FIRST IMPRESSIONS
We arrived a quarter past eleven in the evening and the moment i stepped out of the plane I immediately noticed that the airport was pretty old. Though old, it was good enough to serve its purpose and it's actually at least 3-4x bigger than the airport i started the trip in (40+ year old NAIA 1 manila airport!) Proof of the size difference is the presence of walkalators: In manila NAIA 1, the walk distance to the gates were too short to warrant any walkalators at all!
I waited for my turn at immigration and was a bit nervous as immigration officers are always a moody bunch. This one asked if i had a ballpen and he acted like his had no ink left. He eventually borrowed my ballpen and never gave it back despite my long stares. I did not make a fuss as it wouldn't have been smart to start the trip fighting with immigration people but i did feel real bad. I kept thinking the whole night how my ballpen got stolen :p.
Last I remembered noticing that first night was the huge presence of crows (we could here them crowing that night outside our room). It just didn't feel good to have crows circling in the sky during the day and sleeping around the area at night.
KARACHI GROWS ON YOU
Despite these negative first impressions, Karachi sort of grew on me eventually. This was due also a lot because of the hospitality and the kindness to us of our friends/hosts who took care of everything for us. A part of me also feels for the people of Pakistan, being from a third world country myself with tons of frustrations and problems with governance and poverty as well. Pakistan is a beautiful country with abundant resources especially food (example: fruits they have all types as they have many areas of various climates), minerals, gems, oil, etc. They speak of a place up north where the mountains are like that of Switzerland if not for the lack of amenities and safety. Much like my homeland in the Philippines; the beauty of the country is marred by the corruption and poverty. To add, even the crows have grown on me. They seem like a decent bunch and crows in Pakistan have a nice gray color two-toned in with the black.
That's me on a camel!
Colorful buses and trucks remind me of home (Manila)
DEVELOPMENT
Developing Pakistan to become a better country is a tough task, even our friends say it would take at least 50 years as the mentality of the people needed to change. The roads were unmantained; traffic was light but chaotic. Donkeys delivering goods like cement and long pipes (I saw a camel or two as well), highly ornamented buses and trucks swerving into your lane, the locals climbing the barriers to cross to the other side. Garbage in small pieces and clumps can be seen on the side of the roads. Add to this the presence of a lot of rubble. I am not sure where these clumps of rubble came from but most likely from demolitions and such with the refuse just left behind. Karachi being naturally a desert, greenery is sparse except in the parks and a thin layer of sand/dust covered most stuff. All this I can get used to and to some extent already experience in the Philippines. What's tough is the fear of violence from simple holdups to major bombings. Military and police had check points everywhere but it's never enough when your up against both poverty and terrorism.
a tricycle carrying so much people!
Buildings and structures at the outskirts of the city center
outskirts is just 15 minutes by car from the center
Towns at the outskirts of the city center
overloaded bus!
who needs tow trucks? :)
DECEMBER WEATHER
The weather in Karachi was just perfect when we visited. Just the right sunshine, humidity (from the nearby ocean) and a perfect 14-24 degree C temperature! A light jacket was all you needed if you are afraid of the cold, but a normal polo shirt will actually suffice even at night. This was also another factor that helped make Karachi grow on me during my stay.
for part 2 of My Karachi Experience click here
for more photos of Karachi, Pakistan click here
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