Old Karachi

Old Karachi

Breakfast was at 0800 but by now, we’re used to waiting 45 mins for just omelette, toast and tea.

With Kim’s tummy problems continuing slightly, he decided not to join Jo and I for a short exploration into old Karachi.

I ordered a car to take us to the Empress Market, getting there at 1015.  The place wasn’t as I remembered.  The stalls on the outside were gone and the inside not as bustling.

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Next, I thought we could go to the St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral.  It was a short walk away but we found little bus station where there were a few richly-decorated buses.  I climbed (literally, as the ledge is quite high) into a couple to admire the interior before continuing.  We also saw decorated rickshaws on the way.

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We took a good look at the cathedral from the outside as the doors were locked.  From there, we ordered a car back to the hotel.

Lunch

Our hotel in the residential area had a few eateries around but none that we would want to go to, while Kim was in a sensitive state.  Looking on Google Maps, we saw a fancy restaurant nearby called Marigold.

The frontage was quite low-key and we hadn’t noticed it on our previous walks.

Inside, it was very posh with quality linen table cloths and napkins.  The fare was largely western and we ordered ourselves a meal each.

While we normally spend PKR3000 (about NZD19) for three people, we spent that per person here.  But it was worth it as the food was very nicely prepared and decorated.

We took a change from Pakistani food today for lunch.

Family time again

Around 1530, we took a car to Lana’s place nearby for more family time.  She showed us photos of her family and we caught up on lots of historical family stories that we never knew.  We have tomorrow afternoon to reciprocate with our photos.

Around 1800, we popped next door to Teminah’s place for beer and to meet part of her family.  Her husband Bucky was particularly likeable and such a good sort.  He appears to have come from a distinguished family as his father were in many photos with Jinnah.

Around 1930, we squeezed six people into a car and drove to Kolachi, a huge restaurant near the end of the waterfront.  The kitchen was huge with probably a hundred people working in there.  The dining area consisted of a four-storey wooden structure and we were lucky enough to have a waterfront table.

After a delicious meal with impeccable service, they dropped us home.