the only things i could see the horizon were the old abandoned ships sitting on the dry sea floor. i stared at the rushed and dilapidated structures for what felt like hours. i do not know how long they had been there, but the sight of the filled me with sorrow. How could a place that once thrived on fishing and other seafaring activities become so dry? my guide told me that I would have to walk dozens of kilometers on the cracked soil to eventually see the blue water that used to flow to where i was standing. i breathed deeply and tasted the salty remnants of the ocean. the environmental disaster of the South Aral Sea will stay with me forever