Nia's+Adventure+With+Marco+Polo

=__Marco Polo__ = = =

Marco told him about strange adventures he had in a faraway land.Rustichello said they should write a book about the journey.
 ==Marco polo was born in Venice in 1254.His father was merchant and he and Marco's uncle went on a long journey to the east to buy goods.Marco was just about to be born.For years,Marco and his family heard nothing of them.Then,one day they returned.Marco was now 15. ==

They told Marco about going to a country called Cathay.
==The people there,the Tartars,were ruled by a great and powerful man.His name was Kublai Khan.He wanted to learn more about western culture and religion. He sent Marco's father and uncle home,with a letter to the pope,asking a hundred wise men who could teach his people. ==

== First,they sailed to the city of Acre in the Holy Land.Khan asked Marco's father and uncle to bring back some holy oil from the lamp at the tomb of Christ in Jerusalem.Traveling wasn't only exciting,it was dangerous. == == When they reached the kingdom of Armenia,there was a war going on.They went far north into the the kingdom of Georgia to avoid the war.Then they traveled south along the western shore of the Caspian Sea into Persia. They were headed for Hormuz,a seaport on the Persian Gulf.They had learned that from there it was possible to sail by ship,first from India then to Cathay.At one place,not far from Hormuz,they were attacked by bandits called Karaunas.They were believed to have magical powers.Marco was almost captured,but he escaped.Others in the group wern't so lucky. ==

== They searched for a ship to take us to India,but they were disappointed at what they saw.The ships were very small and badly built. Instead of being fastened with iron nails,the planks were sewn together with coconut-husk thread.The seams were caulked with fish oil,rather than pitch.We heard many ships had sunk in the Indian Ocean. == == They decided to continue their journey by land.The little water they found made them ill.They crossed the  Great Desert.They were now in the lands of Kublai Khan.Their travel already lasted three and a half years.When they arrived at Kublai's palace,they gave him his gifts,including the holy oil,which he received with much joy.Kublai's palace w as was a huge tent.It was made of bamboo reeds,held together by silken ropes.Inside,it was richly and colorfully furnished.He also had another palace at Khan-balik,the capital of Cathay.It had magnificent staircases and walls of silver and gold. It was huge,with a hall big enough to seat six thousand people for dinner.They saw many exciting things. ==