The thin line between merchant and conquistador.
In reading these accounts I am reminded of the glories(sharing culture and knowledge is pretty sweet) and pitfalls(some outsourcing and all child labor is poopy) of globalization. Marco Polo describes Kin-Sai with the wonder-filled eyes of a child, but also with the intent of trade and profit. The two can certainly exist in harmony. There can be a symbiosis between nations and individuals in trade and commerce. However, I can't help but think about who Polo was writing this account for and whether some who read it may have seen a chance for exploitation. It's obvious that the account from Bernal Diaz comes from a perspective of an admirer looking to take what he's found and make it his own but in Polo's account I would argue that it's possibly just more subtle.