Tours for Members 



For reservations, call or write Dorothy Roder (322-8862), Tours Manager Field Museum, 

 Roosevelt Rd. at Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, II 60605 



The Great Silk Route of China 



May 21 — June 15 

 $4,550 



The silk route linked China, Central Asia, Persia, the Middle East, and 

 Europe nearly 2,000 years ago, giving birth to the exotic and spectacular 

 oasis cities of Xinjiang Province. Merchants carried more than silks, silver, 

 and spices along this route, however; they also carried ideas, traditions, 

 and Buddhism. Field Museum will trace the Chinese portion of this great 

 caravan highway, bringing to you not only a sense of Chinese history, but 

 the movements of history itself. We fly from Chicago to Tokyo and from 

 there to Beijing, where touring will include the Forbidden City, the Temple 

 of Heaven, the Summer Palace, the National Museum, and to the north, 

 the tombs of the Ming Emperiors and the Great Wall. 



In Urumqui we get our first taste of the silk route as this exotic, green- 

 blanketed oasis thrives amidst bleak desert, highlands, and the snow- 

 capped peaks of the Tianshan Mountains. It is the capital of the Xinjiang 

 Uygur Autonomous Region, populated mostly by the Uygur Muslims and 

 showing their influence in all aspects of its life. Huge mosques dominate 

 the city; the people strictly observe their religious festivals and dress in 

 distinctive costumes, the older women wearing veils, as they keep their 

 traditions. Turpan is likewise an oasis in the desert, a small but richly exo- 

 tic caravan city still bustling with colorful bazaars. From here you can visit 

 the ruins of two ancient silk route cities, destroyed by Genghis Khan, but 

 yet beautiful in the golden sand. 



Dunhuang, our next stop, proves the importance of the silk route in 

 dispersing new ideas and new religions. Here we find one of the world's 

 priceless troves of Buddhist art. The Magao Caves, the oldest Buddhist 

 shrines in China, were begun in A.D. 366 by a monk who saw a vision of a 

 thousand golden Buddhas. Hundreds of caves have been carved out of the 

 sandstone cliffs in a layered honeycomb pattern, connected with wooden 

 walkways and ladders. Carved over a period of a thousand years, these 

 grottoes bear witness to the changing artistic style and daily lives of the 

 Chinese people. Some of the statues show an Indian influence. The walls 

 of these caves are carved with niches containing brilliantly painted sta- 

 tues, and the ceilings are painted with murals depicting the life of Buddha, 

 Chinese mythology, religious stories, and the daily activities of the local 

 people. 



Lanzhou is another important caravan city and garrison town since 

 ancient times. If the water level is high enough, we will take a river trip to 

 Binglingsi, a Buddhist monastery with rarely seen monumental carvings. 

 Xian is our next stop. Once the largest city in the world, dressed in imperial 

 splendor, it served as capital of eleven dynasties. It was a major trade route 

 link in the 7th and 8th centuries, but is now primarily known for the 

 discovery there of the vast life-size terra cotta army buried with an ancient 

 emperor. 



Shanghai is currently China's largest, most populous and urbanized 

 city. It has a western flavor even today. The contrast of the "Old Town" 

 which is typically Chinese, and the 1930s high-rise district is startling. 

 Guilin is perhaps the most beautiful city in China, situated on a lush green 

 plain laced with rivers and lakes. A cruise on the Li River shows off this 

 region's spectacular scenery and its "stone forest" of amazing rock forma- 

 tions. Our next visit is to Guangzhou (Canton), an interesting city that is 

 increasingly integrating with Hong Kong. It is the most important trade 

 and industrial center in southern China and has a subtropical flavor with 

 its verdant parks, world-famous cuisine and boisterous atmosphere. On to 

 Hong Kong for a day before returning to Chicago via Tokyo. 



The Classical Mediterranean 



May 24- 

 $4,595- 



-June 8 

 $6,495 



26 



Our tour begins in Rome where the "Eternal City" offers us the Forum, 

 the Colosseum and the Pantheon. From there we visit Pompeii and the 

 beautiful hillside town of Positano where we embark the Sea Cloud after 

 an excursion to Paestum and Ravello. Tunisia is our next stop where we 

 will explore ancient Carthage and the old market of Tunis. In Malta we can 

 follow in the steps of the Knights Hospitalier as we visit their medieval 

 palaces. Sicily offers us the ancient port of Naxos and the unique beauty of 

 Taormina. Positioned high on a terrace overlooking the blue sea, it boasts 

 beautiful gardens and the Greek Theatre which affords a stunning view of 

 Mount Etna. Mountainous Cephalonia lures us to the ruins of an ancient 

 castle while Old Corinth impresses us with its Temple of Apollo. We end 

 our tour in Athens where we will visit the Acropolis, the Parthenon and 

 the Temple of Athena Nike. 



What better way to sail the blue Mediterranean than aboard the 

 legendary Sea Cloud? The largest private sailing ship ever built, she retains 

 the elegance of the past while offering contemporary comfort. This is 

 already a sell-out tour at the California Academy of Sciences and their 

 leader. Dr. Robert T. Orr will make a fine addition to our outstanding 

 classical archaeologist. Dr. Richard De Puma. Their intimate knowledge of 

 the sites we will be visiting, their expert leadership qualities, and the 

 charm of the Sea Cloud make this a tour second to none. 



North Cape and Spitzbergen 



June 27- July 12 

 $3,550-$6,440 



Sail to the Land of the Midnight Sun, to the North Cape, where the sun 

 shines 24 hours a day, aboard the "ultra deluxe" Vistajjord. This Five-Star 

 ship represents the very epitome of ocean-going elegance: impeccable ser- 

 vice, first-class cuisine, dazzling entertainment, luxurious living, and un- 

 rivaled attention to detail. 



June 28. Embarkation from Hamburg, Germany. Here on the River 

 Elbe is one of Europe's brightest and most exciting cities. Explore the 

 entertainments of the St. Paul district, go sightseeing to City Hall and 

 shopping along the busy Mockebergstrasse, or drive out to the peace and 

 quiet of the picturesque Alster Lakes. 



June 30. Molde, Norway. An unusually warm climate graces this 

 delightful Norwegian town, which lies in the path of the Gulf Stream. Of 

 special note: Romsdal Museum, an open-air compound of carefully 

 assembled wooden houses dating back to the time of the Vikings. Aan- 

 dalsnes, Norway. This small, picturesque village on the banks of the 

 Rauma River lies below the soaring mountains and tumbling waterfalls of 

 the Romsdal Valley. Ascend Stifjell mountain and cross the lofty bridge 

 over Stigfoss Waterfalls. There are superb views down the Isterdal Valley, a 

 fertile land filled with quiet peaceful farms. 



July 3. Magdalena Bay, Spitzbergen. Massive glaciers in Spitzbergen's 

 mountains inch their way down to the sea and Magdalena Bay, providing 

 one of the world's most awesome natural spectacles. Cruising Lillehhok 

 Fjord. Sailing past New Aalesund. 



July 4. Longyearbyen, Spitzbergen. This is Spitzbergen's main settle- 

 ment, located at the head of Advent Bay. It looks out on a coastline of 

 seals, walrus, whales, and thousands of seabirds. Longyearbyen was 

 named by an American engineer who founded it in 1906; the search for 

 coal is still pursued in nearby Barentsburg. 



