The longer one stays in Karachi, the more they discover and the more they come to appreciate the city’s true beauty. It’s not a beauty in terms of appearance but more a beauty in terms of character, writes BBC’s Andrew Webster.
Karachi is diverse and chaotic in character and it is this that I have come to love about living here. However many of the people I speak to seem to have difficulty picturing the city and as a result often decide not to come here.
This has prompted me to try and portray the Karachi that I experience in the hope that it might fill in some of the gaps people may have when imagining it.
SADDAR AND ITS MARKETS: Saddar translates from Urdu into centre, meaning it is the hustling, bustling central area of Karachi. Although it is not an area I spend much time in, it is still one of my favourite parts of Karachi as the sights I see never fail to amaze me.
You enter Saddar by passing by a group of high rise five star hotels. But don’t be fooled, this is just the sugar coating on top of the real Karachi; a Karachi far more raw and exciting.
Saddar is made up of roads lined with old battered imperialist buildings that have been converted into shops and offices. The streets are always packed and markets stretch out onto the road manned by the most enthusiastic salesmen you are ever likely to meet.
My favourite market in the area is Empress Market. It is located inside a court yard which is fronted by an impressive, if not slightly worn out looking clock tower. I imagine it was quite an important area when first built by the British, but now it is has become home to the cheapest market stalls in Karachi.
To put it simply Empress has an abundance of life – carefully piled fruits and spices, scowling market traders and a meat market so shocking I could barely believe my eyes when I first saw it.
If you ever wondered what happened behind closed doors in your local butchers, then just visit this market and you will soon find out! Still this just adds to the flair and character of a place that many people use to buy their daily necessities!
EATING – THE ESSENCE OF KARACHI: A common joke amongst friends is that fun in Karachi means eating. And it has to be said that this is very true; I do seem to spend a lot of time eating. However there are a couple of places we eat at that are more special than most.
Our most common eateries are located at a place called Boat Basin. The actual Boat Basin is a huge lake, too polluted to be used for anything as extravagant as boats – the name has somewhat lost its meaning.
Across the road however, is a mile long line of cheap restaurants, juice stalls and ice cream parlours. Literally every type of cuisine known to man is served along this strip to people sitting around tables just metres away from the side of the road.
Our favourite spot is Karachi Broast, a place we would claim, serves the best Chicken Tikka in town. When we are feeling really adventurous though, we go ‘crabbing’. Going crabbing entails a trip out of Karachi’s harbour on an old boat in which live crabs are cooked in front of your eyes before being served for you to feast upon.
It’s important not to picture anything too high tech or posh here. This is much more like a scene from Pirates of the Caribbean – wooden boats, shady looking sailors and even the remains of sunken vessels sticking out of the water.
Admittedly the huge military and cargo ships alongside the harbour partly spoil the illusion, but still it’s an illusion none the less and always a good night!
LIVING THE HIGH LIFE: If this sort of stuff gets a bit much though, you can always seek solitude in one of the city’s many coffee shops, shopping malls or parks. These places are as modern, well kept and comfortable as any that you would find in London.
The favourite of my coffee shops are in Zamzama, Karachi’s coffee shop central. Packed with pretentious art, big comfy sofas and young trendy people they offer the perfect getaway from Karachi’s craziness once in a while!
This is especially the case in the summer when their wireless internet connection, air conditioning and fancy coffee become far more appealing especially during domestic power cuts.
Equally as refreshing are some of the parks in Karachi. My favourite is Zamzama Park with its running track full of joggers and walkers circling the outside. In the middle are lounging couples, families enjoying the playground and old men sitting at the outdoor café putting the world to rights
After a run, the café provides a welcome rest with its reasonably priced banana milkshakes and comfortable chairs which sit out under the star lit sky. And of course if I get chatting to one of the old men, its all the better!
This is far from a comprehensive description of Karachi, but just a taster. It does take a while to get used to life in Karachi, but once you do get used to it, it is just a case of discovering more and more to see and do. Even after being here for 9 months I still feel like there is much more to experience and in that respect it is a shame that I have to leave in three months time. Still it’s been an amazing experience living here, and one I hope that many more people from the UK will have in the coming years.
