Most of us zoom through Karachi on a daily basis without ever looking at the city. The general opinion is that there is nothing to see in this metropolis except for piles of dirt and filth and an unruly crowd of millions just existing.

People who have been living in this huge city all their lives have never actually ‘seen’ it. Alas, Karachi has so much to offer but no one to appreciate it.

So it was so refreshing when a group of people came to visit Karachi from Lahore and Peshawar and they actually explored it, making any proud Karachiite’s heart beam with pride.

The fast pace of life in the metropolis was overwhelming for the guests. They were surprised that real people lived here and not gun-toting bandits and highwaymen asking for ‘your money or your life’.

The guests actually wanted to explore the city.

Our first stop was the beach, Clifton to be exact. As they walked on the shore they were excited to see the waves and feel the soft, moist sand underneath their feet. There were screams of joy when they saw camels and horses, not to mention the decorated sand buggy. After several rounds of rides on these their excitement was contagious and even the Karachiites accompanying them seemed to be having fun.

Soon it was time for sunset, which they captured with their cameras. During this magnificent show of nature there was silence except for the clicking as all sat in awe of the mighty sun calling it a day.

Soon everyone was hungry, and the guests wanted to eat some light food like burgers. We suggested a good bun kebab and to our surprise we were met with surprised questions: “Bun kebab? What’s that?” We told them it was the desi version of the burger, but many of them had not heard of it, let alone ever eaten a bun kebab.

Proudly we led them to our favourite bun kebab vendor, and our guests watched in surprise as he whipped up a tasty bun kebab with chips. The reaction was heart-warming as compliments rolled out for the bun kebab. The other delicacies that they enjoyed thoroughly included chana chaat, gola ganda, chicken corn soup (with or without egg) and makaee (corn) made in a makeshift oven.

And the dish that is a favourite of every Karachiite — biryani — was on top of their lists; they couldn’t get enough of the fact that this delicious food was available everywhere, from posh restaurants to street carts for varying prices.

Falsa and its juice, chikoo, shareefa, pap­aya and badaam (the red kind that grow on trees) were also quite enchanting for the guests from the north. These fruits — quite common in Karachi and available at almost every nook and corner of the city — were not only fascinating but quite delicious to their eager palates.

One of the guests asked if we could put them in the direction of the bakery that sold ‘bakery kay chips’, only to be pleasantly surprised by the fact that chips made and sold in bakeries was a common thing in the city. They were also intrigued that you could also buy nimco at most bakeries. And last but not least they wanted to eat and take home packets of Karachi’s famous chilli chips that are apparently not available in their cities.

“Lahore Lahore hai, but Karachi is awesome!” they said complimenting this beautiful city.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2015

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