The answer

Some of the kitties have guessed right - it is the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang, China. It is the western region of the Gobi Desert. "Taklamakan" means once you enter, you would not be able to get out. The hint in the picture comes from the camels (not ugly horses, Fin! Hehehe!) - the Bactrian camels have two humps as opposed to the African camels which only have one. That points to Asia rather than Africa.

The picture was taken near a small oasis at the foot of the southern slope of the Tienshan Mountains. These camels belong to the few families who live in the oasis. They very generously invited us in for goat milk tea and some (very hard and dry) bread. The bread, once baked, was meant to last for days. There is a huge Bronze age camp site 'nearby' (actually well over an hour of slow bumpy drive in a 4 WD along a dried up river bed and mountain 'track').

The closest city is the fabled Silk Road town of Hami.....


Ten years ago, nomads were still riding along the dusty roads of the town where very colourful carts were set up, selling anything from handcrafted daggers to fur-lined vests and hats. Now the place has turned into tree-lined avenues of shops, apartment blocks and public buildings - a typical Chinese city. SS mourns the passing of a era.

Within the present city, only small remnants of the past can be seen, such as the Mausoleum of the Muslim rulers of the past.....


Just a short distance outside the city, nature claims its own. The desert pf Lop Nor reigns supreme...


The ruined city of Loulan is 100km ahead.

This is the base of a ruin in the desert from the Han Dysnasty (~200BC-200AD). A bronze age burial was found nearby, complete with a beautifully preserved mummy, textiles and implements.

The temperature was over 50C (122F) at the time. SS, what were you doing out there? Did you want to turn into a dried up mummy too?