Mosque and street scene at Erdaoqiao Urumqi 1997. [Photo by Bruce Connolly/chinadaily.com.cn]

Horsemen continually rode around as I returned to the bus while looking back towards the head of the lake with so much beauty remaining to be explored.

Two days later I was back! Setting off again from the bus park, I kept looking along the lake and thinking of its similarity to others I had experienced back in Scotland, my homeland. During historically colder periods glaciers would have descended from Bogda Feng and surrounding peaks, gouging out a deep trench that today is water filled.