The oldest prevailing sound on earth must have been the sound of water. No dripping tap, but the roar of a vast and mighty ocean and the scourging rains that fed it. We tried to imagine its sound while crossing the endless Ustyurt Plateau, along the desolate border area between Beyneu in Kazakhstan and Nukus in Uzbekistan. The plateau was once the bottom of the Tethys Sea. The sea split the supercontinent of Pangea into Laurasia to the north and Gondwana to the south. The Black, Caspian and Aral Seas are the last remnants of Tethys. What forces had come into play to turn this region into a semi-desert, where travelers are happy when they find a scarce water source?
Looking for water is one of the challenges we have to deal with while on the road. It’s often no problem in mountainous regions but in other remote areas, filling up the tank with pure and healthy water can become a real challenge. The awareness of pure water as something precious to look for is a joy in itself. Filling up with water becomes a rewarding overlander’s ritual.
Water source in the Fergana mountain range – Kirgizstan
While looking for an overnight stop, the presence of water, beside the shelter of some trees or bushes, is always inviting. When the water isn’t clean enough for drinking, it might at least be suitable for washing clothes or dishes. An important criterion is the risk of a sudden rise in the water level due to a case of unexpected heavy rainfall. Even simply retreating away from a stream could become a pitfall, as the land might have become too slippery to escape out of the valley.
In circumstances with a stable weather forecast, another criterion is the sound of a stream or source. It shouldn’t be too loud, because this closely resembles the noise of a busy highway. We wouldn’t be able to fall asleep as easily, as we’re used to climbing into the tent on top of the truck for the night. A quiet rippling stream is best. The soft chaotic turbulence of the water relaxes and at the same time triggers the imagination.
At the former shores of the Aral Sea near Moynaq in Uzbekistan, there’s no risk of a sudden rise in the water level. All water has vanished. The only turbulence we noticed was that of sand, haunted by the wind. In the past 40 years, since the sea started shrinking dramatically, billions of these tiny particles have done a good job in sandblasting the last paint chips of the stranded ship wrecks. In a completely landlocked sea that’s dying out, big ships have no other option than rust to dust or gradually be dismantled by locals that need pieces of scrap metal. The former process is only increased by the remnants of large amounts of toxic substances, the result of decades of large-scale cotton industry, pesticides, fertilizers and even the testing of weapons by the former Soviet Union.
Near the shores of the Aral Sea – Moynaq, Uzbekistan
The sight of the shipwrecks is sad, and sadness can be beautiful to capture in a photograph, but the real tragedy is that of the people. The sea was their source of life. In its heyday, the local fishing industry supplied no less than one sixth of the fish consumed in the Soviet Union. After the withdrawal of the water, tens of thousands of people lost their jobs and abandoned their villages.
Near the shipwrecks there’s no sound of splashing water anymore, only the eerie noise of metal bent by the wind. What’s left of the sea is now some 80 kilometers away from Moynaq. The Aral Sea disaster is an example of the often devastating influence of man on his environment. And, it is an example of how sounds can express or recall particular environments in such detail.
Information for overlanders: Crossing the Ustyurt plateau
Beyneu in Kazakhstan is a lively spot and the last station to fill your supplies before spanning the 520kms distance to Nukus right across the desolate Ustyurt plateau. To our surprise, we even found AdBlue at the Helios filling station. The trip features a stunning 300kms stretch of completely straight road. Even there you won’t be heading anywhere fast and comfortably. Most of the time you’ll find yourself zigzagging between deep and sharp potholes, desperately seeking some softness.