But I never wanted to go to China.

Its ancient history and visual marvels notwithstanding, China has always been at the bottom of my list of places to go. The allure of this fascinating civilization never reached me, and if it wasn’t for the Total Eclipse of the Sun of 01 August 2008 - best observed from northwest China near the Mongolian border - it would still be at the bottom of my list.

But this is one of the great things about being an eclipse chaser. It takes me to places I would never go in a million years. And in as much as the eclipses force me to choose destinations I wouldn’t otherwise choose, they teach me about the world - broaden the boundaries of my life - by taking me outside of my comfort zone.

And now that I have been to China and come back, I can say that I am really glad I went, if for no other reason than to experience the worst eclipse day of my life.

My fifteen hour flight from Toronto ends in Shanghai. I join an eclipse expedition as the staff photographer. Taking pictures is something I love and it is great to have my photography pay my way on these trips!

Our journey to totality begins when we fly to Urumqi in the country’s far northwest.

Urumqi. The start of the ancient Silk Road.  I was expecting little villages!

We are now in Xinjiang, part of China’s Uyghur Autonomous Region. Here, the Uyghurs - an ethnic Muslim minority - make up most of the population, whereas it is the Han Chinese that make up over 90% of China’s 1.3 billion people.

Our excellent Uyghur guide Dolkun!

Driving along the Silk Road, we arrive at Turpan - the hottest, driest place in China.  And, at 500 feet below sea level, it is the second lowest place on Earth. A cute little town of a few hundred thousand, Turpan is mostly about grapes and raisins.

A canopy of hanging grape vines in Turpan.

What it’s all about in Turpan!