My first morning in Pakistan began with a 2 hour horse and carriage ride around the sites costing RE150 hr. I was very eager to visit the tomb of Mohammed Ali Jinnah ( Quaid-e-Azam) so that's where I went first. The mazar was a highly impressive structure and many ordinary people were praying silently at the grave which lies at the interior under the great dome of the mazar.
Protecting the tomb were a number of ceremonal guards who have an impressive, orchestrated sequence of movements and steps to perform. I was touched by this place under which the founder of the Nation lies buried.
After spending some time looking and taking in the atmosphere of the tomb I was taken next to a lovely pink mosque which I walked around and took photos of.
The final stop of the carriage ride was at a huge, communal dhoby ghat or outside laundry area. There were many men doing their laundry here. We rode by many luxury shops and exotic market stalls reminding me of similar ones in Egypt.
It seems that, from reading my journal, I took a break and then set out on an afternoon tour. I had already acquired a Karachi map and wanted to walk around a bit.
The AVARI Towers Hotel is directly adjacent to Quaid-e-Azam's home which I was able to see immediately although it was closed I believe. I headed off down Fatimah Jinnah Road to the Karachi Cantonment to see the railway station.
I do like to seek out these relics of the Raj so I looked forward to having a closer look.
My journal says it was incredibly busy with noise, fumes and din everywhere. It mentions those wonderful Pakistani decoprated buses too.
It was approaching time for Jummah Prayer and many of the men were making their way to the mosque. I sat down a while and one person came over to talk to me. My journal says only that, 'it was the usual bottom line-he was after money.'
Wazir Mansion - Flaggstaff House
Quai-e-Azam House in Fatimah Jinnah Road is today a museum containing some of the relics and belongings of Mohammed Ali Jinnah. His room and that of his beloved sister, Fatimah have been preserved and a guide showed me round. My journal tells me that I was even allowed to handle some of his household objects although I have no memory of that.
It then began to rain and I looked up to see hundreds of crows circling the skies. These were large birds which make the ones I had seen in Sri Lanka look small. I seemed to have had a conversation with one of the museum staff. I sat down on a bench as the rain came teeming down since it was the Monsoon season. One chap sitting next to me was chewing paan (betelnut) so his mouth was all stained red. I was stuck there until the rain eventually stopped at about 4.00pm.
Evening
At 7.30pm I was sitting in the Avari's 'take'n'bake' coffee shop and there weren't many customers so things were exceptionally quiet. I must have been brave and/or very silly but my journal informs me that I took an evening walk from the Avari to the bazaar on foot. The rain had flooded parts of the road and my over-riding memories are of negotiating pot holes filled with monsoon rain and garbage.
Anyway, I finally ended up in an exciting and animated part of the bazaar in which stood an incredible British structure from the Raj- The Empress Market. On my way back to the Avari I wandered down a very narrow alley and I noticed some 'ready to wear' salwar kameez for sale. I picked one up for RS 300 which was about £6.52 at that time. People had told me that the going price ought to be between RS300-600 so at least I wasn't completely ripped off!
My journal says that I felt really comfortable wearing the salwar kameez on the streets since people noticed me LESS so that I blended in rather more than if I were wearing usual western clothes. I also wore the Bazme Naushahia topi kindly provided by Pir Mahroof back in Bradford.
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