Ningxia is a raw landscape of stark mountains and dusty plains sliced in two by the Yellow River. This was clear when I traversed the Yellow River on a sheep-skin raft. The sparse and boring industrial landscape gave way to fascinating mountains cape that suddenly emerged from nowhere. I passed flocks of sheep at the foot of a severely weathered section of the Great Wall as I traveled toward the edge of the 42,000-square-kilometer Tengger Desert, China's fourth-largest desert.

To get there, I traveled 150km from Yinchuan to Zhongwei City near the sands.

Unlike some of the arid places I've been to, the Tengger is classic desert: The endless waves of sand dunes stunned me as soon as I entered the Tonghu side of it.

This was where my desert daze began: For a whole day, I shrieked my guts out as I was catapulted up and down and tossed back and forth on daredevil jeep rides on sand dunes that seemed to transform and shift by the minute. I climbed up the sand dunes (barefooted for a while), hung out on their highest ridge, dug my toes into the sand and then slid back down the slope on my bottom.

I was lucky because the sun was not a big enemy in this season (the temperatures in May and June are very tolerable), but I still constantly fought persistent sandstorms that seemed to accompany my every step and sometimes sent sand lashing painfully against my cheeks.

This was my first "sand experience" and I was so excited that I took off my shoes and let the feet reach deep into the fine yellowish sands, feeling it and touching it.

At first the desert might seem devoid of life - just sand, sand, sand and nothing else - but here and there were hardy green plants, withered wood and insects that added color. I was lucky to spot an owl that probably preyed on rodents (hidden in holes during the day) and large beetles and desert cicadas that run around on the dunes.

Before this transformative trip, there were two animals I had no affection for or interest in whatsoever - camels and horses. I told myself from the beginning that I would not get close to a camel, let alone sit on one.

But I soon broke my vow about avoiding nasty camels after I saw them sitting quietly and peacefully in the sands. As I approached, they greeted me with a friendly nod.

At that moment I decided I'd like to take my maiden camel ride. My camel was cute, clean and very obedient. I patted him and he replied with a "grin."