After spending many days in the beautiful remains of the Ancient Silk Road, I chose to have a look at the remnants of what once was a great lake with abundant wildlife, industry and tourism: the Aral Sea. Today it's pretty much a death zone which, due to frequent, strong salt and sand storms, extends and influences hundreds of kilometers beyond the former body of water, creating the youngest of deserts on our planet.
What happened there is one of the greatest man-made environmental disasters in recent decades. It was so far the most daunting and depressing experience in my life.
What happened there is one of the greatest man-made environmental disasters in recent decades. It was so far the most daunting and depressing experience in my life.
We started our Aral Sea journey in the town of Moynak. Until the 1970's / 80's it used to be a busy fishing port for the whole region at what once was the Southern shore. Today it's more than 120km away from the water and mostly known for its museum and ship graveyard. The region's economy has collapsed and few people stay in the impoverished towns.
When we got off our cars for the first time, our lips became brittle instantly. While we visited, I noticed that there's a constant strong wind with a salty scent to it. This stems from the extreme aridity and salinity of the former Sea's bed.
There was something else in the air, acid and rotten, that I couldn't make out until many hours later. At the time I attributed it to the hot desert weather and trash cans baking in the sun.
When we got off our cars for the first time, our lips became brittle instantly. While we visited, I noticed that there's a constant strong wind with a salty scent to it. This stems from the extreme aridity and salinity of the former Sea's bed.
There was something else in the air, acid and rotten, that I couldn't make out until many hours later. At the time I attributed it to the hot desert weather and trash cans baking in the sun.
The Moynak museum shows life before the Aral Sea became what locals call "Aral-Kum", the Aral Desert. Walking through the rusty old ships had an eerie atmosphere. Looking beyond them, I could see the dry lands stretch for kilometers on end.
The reason for this man-made environmental disaster reaches back to the 1960s when Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union. Russian engineers had the great idea to strengthen economy and show off industrial progress by growing one of the most thirsty plant on earth in the desert: cotton. The water supply came from the Amu Darya river which fed the Aral Sea.
The reason for this man-made environmental disaster reaches back to the 1960s when Uzbekistan was part of the Soviet Union. Russian engineers had the great idea to strengthen economy and show off industrial progress by growing one of the most thirsty plant on earth in the desert: cotton. The water supply came from the Amu Darya river which fed the Aral Sea.
Within few years, the results of the extremely high amount of water used were already visible. And instead of stopping the project, it actually continues until today leading to the situation I saw there.
After Moynak, we pretty much drove for 3 hours through the barren and flat wasteland, to only stop once on the way. It's required to go with a 4x4 vehicle and an experience driver because the sea bed can be quite dangerous e.g. due to quicksand pits, the intense heat and missing cell phone coverage. There's only few cars in the whole area and the time until you get rescued can be very long.
When we finally got close to the current lake shore, only then we saw other cars taking the same route. By that time it was already evening and I wasn't prepared for what I was going to experience.
When we finally got close to the current lake shore, only then we saw other cars taking the same route. By that time it was already evening and I wasn't prepared for what I was going to experience.
When we finally arrived at the current shore of the Aral Sea and got out of the car, I realised that the stench I noticed at the beginning of the tour in Moynak actually comes from the water. There's something salty, pungent and rotten in it. Along the edge, there was lots of foam and the ground was black, up to half a meter down. The dried up areas are always covered with countless seashells from the dead flora and fauna.
All this comes from decades of industrial, agricultural and military waste being dumped into the lake (look up the Wiki page online). Scientists don't even know for sure what kind of new chemical compounds have formed in the meantime. Touching the water leads to skin rashes and more severe reactions. Tour guides suggested to go swimming because it's an experience similar to floating in the Dead Sea in Israel, but I strongly advice against it!
All this comes from decades of industrial, agricultural and military waste being dumped into the lake (look up the Wiki page online). Scientists don't even know for sure what kind of new chemical compounds have formed in the meantime. Touching the water leads to skin rashes and more severe reactions. Tour guides suggested to go swimming because it's an experience similar to floating in the Dead Sea in Israel, but I strongly advice against it!
Adding to the other impressions I described in the earlier posts, there was another thing which intensified my chills: the ubiquitous silence. During our whole trip through the seabed, I never heard any animal, saw any movement or other sign of healthy wildlife. There was only the constant, piercing wind, its stench, salt and dust.
Close to the current shore, some small bushes try to break through the parched ground in this harsh environment, but the surrounding area suggests that the majority can only survive for a short time.
Close to the current shore, some small bushes try to break through the parched ground in this harsh environment, but the surrounding area suggests that the majority can only survive for a short time.
When we were driving along the current shore of the Aral Sea, we noticed some single huts and yurts far apart. It turned out that few men are actually living in this environment. It felt like they deliberately chose this secluded life with only the basic necessities available. Some were still fishing in the highly polluted waters, either consuming their catch themselves or selling it. I couldn't tell if they were aware of the health risks or just ignored them.
The next morning we left the camp to drive 3 hours back to the city Nukus. On the way back, just a few hundred meters away from the camp, we stopped by remnants of an old Caravanserai very close to the former shore, meaning there was a trade route going through this area several hundred years ago. Another short break was at an abandoned nomad cemetery. Overall the trip was very well organised by the tour company.
