Grazing Gash

Dushanzi grand canyon and grasslands in autumn, xinjiang landscape, China

Deeper into Dzungaria, cows and horses can still graze but water is more and more scarce. The river beds are impassable and jagged cliffs limit access from above.

Rough Wagon Ride

Alara’s ancestor, Déhawiha, probably traveled 2,500 miles in a wagon like this. Rough ride from the Pontic Steppe, north of the Black Sea to the southern shores of Lake Baikal! Truth is, people probably walked most of the way, but the wagon was still the hub that a home was built around.

A more complete virtual reconstruction follows. No matter what, this wasn’t glamping 😏