There is a low murmuring and grumbling on the caravan as riders awake and try to stretch their weary muscles. It amazes me that any one could sleep at all as I certainly did not. Dawn is a gorgeous stream of warm colors stretched for miles across the horizon and the walls of an ancient fortress in the distance reflect the colors back off the white walls. The camels slowly meander into a side path that slightly slopes downward towards a small pond surrounded by palm tree, a welcome sight after miles and miles of sand and nothingness. I have to remind myself that there are rivers flowing on both sides of this area. I t seems we are getting a chance to stretch our legs before entering the city. As I dismount and search my now numb body I see the most beautiful Banyon tree a short distance away. I center my mind and take a mental snapshot to carry back to my studio with me; a perfect aubject for a future oil painting.