07
SILK ROAD (IRAN)
Along the road from Kerman to Hormuz, which
was a bustling port, Marco Polo was impressed
by the “many natural hot baths ... [which] have
excellent virtues; they cure the itch and several
other diseases”. Today, the sulphurous waters in
these plains still have healing powers. It was here
that I became a true believer in the veracity
of Marco Polo’s modestly titled account of his
travels in the East, A Description of the World.
Using his book as a guide, I was able to find the
exact spot he described when he wrote glowingly
of the hot baths here
07MICHAEL YAMASHITA has been shooting for National
Geographic magazine for over 30 years, combining
his passions for photography and travel. After
graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree
in Asian studies, he spent seven years in Asia, which
became his photographic area of specialty. Upon returning to the
US, Yamashita began shooting for National Geographic and other
international magazines. In addition to Yamashita’s focus on Asia,
his work has taken him to six continents. Yamashita’s specialty
is in retracing the paths of famous travellers, resulting in stories
on Marco Polo and Zheng He. A frequent keynote speaker for
corporations and foundations, as well as a lecturer at schools and
workshops around the world, Yamashita has received numerous
awards from Photo District News, the New York Art Directors
Club, and the Asian-American Journalists Association, among
others. Exhibits of his work have opened throughout Asia, in
Tokyo, Beijing, Seoul, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Taipei and Singapore.
Yamashita currently has a travelling exhibition, The Silk Road
Journey, being shown in conjunction with Reignwood Cultural
Foundation’s One Road One Belt (OBOR) initiative.
http://www.michaelyamashita.comPICTURESQUE