Many children, including myself, have already played the Marco Polo game. But I've always been curious about who exactly is Marco Polo? My fascination with Marco Polo turned into a fixation on his travels. Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254. His father, Nicolo, and his uncle, Maffeo, were merchants who sat on the great noble council of Venice (Polo IV). According to his records, he had traveled thousands of miles with his father and uncle. Marco, Nicolo, and Maffeo (known as the Polos) left Venice and did not return for twenty-six years. On their return, they were not welcome in Venice. For a long time it was believed that the Polos were dead. When they arrived in Venice, their clothes were old and worn; the things they carried came from the east and their faces showed great difficulty (Hart 2). The voyages of the Marcos and the Polos were so foreign, extravagant and memorable, that when they returned to Venice, their own inhabitants could not even recognize them. The Polos returned from the east, "back from the deserts of Persia, back from the high slopes of the Pamirs, from mysterious Tibet, from the dazzling court of Kublai Khan, from China, from Mongolia, from Burma, from Siam, from Sumatra , from Java; back from Ceylon and back from India, land of myths and wonders” (Polo lV). Marco was exposed to whole other cultures and things his own people had never seen before. At the start of his journey he must have had an idea of ​​where he was going; hence the game that many children of my generation once played (Waugh llV). Marco discovered oil near the Caspian Sea, a foreign product for him at the time: “This oil is not good to eat [like olive oil]. People come from long distances to collect it and use it for its many purposes...... middle of paper ...... [New ed. New York: Liveright;, 2003. Print. This source tells the reader the stories of Marco Polo's travels, but it also delves into the problems Marco Polo faced upon his return. This source tells the reader about the people and critics who questioned Marco's work. This source also tells the reader about the challenges the Polos faced in trying to return to Venice after being away for so long. Waugh, Teresa. The Travels of Marco Polo. New York: Sidgwick and Jackson Limited, 1984. Print. This source tells the reader about the specific places that Marco Polo traveled and explored. Each chapter and division of this source delves into a different place; as well as the provision of visuals. This source contains a lot of interesting information regarding Marco Polo's imprisonment and the scribe who recorded Marco's travel accounts..