveling and your trip was incredible. I had just started a bio of Marco and then I found your adventure. So glad you posted it
Bravo gentlemen you are inspiring I have been to some of those places you two went to got photos of all our traveling we loved to travel nowadays at old age we just watch others do it !
Thanks for PBS putting up these videos, the world will be abetter place when people understand foreign places. O'Donnell and Belliveau did a good job showing their experiences. Chines said 'walk ten thousand miles, learn more than reading ten thousand books', life is richer.
Amazing video! Amazing Journey! Amazing 2 human beings that will never forget how amazing their lives was! For the rest of their lives they will be so proud of this journey! ❤❤❤❤
I've done only a fraction of the type of travel shown here, but totally empathize with the travails and rewards encountered. The greatest unknown, and worst source of stress is dealing with bureaucracy in totalitarian regimes. It's gets worse if you can't read the rules or speak the language. Even worse if that country is in the midst of political turmoil within, or there is animosity with neighboring countries. Somehow the bureaucracy remains intact where there is turmoil. It even becomes more rigid. However, for every time one hits a log jam, ( such as being stuck in one place far too long) it is usually balanced out by some amazing, unexpected act of courtesy that hastens you to your goal ... and may even put you ahead of schedule.
Sitting here in a Louisiana Ice Storm (rare) W/out F/Wood & minimal heat ! It's uncomfortable , but never so inspired ! Thank you , UA-cam & 1/2 case of wine! I will remember your journey for the rest of my life! You have given me the fortitude to see the beauty of it all ! " I have learned" ! 🦘💙
There is so much more going on behind the scenes that we are not shown (my suspicion). How do you finance it, how do you "happen" to know people in high places, are there other tour members involved behind the camera, other people making arrangements ? I think it would be interesting to see what it takes to make an adventure like this happen.
I was almost stuck in Neweiba Egypt on September 28 & 29,2021. My 30 days Visa was expiring, i could not buy a ferry ticket to Aqaba Jordan, fir 2 days, all sold out. I show them my visa with tears 😭 that i must continue on to Jordan and my flight in Amman. I stayed outside the ferry ticket office for 10 hours and eventually they sold me a ticket, i paid all my remaining Egyption pound so quickly before any changes!!! 😢
While visiting Persia Marco Polo says "...and other corns." Can someone tell me this is a bad translation? Because corn came from the Americas much later...it's bugging me!
Omg. I met these two madmen in Ulan Baator in 1994 and for a couple of weeks we travelled together. I was 20 years old at the time, crossing Eurasia overland. Absolutely insane trip. Frank and Dennis were so much fun! Made a hell of an impression on me. PBS describes them above as "two ordinary guys". Well, they were anything but ordinary. Btw, that's me @55:49, on top of a truck that we hitchhiked with as we were going west, towards Charchorin (Karakorum). A little bird accompanied us for hours, singing to us. Can't belive I'm seeing this now, almost 30 years later. Guys, if you're reading this, thank you for your company on that strange and wonderful journey!
That’s crazy. Did you know at the time they were making a documentary or did you think they were just videotaping their trip?
✌🏻I see you!
Oh thats you? hahahahhah wowzer!
My father was in the Armed Forces in Canada immigrated from England after the war. So I grew up in the Cold War. Move ahead years and my daughter after graduating high school and going to university asked if she could finish her studies off in China. I was reluctant. She went. She told me that people in China were just like us. The people she home stayed with asked all the same questions about us as we were asking about them. She said the only way to know people is to open your mind and go travel. People all around the world are just like us. So I took up her cause and I’ve travelled ever since. It’s true the more you travel and learn about the people and live with the people not just taking tours the more you appreciate how we really are all alike. I thank my daughter to this day for opening my eyes.
Made a similar journey in 1965, however without money and camera. Almost died. Have traveled ever since. Now living for 48 years in Japan and been almost 50 times to China since 1983. So I understand very well what they went through.
Authentic, daring, unorthodox, dangerous, fascinating - Francis and Dennis made the most unique journey literally revisiting antiquity in every sense 1993/4.
Danke from Germany. Really touching story and great guys. More good people then bad ones and try to live and enjoy the moment. Open your heart and let it shine.
Right on. Especially applaud the sentiment & advice at the end. This world truly is populated with MANY more good people than malicious. It’s time we all realize that & make it our superpower.
But so, sooo many dumb people 🙄
What a gem. Marco Polo was one of my early icons and in 1970 l went East from Europe to India overland and back by sea. . I remember Afghanistan as particularly medieval and awe inspiring...I am happy to have stumbled on this. I echo the sentiment .The world is great place, but you have to smell and feel it. The media is no substitute for being there alone.
WoW!!! That must have been quite a trip! Yes, I agree about travel. I’ve been to 6 of 7 continents.
Wow 4realz?
I'm not Marco polo but I have been to 5 continents, except central Asia 😅 it's not how many countries I stepped foot into, but some places are so special that I have to visit more than once, for example, Turkey 4 times, Morocco twice etc. Some countries don't put a stamp on my passport but just a piece of paper like Macau, Hong Kong. My only regret is that the pandemic postponed my visit to Israel, but I did made it to Egypt and Jordan in 2021
@@___beyondhorizon4664 jordan and egypt are amazing
The adventure of a lifetime..or perhaps two. What a life.
An incredible journey!
I was in several of the same places in China in 1983. This was before individual travellers were allowed in (I aquired a fake visa in Hong Kong). It was rare that I saw another foreigner. I traveled alone, with no knowledge of Chinese, and no guide book (none existed).
Rarely did I meet a Chinese who could speak English.
My reception in Beijing was similar. "No" and "foreign devil" were the first Chinese words I learned too!
I was an object of curiosity, as few had ever seen a foreigner. I remember 30 Chinese faces pushed against the windows of the restaurant, watching me eat, for 1 hour.
I left China via the Trans-Siberian train to Berlin, crossing Mongolia and Russia.
Quite an adventure!!
I loved this video. I had just finished reading Marco Polo's book and found this video because I couldn't figure out where he was traveling. But I never expected such a magnificent travelog. I was literally crying (I'm 78 and I don't cry so easily) at the end. These two guys are an incredible inspiration.
What a remarkable & dangerous journey ! Glad they traveled in the 90's before the world went nuts. No chance of successfully completing that trip now ......
What an INSANE and courageous adventure! 😮Congrats! You made it! My father came to Brazil as a teenage Japanese immigrant, and succeeded in here in search for a better living. I remember in my childhood, he used to mention quite often about Marco Polo. Certainly, Marco was his inspiration for long- distance journeys. When I lived in Japan in the mid-90s I took interest for the Silk Rode, a time we didn't have much access to information. Later, I could read on the National Geographic magazine about an amazing traveling tracking on Polo's route heading China and back to Venice. Now, just in 2024 I found this documentary. What a lifetime experience! Thanks a lot for sharing with us!
i cant get enough of this documentary. I wish it was around the world.
I have read Marco Polo's travels since high school and would never have imagined that anyone would travel in his footsteps even in the 1990's. THANK YOU.
This was 1990's Chinese was slowly open to the world.
Ewin McGregor did a motorcycle trip around the world in the 2000. From London to Eastern Europe, to Russia , Mongolia, thru Siberia and flew to Alaska, and ended up in NYC. This journey is called LONG WAY ROUND.
His second journey was from north Africa to south Africa, that journey was called LONG WAY DOWN, also on his Bike.
The latest one was LONG WAY UP, from the last city in south America to LA. It was on Apple tv but I haven't seen it because I don't have a TV since 2009😅
I too,😢 am a world traveler, I don't need a TV 😅
Wow. What an incredible story. Thank you.
I first saw this documentary around the time it got uploaded here, and I have to say, this is my favorite documentary of all time. Their story is incredible. I would love to meet them.
What an incredible journey. This was my dream in 1991 to travel in the footsteps of Marco Polo right after I read the book about it. 1990 I traveled in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh with a friend and it was a more pleasant journey than yours. You are so brave. Thanks for this gorgeous video.
Loved this! Beautiful story, adventurous experiences, wonderful photography of peoples and places from all over the East. You feel as if you are traveling and adventuring with the two guys! I was a former peace corps volunteer in Iran in the 60's. This brings back so many memories!!
Amazing and well done, you Guys. l love History. Marco Polo was one courageous man.
Oh gosh I’m crying at the will at the end.
YOU MADE ME CRY. i WANTED TO GO WITH YOU GUYS.
Thank you for that beautiful and inspirational story! I would love to experience the same kind of grandeur of your travels in Asia. I went around Europe and Turkey earlier this year, even got in Ukraine just before it being unjustly terrorized. I am setting myself up for my birth continent in the future and hope for the best - An asian from Toronto.
I LOVED EVERY MOMENT OF YOUR ROUTE OF MARCO POLO. I am a World Traveler myself. I've wanted to travel to the Stands myself but have been reluctant because of their ideas of Women. I just never felt this would be a safe trip. I have spent time in Turkey, and you are so right about how great the People are. My next trip will for sure be to Mongolia and the Steps with the Nomads. By the way, my Daughter has lived in Hong Kong the last 6 years on a teaching job. I will be watching for your next great Adventure. I can become an addiction.
I was reading Medieval History of India, got to know about Marco Polo.I was surprised at how can the same person be at Indonesia,India,China and alot of surrounding areas,and on top of that, at that time.
Searched the Wikipedia for any documentary on him, and got yours.
Watching this video, now I am more amazed at how and why people were passing those mountainous regions for wars, where even travelling is so much tedious.
Thanks for this masterpiece.
Wonderful. Wish they had explained how they managed to power their camera the whole time and what they did with all the tapes. Can’t imagine keeping everything they recorded with them in case it was destroyed.
Truely Amazing Great Doc 😜 what a way of life 🇨🇦 Migwech from Toronto ❤️🇨🇦
Waoow...Sooooooooooooo good, loved every second of this, and the quotes at the end were just pitch perfect.. Thank You
Great doco what an amazing adventure must’ve been so weird going home to America & normal life after that.
Great movie documentary, for an old traveller to see, those are real feelings and adventures.
I thoroughly enjoyed this voyage. As an elder, I am virtually traveling and your trip was incredible. I had just started a bio of Marco and then I found your adventure. So glad you posted it
Love the stories of Marco Polo, what a legend . .
Two thumbs up! Bravo!
Bravo gentlemen you are inspiring I have been to some of those places you two went to got photos of all our traveling we loved to travel nowadays at old age we just watch others do it !
AMAZING😃
Thanks for PBS putting up these videos, the world will be abetter place when people understand foreign places. O'Donnell and Belliveau did a good job showing their experiences. Chines said 'walk ten thousand miles, learn more than reading ten thousand books', life is richer.
Fantastic journey, can’t believe the difficulty in places, reminds me how grateful I am in the US for the most part for freedoms 🙏🏽🌞
I love this channel
they are so awesome!
Not about Marco Polo. It's about 2 guys. How brave they were
How wonderful! What an amazing journey and my goodness the memories. Thank you for making this available for viewing. Really wonderful story.
congratulations guys,amazing
Watching to see your journey its great. Also dennis is so cute will watch just cause of him,right ladies
Amazing video! Amazing Journey! Amazing 2 human beings that will never forget how amazing their lives was! For the rest of their lives they will be so proud of this journey! ❤❤❤❤
Brilliant ,, I'm sure you could make 20 more doccies with all the stories/footage you collected - I would watch them all
"Travel is the enemy of bigotry". Francis O'Donnell
Great expedition, nice documentary.Cheers from Brasil🇧🇷
Very honest and compelling to watch, thank you.
I've done only a fraction of the type of travel shown here, but totally empathize with the travails and rewards encountered. The greatest unknown, and worst source of stress is dealing with bureaucracy in totalitarian regimes.
It's gets worse if you can't read the rules or speak the language. Even worse if that country is in the midst of political turmoil within, or there is animosity with neighboring countries.
Somehow the bureaucracy remains intact where there is turmoil. It even becomes more rigid.
However, for every time one hits a log jam, ( such as being stuck in one place far too long) it is usually balanced out by some amazing, unexpected act of courtesy that hastens you to your goal ... and may even put you ahead of schedule.
This was inspiring 👑
Great video @PBSamerica
Thank you! Outstanding.
Absolutely amazing
Amazing story and courage.
Wow, what a great adventure.
Sitting here in a Louisiana Ice Storm (rare) W/out F/Wood & minimal heat ! It's uncomfortable , but never so inspired ! Thank you , UA-cam & 1/2 case of wine! I will remember your journey for the rest of my life! You have given me the fortitude to see the beauty of it all ! " I have learned" ! 🦘💙
great travelogue
👍👍👍
What a cool adventure!! Hats off. Respect
God bless brothers,keep it up as best & be safe. P.S.¡ Great Job !
There is so much more going on behind the scenes that we are not shown (my suspicion). How do you finance it, how do you "happen" to know people in high places, are there other tour members involved behind the camera, other people making arrangements ? I think it would be interesting to see what it takes to make an adventure like this happen.
Incredible journey
Funny how they said if they see a car, they'll pretend its not there @ 8:49 yet... They were seen riding in one 💀lol @ 10:46
Fantastic journey and video!!!!!👍😊
Amazing! I enjoyed this video and learned a lot. Thank you
Thank you!
I watched it years ago I enjoyed very much I read the Marco polo book
….luv it! No regrets. Have their book from,library lecture by Francis. Hope y’all are great and memories abound
love them adventurist
That would have been so scary to travel across all those countries… But, if I had to do it, I go with a US Marine, too!
Nice film, loved the afghan scenes.
Great documentary, now guys follow Ibn Batuta way, much more places and countries.
I was almost stuck in Neweiba Egypt on September 28 & 29,2021. My 30 days Visa was expiring, i could not buy a ferry ticket to Aqaba Jordan, fir 2 days, all sold out. I show them my visa with tears 😭 that i must continue on to Jordan and my flight in Amman. I stayed outside the ferry ticket office for 10 hours and eventually they sold me a ticket, i paid all my remaining Egyption pound so quickly before any changes!!! 😢
These guys should re-trace their _own_ steps now, thirty years later and remark on how much things have changed in this relatively short time.
Love it
11:00 already broke their rule by traveling by car.
Good on you guys awsome effort when you got back to Italy did you go to Croatia 🇭🇷 where his house still is and where he is from
He is not from Croatia, that's just a lie of croatian locals on Korcula
Fantastic X Love this channel
Wow ❤❤❤
54:47 Mongols are milk eating people. Spot on… 😂
Has this been digitally remastered? It looks better than I remember.
Almost incredible, sincere congratulations.
Artist to artists, my adventures seem to me very minor compared with your achievement.
That's crazy dude looks like the same guy that did Anthony Bourdain tattoo that's wild 🤪💯 Migwech 🇨🇦
Very nice.i want to trace the Vikings like that.
Wow !
I want to trade all of my possessions that I could travel like two lovely guys, but my possessions are valued at under $1000.
So with you guys possessions worth only 1000 dollars, with that amount of money you might be able to get to the next state over thats it...🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂🤷🏻♀️
@@mariatorres5563 yet you can’t afford humility. Sad.
Lovely???
Bravo
I wish they would reunite and do a sequel; it would be wonderful , and maybe I would tag along too
Dankon kaj gratulojn el Brazilo.🇧🇷
I wanna do the same. A great adventure
Don't forget ibn batuta the greatest traveler ever in the early 13th
Great video on Marco, but in my opinion Ibn Batuta was even greater
What an adventure to tell the grandchildren. Made me want to get off my rear-end and grab a Starbucks
LOL!😄
1:23:24 is that a brass rattle?
BAMBINO MARCO POLO/////
meiyou,：没有，yao bu yao: 要不要
Maaarrrcooo
pooolllooo
Wiping off the mouthpiece of the pipe before smoking is offensive in 99% of countries
While visiting Persia Marco Polo says "...and other corns." Can someone tell me this is a bad translation? Because corn came from the Americas much later...it's bugging me!
I always knew he went by land from Italy to China, no sea involved, at least on the outbound journey but I could wrong.