September 19 Day 29 Arrive in Aralsk

 

Dawn over Aral region - we was a few dawns from a train window on this trip

Samovers like this were in every carraige. We relied on them for tea/coffee,soup and noodle meals

The train staff were a happy lot - on the whole.

Aralsk is a small city, pop ~250,000, in southwestern Kazakhstan and serves as the administrative centre of Aral District. It was formerly a fishing port and harbour city on the banks of the North Aral Sea and was a major supplier of fish to the neighbouring region. Today the receding sea had left this, and other once thriving, ports marooned in the steppe.  It felt rather like a frontier town.

Before take you touring around Aralsk, I want to tell you a little about the day-to-day reality of travelling across this vast continent. We are now halfway through our 61-day journey and we have had only 10 overnight stretches on trains. The cabins are reasonably comfortable although the beds are usually rather hard and so we don’t sleep well and wake very bleary-eyed and stiff.  But so far Lindsay and I have a cabin to ourselves which is wonderful – and what we expected. These long-distance trains are big beasts some with dining cars, some with a simple cafe counter and others with only people walking up and down the carriages selling all manner of things from knitted garments to cosmetics. At some longish stops people (mostly women) board with an array of ‘goodies’ including fresh-baked bread and smoked fish (which leaves a lingering memory of the sea in their wake!). Always there are people on the platform selling refreshments – and other things. So far, we have managed to be prepared with enough food to last our journeys. But to Aralsk …

Judging from our accommodation, Aralsk is obviously not a popular tourist destination but it was adequate and brought home so clearly how spoilt we have been. Later that day a group of motorbike riders arrived – brilliant place to ride!

I tool no photos of the accommodation but it was perfectly adequate

Aralsk's new museum which they are very proud of

A matriarch and a patriarch meet over a handshake

Our ragtag group of weary travellers

After breakfast and once we were ‘settled in’, we visited the new museum which had only been open a few weeks. While we were there an elder of the town arrived and was introduced to us. She was please to meet Lindsay who was the oldest of our group (we thought!). So of course there were photos taken for posterity. I spotted some camel soap in one of the showcases displaying local products and of course I wanted some.  Our wonderful Janna managed to secure me some but of course as soon as some of the others found out she was getting me some they wanted some too - isn't it always the way?! I didn't get all I ordered because it had to be shared around but there were a few more happy people. After visiting the new museum, we headed off to Aralsk’s old harbour and the excellent Fishermen's Museum.  

This is the Lev Berg Ship which was a research vessel on the Aral 1960-75. It had marvellous displays

The displays were excellent and the museum guide very helpful

Once a busy port, the surrounding lakebed is witness to the environmental tragedy of the Aral Sea

The displays and information kept yours truly rivetted. Lots of history but also geology, envirnonmental as well as floral and fauna information.  I was happy! The Aral Sea is a strange sea for a number of reasons not the least of which is that, unlike other bodies of water, oxygen saurationincreases with the depth of the water.  There are other things but I won't bore you with those. Of some surprise to me was that the Aral Sea has about 1100 islets and 12 large islands.  As the sea has dried out a number of interesting things have been uncovered besides old settlements. They have found the trunks of trees which grew 200-300 year ago before the arrival of the sea water. Archaeological treasures have also emerged as the dea has receded. It was also reassuring to read that and planned series of steps have been taken to restore the sea/lake levels.

Later that day we went exploring to find supplies for the upcoming 24 hour journey to Aktau on the western border of Kazahkstan. Then of coure it was time for the evening feast! and what an extravagant place we dined in. Obviously designed for those huge family celebratory banquets, we were treated no differently. We then waddled back to the hotel under a black sky.

We walked past little bands of people painstakingly sweeping the streets - its a desert region

Lots of salads started our feast followed by platters of succulent meats and mountains of vegetables