China's Grand Canyon

One of the bonuses about travelling to unknown places is the element of surprise. To say I was a little disappointed that the desert we traversed was in the main flat and featureless with nary a dune in sight would be somewhat of an understatement. So when we were told we would be visiting the Tianshan or Keziliya Grand Canyon I was sceptical - as if anything could compare to Colorado (which I have never visited except on the gym's treadmill, I hasten to add!).

The welcome board was very informative and I really hoped it wouldn't rain so we wouldn't have to run up the nearest safety ramp! At least I wasn't wearing high heels - my responsibility was indeed proud ;)

The beautiful wall of damask-coloured rock rose up in front of us, the greenery providing a lovely contrast. As we continued into the canyon there were gasps of admiration for this natural wonder. It was a truly awesome experience. The canyon is formed by wind and rain and stretches 5m from east to west. We didn't walk the whole way but enough to appreciate the majestic power of the earth's sculptural elements at work. The photos below give an indication of the scale of the rocks making us look like little ants in this landscape.