Eastern Travels - Arriving in West Kazakhstan - Aktau and Atyrau - Deserts, Deltas and Steppe
Kazakhstan is vast, and if I had to sum up my initial response on arrival in just one word, that word would be 'perplexed,' which is just perfect!
I started my travels in the west of the country, with most of the time spent around the North Caspian Sea cities of Aktau and Atyrau. The country appeared to be a flat expanse of sparsely vegetated desert as far as the eye can see, populated with grazing animals with rivers (often dry) meandering through the windy terrain towards the Caspian Depression