Describe a place near water, such as a lake, river or the sea, that you have visited

A place near water that I will never forget is Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. I went there two summers ago with a group of university friends, and we stayed in a small guest house right by the shore for a week.

The lake is enormous, and it is surrounded by mountains whose tops stay white with snow even in July. The water is so clear and blue that at first I thought I was looking at the sea. During the day we swam, played volleyball on the beach and took a boat trip to a quiet bay, where the water was perfectly still. One afternoon we hired bicycles and rode along the shore to a tiny village, where an old woman sold us fresh bread and homemade jam. In the evenings we sat around a small fire, talked and watched the stars, which looked much brighter than they do in the city.

Being there made me feel completely relaxed. Normally I am rather stressed by deadlines and my phone, but there was almost no signal near the guest house, which turned out to be a blessing. I slept better than I had for months, and I came home feeling refreshed and strangely more patient. It also made me realise how beautiful the region around us is, and that you do not need to go abroad for a wonderful holiday. I have promised myself that I will return every summer if I can, and next time I want to bring my parents.