The sandy shore
Golden.
Ерден Карсыбеков — CC BY-SA 4.0 · TakingOver — CC0 · Kabelleger / David Gubler (http://www.bahnbilder.ch) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ерден Карсыбеков — CC BY-SA 4.0
Balkhash is one of Asia's largest lakes, stretching long across the steppe of southeastern Kazakhstan. Clear blue water meets a golden sandy shore, the horizon runs flat and endless, and dry hills line the banks. The lake covers about 16,400 km², the 15th largest in the world. It lies in a closed basin with no outflow and is fed mainly by the Ili River, which rises in the mountains of Xinjiang. A narrow strait divides it in the middle, so its western half is fresh water and its eastern half salty. Its name comes from a word meaning «tussocks in a swamp». It is shrinking as water is drawn from its rivers. You walk the shore, swim in the calm water in summer and watch birds and the sunset over the water. The largest town on its shore is Balkhash, where mining and fishing are the main work. Balkhash city is on the lake's north shore. The sun is strong and shade scarce, so bring a hat and water, and swim where local people swim.
Golden.
To the horizon.
Over the lake.
North shore, near Balkhash city, Karaganda Region
A narrow strait separates the fresh west from the salty east.
In summer, for swimming.