An hour passes - or maybe 2. The hot sand crunching under my heavy boots as I trudge slowly but surely through the Taklamakan. As the hot air fills my lungs my mouth gets dryer and my eye lids grow heavier. I had been walking for what I thought had been 2 days and the lack of sleep and supplies was finally getting to me.
I had been broken up from my group the day before & I decided that the safest bet of leaving the 'Sea of Death' safely was to head for the silk road and look for one of the oasis towns along it. If I was to make it to a town before night I would have to move quickly and without stopping, as the Taklamakan is known for having cold nights even during summertime. This was looking less possible every passing minute.
I traipsed on through the desert. The rolling sand dunes seemed to go on forever but I didn't stop, I had been following my compass to where I thought the silk road would be as I had no map and no guide. The unforgiving conditions were taking their toll on my body and mind, I walked on ignoring mirages and fatigue along the way.
As I hesitantly edged my way down a large dune I spotted moving dots on the horizon. With new found enthusiasm I walked on much faster than before, determined to get to the path or even catch up with the apparent travellers I could barely see. After walking for what felt like hours I finally made it to the dusty trail I had spotted the travellers on earlier and I looked along the path in the direction they were walking. I didn't know what to think when I saw it, it took me a few seconds to clear my mind and think. I had seen this place before but only in pictures. The Chinese city of Kashgar. How could I have been so close to Kashgar Prefecture and not known? Elated I made my way to the city, where I could finally find out what had happened to my crew and return home.
Excellent use of language Sam. Good use of features you would expect from a piece of travel writing. You use some great descriptive vocabulary. Really good effort.
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