Dead Vlei

Dead Vlei is a white clay pan inside the Namib-Naukluft Park. Its name means "dead marsh". Dead Vlei has been claimed to be surrounded by the highest sand dunes in the world, the highest reaching 300–400 meters. The skeletons of the trees, which are believed to have died 600–700 years ago, are now black because the intense sun has scorched them. Though not petrified, the wood does not decompose because it is so dry. -from Wikipedia