In the old time before drivers in huge trucks transported all kind of goods all over the world this important business was granted to a kind of herd boys and their camels along the Silk Road.
As you can imagine e. g. peanuts where cheaply grown in Chengdu (China), transported on camel back to Milan (Italy) for cheap roasting, then to Laufenburg (Swizzyland) for cheap packing and finally they found their whole way back to Chengdu’s supermarket to be sold to Chinese as an appetizer for their sundowners.
Of course such important trading routes needed a minimal infrastructure. The caravanserais were born. Every 20km they were built along the whole Silk Road – about the daily distance a camel loaded with peanuts can walk. Caravanserais you may compare to an American motel chain, e.g. Motel 6. There are rooms for the poor traders to sleep and there is a parking space for the camels to stay and to munch their veggie stuff.
Later on trucks replaced camels; you couldn’t see these animals any longer on their silky roads. Trucks covered longer distances, they didn’t need all these selected herbs as a source of energy and they could load much more peanuts than a camel.
A new infrastructure was established – again motel like. A place to sleep for the poor driver, a parking and a petrol station to keep the truck happy.
Not everybody was happy with this new development. Of course the owners of the caravanserais lost their business. Inhabitants along the trading routes complained about lots of noise, bad smell and a high rate of accidents caused by these trucks. Later on globally the trucks were somehow made responsible for climate change and whatever happened. And all that because of these Chinese munching peanuts.
Time for innovations and a more efficient use of resources. Back to the caravanserai – one resource again exploited. No noise, no unhealthy emissions – many resources no longer spoilt. A Situation maybe not too far from paradise.
Well, a 1st step to this all desirable situation we found in Sultanhani. Currently it’s just an experiment, it hasn’t reached China yet; but who knows.
We found this guy with his solar-powered E-bike in the caravanserai in Sultanhani; later on the road. He’s on his trip from Milan (Italy) to somewhere in Turkey. He complies with most requirements for paradise – well, he has not yet loaded the peanuts. Give him a little time to develop.
If you want to support him google his bank account.
