The ship monument in Aktau’s center: on 6th July the adventure begunThe sea was unusually cold for July, thus a thin layer of fog formed, boosting the atmosphere with a magical touchMeteorological “glory” optical phenomenon: I wasn’t exaggerating with the words, was I?The same with the sea temperature: meanwhile the air was somewhere in the lower 30’sFog bow (or white rainbow): yes, there is such a thingThe coastal cliffs of Skalnaya Tropa in the mistCumulonimbus forming farther inland, could cool down the thirsty land here and thereLater in the day the fog layer left the coast, showing pretty obvious boundary distributionAnother limit: I barely managed to catch the sunset from the top of the cliffs, but it was worth itSmaller plan before the main one: on the way to Saura oasisThis small, coastal canon will likely take me to the targetHere we are. I mean here I amThe best strategy to photograph the turtles is to climb the steep sides surrounding the lake and locate them from aboveYou can also rest in the shade under the overhangA more comprehensive view showing the amphitheatre-like natural structureThe best way you can position yourself as a wildlife photographer is to climb to the rimVoila!There were a few swimming around, like 5-6, maybe moreDidn’t know what this construction was until visiting the Mangystau Regional Local History Museum a few days later: Saura fortress is one of the oldest known fortifications in Mangyshlak, dated toalmost 4000 (!) years oldShifting to cowboy mode: I met the cattle right on the coast and it seems that they followed me towards the canonI continued on the coastal dirt road towards the Golubaya Bay. After a while there wasn’t any clear track, only a few hares were running time by time between the bushesI’m pretty close, but also not in a rush: in the early afternoon the air became surprisingly hot right beside the seaThe contrast between the 17 degree water and the midday sunblaze is both shocking and heavenly pleasant, especially after carrying the backpack in the sandof the beachShould I move here?Approaching the “Devil’s Finger” rock formation on the other side of Golubaya Bay. There were a few visitors (likely only locals), unlike Saura which was a complete ghost-townOn top of the World? Metaphorically maybe, but concretely still below sea levelSurreal color contrast on the remote, rocky coastAt the base of the tower: nice surprise, I didn’t know about this caveIs this another portal somehow connected to Tainaron’s Hades?After all, the devil is at homeWhile definitely not the Hell, still shocking…and temptingToo bad I must return to the hotel room in Aktau, maybe another time…Leaving the Heaven-Hell I made a shortcut towards the dirt road, which leads to the main one situated probably 10-12 km more inland. After a good hour hike I accepted a lift offered by local excursionists and had some base-level but still satisfying english conversation with the son of the driverSkalnaya Tropa in the evening, after a few cold beers How could we end the day better?Next day at the museum: without asking, a local inspector offered a free lift after explaining the institution is situated in another location, on the outskirts of the city. Great guy.This is what I was talking about at the Saura oasis: almost 4000 yearsOther ancient stone artifacts likely collected from the cultic sites of the Ustyurt Plateau (scythian or sarmatian)World War II monument in Aktau’s centerThe dombra, a kazakh national musical instrumentSure…but not todayAt Skalnaya Tropa during the afternoon: I am already fantasizing about how the barren cliffs of the chosen location will enhance the insolation by the additional reflected radiation……and soon I will experience it directly: the Mangystau-Beyneu night train was like a sauna in the beginning, a decent warm-up (pun intended) for the desert adventureFirst sights of the remote Ustyurt Plateau in the early morning, the village-town can’t be too farShop in the main market of Beyneu: As it was too early in the morning – accepting the help of a local – I had to woke up the vendors to buy some additional food and can drunk a refreshing kymyz, my favorite beverage in Kazakhstan, by far. Already prepared with the big luggage to continue the journey, I soon was in search of a car towards Sarga, the closest settlement to my target.Arriving at Sarga, the starting point of the desert hike: after just missing the marshrutka (local minibus) – again with local support – I caught it up by another car which went towards the Uzbek border. The only passenger, btw.Crossing the railway in the outskirts of the the village, which looked pretty run-down, to be honestThen the concrete adventure in the wilderness begun: great gerbil, scanning the morning atmosphere from his porchShort break at a modest shepherd shelter: The first part of the route was represented by completely flat, arid steppe mostly covered by short grass (grazing terrain). Complete sunshine, the temperature is rising.First view towards the Ashyktaypak depression: good vibes, everything (shape, timing, progress) looks and feels fineUnsurprisingly, the single living creatures of considerable size in the area are the camels, both one and two humped specimensSoon I reached the western rim of the endorheic basin, where the topography became more fragmentedHere we go: the last stretch of steeper, loose terrain, let’s see how the most critical part, the very bottom represented by the salt marsh will be likeAha! I knew about these discontinuities (small streams crossing the solonchak) and – after the experience in the Karagiye depression two years before – considered them the major question mark of the entire adventure, at least regarding the physical chapter: will they be easily crossable or the hike will become a more serious struggle?Great relief: I didn’t sunk or get stuck inside the salty mud. While I was prepared to take off my shoes and risk entering a more challenging sector if necessary, I wouldn’t have missed it in this heat with the heavy luggage on my back, that’s for sure.Approaching the target: in the very center of the V-shaped sector in front of me lies the chosen spotClear internal alignment feeling after arriving: soon the measuring equipment is installed on the tripod and at 10:46 AM the logger started its operationThe first chapter of the mission successfully completedLeaving the bulk of the luggage behind, I went to a shorter exploration of the surroundingsHome, sweet (or sweat) home: resting under an overhang, good shelter against the midday sunAbove the research campAs expected, in the afternoon the temperature raised above the human body temperature. Still not a single cloud fragment on the sky.Everything looks carved, fragmented, fragile, often to the degree of alien. The harsh desert weather relentlessly and continuously grinds, reshapes the contours.While still far from cool, towards the evening some vocalizations can be heardThis insect is like a cheeky troll: had bitten me without any provocation. No aftermath signs and effects however, just an electric current-like, short-lived burning sensationNot sunrise, but moon-set: The night was quite warm, only in the latter part covered myself a little. Without much insects after dark, I didn’t even used the mosquito tent, was more comfortable to just lay on the insulating mat Good morning: yeah – except the AC – this will be the lowest temperature I will encounter in the next 10 daysCrossing the saltmarsh (now confidently) on the return towards the villageStill no clouds at allThis plant is kind of special: most likely very salty, but contains a considerable amount of moisture inside his small, meaty leaves, great to wash your hands or use the evaporation process as a mild cooling-boostnow and thenShort break in the steppe on the way towards Sarga: this was another unexpected new discovery, likely a few century or even older cultic site (cemetery) of the nomadic people, quite common on the Ustyurt Plateau and its vicinityA long freight train just blocked my way before reaching the village. Couldn’t stop me, I’m pretty determined to find a shop and buy a cold energy drink.Daily life in SargaThe shop exists, it’s open and even teal colored. Gorilla, the local version of Monster is winking to me from the fridge. The struggle is over, for a while.Beyneu center: I returned from Sarga with shared taxi and went to find a hotel. Arna, the one I hoped to stay in was full, thus the more known and older Beyneu hotel became my home for the next 2 days. A little shaggy for the price (10.000 tenge = almost 20$), with barely functioning shower, but the AC was working.A few bugs (darkling beetle) appeared sometimes, but the situation was very far from the horror-story level infestation of the whole settlement I heard about on the net in late June.When the temps rise towards 40 centigrade in Beyneu, there is a solutionSo many turquoise-teal colored rooftops, fences, balconies: while partly cloudy, today is hotter than yesterday, likely climbed to 39-40 degrees in the mid-afternoon hoursThe next day on the way to Stary Beyneu (Old Beyneu) cemetery: Not everybody can radiate the heat as well as he does. I had the opportunity to photograph some hares, which are not only common here, but also less afraid of humans then generally in the wilderness where is much harder to successfully use the lens.The Beket-Ata complex is situated 15-20 km from the town (only taxis or personal car) and for the last 3 km one has to turn to the right from the main road. Just good for a light warm-up and psychical resetMaybe a metaphor?The bulk of the cemetery is less old (mostly 20th century), but there is a part where are many much more time-worn gravestones (11-18th century)You again. Or your cousin.The heart of the religious complex is represented by an underground mosque where the faithful gather to listen to the internal (literarily) guidance On the way back to the main road: Where are hares there are predators too. After reaching the highway I hitchhiked to Beyneu. The guy doesn’t want my money, while dropping me right in the parking lot of the hotel. Only the red carpet was missing…Town center: while from noon the convective clouds rapidly evolved, the heat became oppressive, maybe the hottest day until nowThis tripod-like monument can be considered the “km 0” of the settlement. I measured 40-41 degrees in its shade with the digital precision device.Mother & child statue in another square The main market near the train station: the most common goods are dried fruits, melons, samsa and broomsStart of the second field trip: this time there were more animals on the outskirts of the village, maybe because I arrived to Sarga even earlier in the morning. The yelling of the shepherd could be heard also for a while.Reaching the western ledge of the depression: completely clear sky, temperatures on the riseThe former positive experience made the crossing of the salt marsh lacking any stressReaching the weather installation: Oh, yeah, the max is decent! Most likely was recorded yesterday and from the actual temperature this early, today also will be serious heat. Better rested, hydrated and prepared with even more liquids (8-9 liters total) than during the first desert trip, I left the bulk of the luggage and went for a hike with a lighter backpack. The main target is to climb the eastern ledge of the depression, or more concretely the Ustyurt Plateau itself. The last uphill segment: the access was quite easy and relatively direct too Near the top, view towards the lowlandSome spectacular, deep cracks can be seen right on the edgeNot hard to imagine how erosion and gravity work together to fragment the rimThe highest point of the surroundings is situated a little farther to the north. From here you can see towards the middle of the extensive salt marsh.The rugged, heat-struck landscape of the sunken basinResting and contemplating: the northern escarpment’s shade can be used for protection during midday when the sun is highSarga village on the other side: to increase the adventure-factor, I chose a different route for the returnLife is still present, though more hiddenCould be dangerousA distant dust devil of bigger size near SargaAha, so here I am: because of the more difficult topography, in the latter part I had to do a bypass, passing through the “container boulders” area (center of the image) where my night-camp is locatedAfter 1 PM some convective clouds were coming. Time to check the data logger.The heat is oppressive: under a partly cloudy sky the temperature climbed to 41 degrees after 3 PMWaiting at my afternoon-shelter: less comfortable, but shade-providing and being close to the installation, I spent the hottest hours of the day under this crumbling boulder. Everything reminds the fact, that this place was a seabed a few million years ago.Hopefully you don’t bite. I’m not sure.For some reason I spontaneously named this place “the cave of Japheth”, most likely as an intuitive tie with the Dead-Sea scrolls, therefore ancient biblical figuresCumulonimbus calvus above the Ustyurt PlateauSunset, still hot: even in the evening the temperature remained above the human body temperature and the water in the plastic bottles became not just warmish, but unpleasantly warmSunrise the next morning: While at home there are exceptions, during outdoor camping I am always an early bird, regardless the season. And in the summer there is a very practical reason too: avoiding the effort during the hottest period, completing the bigger chunk of the route in the cooler morning hours.Crossing the solonchak: there are a few isolated brine ponds, left-overs from the wetter period, when the stream was aliveLooking back towards the Ustyurt: today is cloudier, at least for nowThe true owners of this landOf course in the village too. But there is another, more contemporary ruler here, the “akim” of Sarga, meaning mayor, or local chieftain if you want. I met him after being followed already from the railway by suspicious locals after returning and politely asked to explain what exactly am I doing here. My weak russian was of some help, but didn’t convince him, thus we went to the administrative building for a more thorough control procedure. Staying outside in the shade of the walls two police officers came, asking typical questions, searching my small shoulder-bag, look over the pics on the camera. No aggression, quite respectful. They asked if I have a metal detector. Meanwhile, the bigger luggage stayed inside the car of the akim and interestingly it wasn’t checked at all. After finishing their job they gave me a lift to Beyneu. Seems like everything is fine.Next day I visited the museum of the village-townReminds me of Mongolia, there is even some Hungarian motif-similarityBoth practical and decorative silver objectsOld religious books……and of course a little good-old communismMy room in Arna hotel: As it was less crowded than before, I managed to move here. Surprisingly, while cheaper than the other accommodation (7000 vs 10000), the conditions are way better: spacious room, big and very comfortable bed, functional shower with hot water, even more quiet. A jackpot for a tired dust-covered traveler.Daily life on Beyneu’s streetsRoaming the sleepy-pallid village: the following day started more cloudyI visited the “central mosque”, which is not that central to can be intuitively found. Outside the curious overseer nobody was there.We chatted a little in Russian, touching on the Kazakh-Hungarian historical link beside others, which can be summarized in the word “kipchak”.Later during the day the clouds became more scattered and the strong summer sun hit the desert settlement againThe last field-trip started: must be the same shepherd I saw 4 days earlierAt the cultic site: in the morning there were some altocumulus lenticularis cloudsView towards the depression: horses are the other natural land ownersAfter the earlier local police encounter I had some less optimistic thoughts circling inside my head, to be honest. Thus, it was a great relief observing the tripod standing in its place.That’s definitely something for 10 AM, it could pass well above 40 degrees again during the afternoonBeing prepared and with enough experience from the previous two excursions, I decided to walk a little farther from the camp. This kind of natural construction is quite common on the surface of the salt flat, not sure regarding its origin.Something between takyr (dried, cracked clay) and solonchak (saltmarsh). I am heading towards the center of the flatland.Noon is close, the sun punishingThe Zobject at -62 meters below the sea levelWhile practically there is no elevation change at all, being already on the bottom, the very center is still 7 km’s away. Should be enough, I will return from hereBarely anything lives hereOn the return to the installationAs I thought, already passed above 40 degrees. Time to hide and rest in the shade, the day will be long.While until now the sunshine was uninterrupted, in the early afternoon convective clouds coming from the north rapidly covered the sky. Between 2-5 PM it was mostly overcast, with only very brief sun-windows. Despite this the temperatures remained surprisingly elevated and constant, never dropping below 40 degrees.Gotcha: shortly before 6 PM, a few minutes of direct radiation between the clouds was enough to reach 42 centigrade, the highest value I directly measured during this expeditionSome companionYes, those are raindrops. Just a few, but how heavenly they felt while laying on the ground and passively collecting them like manna.The confirmation from aboveThe next morning: the last value on the screen, the research is overCrossing the saltmarshThen the golden arid steppe, when……a car showed up (likely related to animal herding) and the old man offered to give me a ride. Why not?a milder morning dust-storm in SargaBack to Beyneu: All these building blocks are likely the very same material as the boulders in the endorheic basin, cemented sea-shell fragments. This sedimentary rock is not only sufficiently strong but also has good insulation properties because of the many small air bubbles between the scale-like layers.Last evening in the desert town: tomorrow I will travel by train to AktauRelaxing on the Caspian coast: I will not say that the Uzbek train was impeccable regarding the internal atmosphere, but given the fact we traveled during the day in peak-heat with over 40 degree outside temperature, can’t consider it bad either. An entire coupe was solely mine, the 7 hours passed relatively fast.At the main beach of Aktau: well, is this even the same sea I swam in 2 weeks earlier?Typical street view in Aktau: the latter days of the Kazakh journey I spent in the city, just wandering around and enjoying the last bottles of kymyzWe started here, we will finish it here
