A local takes off on his motorbike in Turpan, in the Xinjiang province of China, with the "Flaming Mountains" in the background.

In 2024, I spent 4 months travelling along the historic Silk Roads and beyond. On this journey I encountered many different cultures, languages, and landscapes as I moved through Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, UAE, Qatar, and Pakistan.

Pictured here is the Uyghur city of Turpan, located at one of the lowest elevations in the world. The "Flaming Mountains" are made of red sandstone and part of the Tian Shan mountain range. They take on brilliant hues of pink, purple, and red at certain times of day.