Camel 645 is mean, inconsiderate.

I knew this from the moment our caravan began its descent from the peak of a dune in Mingsha Mountain. As we started down, 645, my steed for this long-awaited adventure, tried to jump the queue. Each hurried step sent a jolt through the saddle. Every step felt like a taunting squeeze to my bladder. Will I make it?

I should have made a trip to the toilet just before setting off. But I didn't. And now, here I was, dreading the possibility of an embarrassing aftermath to what was supposed to be an unforgettable experience at the oasis in the Gobi Desert.

It was my first camel ride, and my first time visiting Dunhuang in Gansu province, in northwest China. My visit to Mingsha Mountain had already been delayed by a sandstorm the day before, which had kept me confined to my hotel. Back then, I thought I had heard the sound of the "singing dunes" that give the mountain its English name, Echoing Sand Mountain. Looking back now, I think it was the sound of the sand dunes mocking me for what they knew would be a challenging ride.

The nature park, which also houses the serene Crescent Lake, is conveniently just minutes from my hotel. About 6 km from the Shazhou Night Market in the city center. It's a massive mountain range, stretching 40 kilometers from the Mogao Caves to the Danghe Dam, rising up to 1,650 meters. But in the moment, as 645 lurched forward, the only geography that mattered was the uneven ground beneath us and the distant promise of a bathroom.

Before the ride, I had climbed to the peak of one of the dunes, not far from where the shuttle bus drops you off. I wanted solitude – just me, the sand, and the sky. But even in March, the off-peak season, the crowd was significant. There was no way to take a selfie without catching a fellow visitor in the frame. Travel photography shops had set up elaborate costume shoots, and tourists swarmed everywhere. It was a stark reminder that this is a beauty you can never truly have to yourself.

But from that peak, you can struggle to block everyone out and focus on the serene figure below: Crescent Lake. An oasis sitting at the foot of the dunes, named for its crescent moon shape, it is a natural wonder. A Tang-style pagoda complex stands beside the 100-meter-long lake, completing an image of a beckoning refuge at the edge of the Gobi Desert.

Seeing photographs of it online doesn't compare to seeing it in person. From the peak, it draws you in like a thirsty traveler in need of rest. I climbed down toward it in style, via sand surfing. There was no need to summon the child in this 56-year-old body; it was raring to slide down the dune on a bamboo carriage.

A walk along the perimeter of the lake was a good way to imagine how it must have felt for travelers reaching the oasis in ancient times. Dunhuang was once the critical intersection on the ancient Silk Road. I faced the wall of the sand dune and got lost in the canvas of sand, watching the gentle breeze paint whirling patterns that held me captive for seconds until they dissolved and new ones formed. I turned my back and took the opportunity to be alone in front of a Weeping Willow tree and let my thoughts wander off into times when camel rides were the norm in the harsh environments along the Silk Road.

That history is everywhere here. Not far from the Crescent Lake is the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about a 20-minute drive away. Seventy kilometers from the lake is the Yangguan Pass, a poetic landmark viewed by many in China as a symbol of separation – a point where travelers once struggled against loneliness and homesickness. Farther still is the Dunhuang Yardang National Geopark, where you envision movie-like images of travel only possible in ancient times. A visit to the geopark today makes you wish technology would advance more rapidly, making passenger drones commercially available so you could view those peculiar yardang landforms from above and cruise through the chorus lines of these ridge-like geological wonders in the desert. And relive images of travel on the trade routes that linked the ancient civilizations of China, India and the west world.

Sometimes, the best way to relive that history is to walk in the shoes, or ride in the saddles, of those whose lives we wish to peek into. And I knew I had to experience a camel ride.

In the beginning, 645 looked friendly. He had a face resembling my pet shih tzu when he's aiming to receive a treat. I knew from the get-go that my "money shot" from this trip was a picture of myself riding a camel in the desert. As we climbed the ridge, I got goosebumps for the right reasons: seeing the other caravans of tourists waving at each other, forming dramatic images of travelers on the ridge with the sun in the distance and the whirling patterns of sand dancing to nature's choreography.

The climb was magical. The descent, however, was where our relationship soured.

My misery was compounded by the lack of any photographer. There was no one around to capture the moment, only the persistent, rhythmic stomping of 645 as it tried to speed us back to the stable. I pushed away thoughts of leaving Mingsha in an embarrassing mess, a different kind of dramatic image set against the canvas of golden yellow.

Did I come home with the "money shot" in my pocket? No. Instead, I came home with a healthy respect for the ancient travelers who endured this mode of transport for months, not minutes, and a newfound appreciation for modern conveniences. It may have felt that Camel 645 was mean during our descent, but it gave me a story far more memorable than a simple photograph.

Practical Tip 1:
Don't be misled by the bus marked "Sightseeing Tour Bus"; it's not designed to take you on a convenient tour of the nature park's highlights. Despite the name, it's simply a shuttle that gets you from point A to point B when you're too tired to walk.

Practical Tip 2:
It's a good idea to hydrate before a camel ride, especially on a sunny summer day, but it's equally important to visit the restroom beforehand to ensure a comfortable ride from start to finish.

Practical Tip 3:
Plan your visit for the late afternoon, and make sure you're inside the nature park before sunset so you can be exactly where you want to be when the golden hour begins.

Practical Tip 4:
Camel ride tickets are not available for purchase at the Tourist Centre counters. Be sure to book yours online ahead of your visit.