On the fourth day of my trip to Gansu, I rode my camel, the thing I'd most been looking forward to. My trusty steed and I braved the dunes of the Gobi together. There's not much I wouldn't do for him. He carried me for over three hours over sand and rock.
Something that surprised me was the way the sherpas treated their camels. To get them to sit down, they would kick the animals' necks. This looked painful and was super scary when you were mounted on said camel. In the end, though, Seabiscuit and I had a great time. Wherever you are, I miss you!
After our ride we camped in the Gobi desert, eating Ramen noodles for dinner (so much more delicious in China!) and having a bonfire. These weird tour guides showed up and wanted to hang out with us which we did for a while. We also listened to some amazing ghost stories and banjo playing from our fellow classmates.
After a while, a friend and I climbed a sand dune adn sat there watching everything below us. The moon was out and you could see for miles. Everything was illuminated, to reference one of my favorite authors. We just talked and took in the beauty of the desert. It was impossibly quiet. The world was as still as I have ever heard it. I saw shooting stars, which made the night even more incredible. I just kept thinking how incredibly blessed and lucky I am to have this opportunity. I never in my whole life imagined sitting hundreds of feet in the air on a sand dune thousands of miles from my home. And yet there I was, seeing a part of the world that I never thought I'd see.
All in all, it was an experience I'll never forget.
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