Taklamakan Desert of water, accounts for the somewhat wide diurnal temperature variation. The Taklamakan Desert has very little water, therefore it is hazardous to cross. Merchant caravans on the Silk Road would stop for relief at the thriving oasis towns. It was in close proximity to many of the ancient civilizations — to the Northwest is the Amu Darya basin, to the southwest the Afghanistan mountain passes lead to Iran and India, to the east is China, and even to the north ancient towns such as Almaty can be found. The key oasis towns, watered by rainfall from the mountains, were Kashgar,
In the Country In the Country In the Country (initiated in 2003 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz trio comprising pianist Morten Qvenild, bassist Roger Arntzen and drummer Pål Hausken. The band was started by the three fellow students at the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2003. The year after they earned the «JazzIntro» Newcommer Award at Moldejazz (2004), and released their first album "This Was The Pace Of My Heartbeat" (2004). The third album "Without" (2009) was named as «one of 2009's best jazz albums» by the All About Jazz reviewer John Kelman. In autumn of 2010 the band was on