The route 312 was in the desert all day after leaving 玉門市. The altitude was getting lower from 1450m to 1280m. So, it's not always "when the way goes up, a desert appears." Hm.
I'd seen beltlike green area on south occasionally while in the desert. I wondered if it was naturally made, or artificially. The answer came in the evening. A yellow spot all of a sudden appeared in the middle of the desert, with a lake in the center! The color difference was like a miracle. It looked like a gem. 
I got close. Yellow flowers were blooming all around. I checked on the map. No, it wasn't a lake. It was a river. That's what I'd seen all afternoon. But it was after long time that I saw a river with water and green. I didn't think of the case.
I tried to reach to the river. But the ground, where the shore had receded, looked solid on the surface but was actually muddy. I soon had to give up. It was only birds that were allowed to go there.
27 July 2008, 玉門市〜, 4684km
