WHERE IS THE ARAL SEA?

In this episode I'm riding from Kyzylorda to Aralsk. On the way, I'm passing Baikonur, the place in Kazakhstan where rockets are being launched into space! I didn't get to see a launch, but I did walk through some pieces of old rocket laying around there - how cool is that!

After a long and hot day of riding through semi-desert, I reached Aralsk. This town used to have it's harbour right at the Aral Sea, which was the 4th biggest lake in the world.

Due to bad water management in the Sovjet times to irrigate cotton plantation, the Aral Sea almost entirely dried up. Kazakhstan is working hard on dams to try and restore the Aral Sea and at this moment the Aral Sea is 'only' 25 kilometers away from Aralsk. In a few years, this harbour should have water again!

Prochain épisode

S01E89 - CAMELS & NOTHING in Kazakhstan