As it happens, I just listened to a Hardcore History podcast on the steppe peoples. Dan Carlin, the podcaster, explains that there apparently were caucasian people in east Asia. Writings from ancient China refer to steppe people (they didn't call them that) to thier north and west that had red hair, green eyes, were tall, etc. These weren't travellers, mind you, but rather some of the groups of nomadic herder people that we group together as steppe people today. The Huns, Scythians, Tartars, Mongols, Xiongnu, and many others fall into this category. Some were of Scandanavian origin and had migrated (or were forced by the continual fighting) east.

ETA: Carlin also mentions use of marijuana and lots of other intoxicants by the Scythians. Apparently, they liked to stay blasted pretty much all the time.