Not the aquatic version of blind man's bluff, this merchant traveller set off for Asia in 1271 at the age of 17, on an epic voyage that was to span 24 years and almost 15,000 miles. After his return, he was imprisoned, wrote a memoir detailing his travels (in which he, his father, and his uncle traveled the Silk Road, escaped from bandits, and met Kublai Khan), was released, and never left his hometown again, dying in 1324.
Venice, Italy (Venice Marco Polo Airport)