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Subrat SaurabhAuthor of Kuch Woh PalFollowing the footsteps of Marco Polo, Alexander and Chenghis Khan, Gautham’s 20,000 km journey along the Silk Road traverses 8 countries - Greece – Turkey – Iran – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – China – Hong Kong. The adventure of travelling by land is not just about re-exploring the paths of ancient traders and conquerors but also involves observing the traversing of diverse cultures, ideas, religions, food and customs along the Silk Road. Everything about the modern-day Silk Road countries – the markets, the people, the rulers, the rebels, invited him to discover, acknowledge and experience them in their truest form. Mountains, rivers, deserts and oases challenged him, just as they intrigued the ancient Silk Road traveler.
Part travelogue, part historical interpretation and part geo-political & economic investigation, the book intertwines between various schools of thought, observations, analyses and perspectives, regarding the Silk Road.
Every new day brings new adventures such as staying at Buddhist monastery, getting interrogated by the police for being considered a spy, attending underground parties, chased by the wild dogs, repairing a truck in the middle of the desert, trying to buy a goat, crossing snowcapped mountains and many more embarrassing, dangerous and surprisingly wonderful endeavors, throughout his journey along the Silk Road.
Gautham Reddy Nallavari
Born and brought up in India, with degrees in engineering from India and an MBA from France, Gautham worked for years as a consultant in USA and France. He had a successful and growing career, but he still felt that there was something missing. There were still many burning questions, many unknowns and mysteries about the histories and cultures of distant and ancient lands, which he longed to explore. Characters from the history books were somehow calling him to re-explore their paths: he wanted to see for himself these distant lands, meet the people, immerse in their cultures and truly experience the diversity this world offered. Hence, he left the so-called ‘success fast track’ and took the road, following the ancient traders and conquerors to seek the riches of the Silk Road. Ever since, everyday seems to be an effort to be a ‘Seyyah!’
He currently lives in Istanbul, his favorite Silk Road city, with his wife. When not reading and planning for his next travel while sipping Turkish chai, he is either negotiating with the vendors in the spice bazaar or working as a management consultant.
