The Tengger, Endless Waves of Sand

My first thought at the edge of the Tengger was a simple one. Why do people live here, and thrive in the desert?

The sand is ever changing, both color and form. Initially we traveled in jeeps, tires softened to be able to roll over the hills. Our local expert drivers were fearless, and loved to tackle the steep dunes and slide down the other side. Scary and fun.

The real highlight was not the sand though. It was our hosts, farmers and herdsmen who live and prosper in the desert. We camped at night on their land and shared the dinner they cooked for us. All day their goats and sheep wander far into the dunes looking for blades and turfs of grass. At dusk they come home from every direction, small dots on the sand, all walking toward the same warm place.

That evening, so were we.