The way down was steep. Large red rocks cut into uneven stairs, the ground was rough and hard. There was barely any vegetation up here but down at the base, I could see grey grasses with mixes of green in them.
We descended down and as the rocks' shadows draped us with mild blackening, we saw huts of various sizes scattered at both sides of this deep dry ravine.
They were mostly circular and had conical grey roofs, made of those long grasses. One old man came out of the hut and he suddenly had an expression of joy cover up his face.
"Hey hey, look! Another group of merchants."
"Hoho, this one seems larger!"
"Such a big beast!"
Such voices registered in our ears as we set foot on the alluvial soil. There was no water here but it wouldn't get hot, I guessed. The rocks up ahead masked the harsh sunlight. I did expect this place to be cold when the night comes.
It was already dark by the time we got down. Hardly anyone lit a lantern, though I did spot a few lying around.
