The alien lands once hidden beneath the ocean
On a 700km round trip across the otherwordly steppe of Kazakhstan, 27-year-old local guide Gaukhar Yessirkepova takes us to the layered slopes of Bokty mountain and on the multicoloured paths of Kyzylkup canyon, affectionately nicknamed after a tiramisu cake because of its distinctive patterns. On the trip, we also admire the alien-looking gorge of Ybykty Sai and the castle-like rocks of Bozzhyra canyon. These landscapes' million-year-old geological history traces back to the time when these lands were buried underneath the Tethys Ocean.
Filmed by Irina Sedunova, produced by Anna Bressanin, edited by Tom Heyden, fixer Bekbolatuly Ayan. Graphics by Pomona Pictures
