>
> You beat me to it. Might I add...
>
> Marco Polo was a trader and explorer from the Venetian Republic who
> gained fame for his worldwide travels, recorded in the book
> Il Milione
> ("The Million" or The Travels of Marco Polo) also known as Oriente
> Poliano (the Orient of the Polos) and the Description of the World.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Polo
>
> Joseph McAllister
> [email protected]
>
> ==============
> I remembered he was famous for going through China, but
> couldn't remember
> his nationality (for sure). So didn't say more. Duh, could
> have wikipedied it.
> Thanks for the link.
>
> I always thought he was a rather fascinating guy.
>
> Marnie aka Doe :-)
I chose a copy of his book as a school prize for something or other, and I
even read it. It's hard-going mostly, but fascinating in parts. The episode
that has really stayed in mind is one he recounts of a cold winter's night
in some remote part of China.
The local headman and his wife had been out to a boozy party with their
neighbours. Returning home through the blasting icy snow and blizzard she
has to respond to the call of nature, brought on by too much drinking.
Having fulfilled her needs she finds herself unable to stand again because
the hairs on her dicki-di-do have frozen to the ground.
Her husband is a gallant man, so he does the decent thing and gets down on
his knees to breathe warm air on her, in the hope of unfreezing her.
Unfortunately they haven't really thought this through, and his beard also
freezes to the ground.
In which position they are found dead the next morning by the rest of the
villagers.
So the moral of the story is, keep those razors handy when the weather turns
cold, people!
Bob
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