MUYNAK, UZBEKISTAN — Weddings, school dances, music festivals — in small pockets along the Aral Sea, there are signs of life.
The Aral has nearly disappeared, and the large communities it once sustained are simply no more.
A man rides in desert that used to be a bed of the Aral Sea, outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, June 24, 2023.
A man cooks fish caught from the remnants of the Aral Sea in a desert outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, June 24, 2023.
A woman relaxes next to a hot spring, in an area that used to be part of the Aral Sea, near Aralsk, Kazakhstan, July 3, 2023.
A man rides in desert that used to be part of the bed of the Aral Sea, outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, June 26, 2023.
A man poses for a photo on his motorcycle next to his desert home while guarding the lands and destroyed houses that have been abandoned after the drying up of the Aral Sea, outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, June 24, 2023.
But a scattering of small towns and villages remains. Some have as few as 10 people. And there, they say, there's still a bit of life beyond the sea.
New cafes, clothing stores and bodegas boasting imported snacks have popped up. Hand-painted Soviet-era billboards are being replaced by shiny metal signs with fresh paint.
A child runs in Aralsk, Kazakhstan, July 4, 2023.
Trains run around the clock, bringing returning residents and first-time visitors. They scribble their names into guestbooks at museums showcasing Aral artifacts.
People travel in a train compartment on the way to Aralsk, Kazakhstan, June 30, 2023.
Streets may be empty during hot, sunny days. But as the sun sets, they fill with children playing soccer, teenagers making videos for social media and old men playing cards. Techno music and the lights of carnival games flash through the night during local festivals.
Men enjoy their time in a restaurant in Nukus, Uzbekistan, June 23, 2023.
Reminders of the once-mighty Aral linger. Old fishing nets and buoys rot in backyards.
A boy rides a bicycle in what used to be the main port of Aralsk, Kazakhstan, before the Aral Sea dried up, July 4, 2023.
Men work in a yurt camp by the dried-up Aral Sea, outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, June 25, 2023.
Rundown trucks with broken windshields become makeshift playgrounds for children. Sand-covered murals on buildings depict fishermen, boats and gulls on the sea.
A child plays inside a rusted dilapidated car along the dried-up Aral Sea in the village of Tastubek near Aralsk, Kazakhstan, July 2, 2023.
A couple visits a devastated village and areas near the dried-up Aral Sea, outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, June 24, 2023.
People visit rusted ships near a museum, outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, July 14, 2023.
Regular dust storms send people scrambling back into their homes. But when they pass, families return to gather as a community.
Women bake bread during a party in their house in the village of Shege, next to the disappearing Aral Sea, near Muynak, Uzbekistan, July 12, 2023.
Residents of Shege village pray for the revival of the Aral Sea near Muynak, Uzbekistan, July 12, 2023.
A man and woman dance next to a sand lot filled with ships formerly used on the Aral Sea, in Muynak, Uzbekistan, July 11, 2023.