Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Moynaq

Once you are in front of the Aral Desert, which stretches as far as the eye can see, you may be tempted to move forward until you see what is left of this sea. It takes 2 hours of driving in the dunes and sand. Of course, it's impossible to do this without an adapted 4x4, so don't try to venture out in a sedan: you'd be sanded up in no time. Specialized agencies can organize the excursion for you, which we nevertheless recommend: the landscapes are magnificent and you really feel alone in the world. Look out! Don't go alone without a guide if you don't know the road: there is no path and no indication of direction (we are in the middle of the desert). Also, check the weather forecast before starting the trip. If rain is forecast, postpone it: the Aral Desert is a basin below sea level (obviously since it is actually the seabed) and with the heavy rains in the region, some basins can fill up to one meter of water in the space of 5 minutes! It seems unlikely, but it has happened to unconscious tourists who have been stuck on the roof of their Jeep for 24 hours without being able to call for help. In this case, you have to wait for the blazing sun to evaporate all the accumulated rain. When you return, clean all your clothes and insist on shoes: salt and pesticide residues carried by the water and left on the sand are very corrosive.

Those who have not been sufficiently depressed by the spectacle of Moynaq can push to Uchsay, ten kilometres north. Perched on the edge of a huge dune, this small village does not even have access to water. It is harvested in artificial wells buried in the soil and made of old rusty sheets. When it doesn't rain, it's in the puddles that the kids are sent out of water, where the cars drove and where the cattle came to drink. At the end of the village, a small base camp brings together the gas workers, without a lot of work in the region. In the basement of the Aral Sea, we are still in the drill and on the horizon of this new desert, over visible derricks around Uchsay. Many people have hoped that the Aral subsoil could be as rich as that of the Caspian Sea, and indeed, in this sense, no one really had any interest in saving this sea. ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''