“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – said St. Augustine. 

I took this quote to heart which prompts me to move every now and then. “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is of the pleasantest sensation in the world.” Who said that? Freya Stark, first Western to journey through regions of Middle East. She died at the age of 100 with a smile on her face.

COASTAL HIGHWAY ENDING AT GWADAR

I am a chicken at heart. I take extra precautions before traveling. There is no such thing as a safe place. When I wanted to go to Gwadar, first I went to the intercity bus terminal and inquired about the safety conditions from bus drivers, passengers, vendors, hawkers and hucksters. On getting a good feedback, I decided to go some day. The break came only last week. I took a shoulder bag, re-checked the situation and boarded a night bus bound for Gwadar, about 770 km away. It was a good ride but because of security checks and other stoppages, it took 12 hours to reach the destination.

The dawn was breaking when the bus entered the limits of the city. I asked the driver to drop me at Islamabad Hotel which was on the roadside. This assured safety as travelers often run into troubles by depending on touts or cabbies. I got a room for Rs.1,200 equivalent to US$ 15 and slept like a log.

Walking Safari

After sleeping for few hours, I showered and changed, had a light lunch and was ready to explore the city just by walking around. My first task was to look for the famous Gwadar Tourist Hotel. Seeking direction from a police constable, I found it right on the beach. I met the manager, nicknamed as Bablu, and got a firm booking for the next day for US $ 15 per night. Later, I asked Bablu for direction to Pearl Continental Hotel and he said, ”Better take rickshaw or turn right, go straight towards rock and ask for the hotel once there.”

When I came out of the hotel and stepped on the road, I could see at a far distance a cliff shinning under the bright sun. A metalled road was going straight towards it. It was like a dream come true as I love un-interrupted walks irrespective of the distances. It was windy with sand yet cool which added to my delight.

Stroll by the sea-side

Walking on the road, I felt like strolling on a marine drive. It was flanked by Arabian Sea and a row of small shops & offices though not of art deco buildings. I watched boys playing cricket on the beach, their yellow shirts mingling well with the blue water in the background, their shouts outsmarting the splashes of the sea. I passed by an open yard where dhows were being repaired. The carpenters were using their fingers to smear epoxy on the wooden seams of the hulls. There being no electricity, holes were being drilled manually. Next I saw a stunning sight like donkeys charging out of water and onto the sand, pulling creaky carts loaded with fish hauled from the boats. But I was afraid that the modernization would soon wipe them out of their traditional life.

Soon I was hearing the explosions created by mighty waves banging the cliff and I thanked my stars that the hotel was just at the corner. To confirm, I asked an army ranger how far it was and he dampened my hopes by saying, “yet a long way, take a rickshaw”. This was oft-repeated advice. I felt humiliated as if I was incapable of reaching there using my two legs. I thanked him and resumed my walk but felt heavy feet. Nearby was a shop selling soft drinks, Iranian juices and biscuits. I thought it prudent to take a rest and asked for an ice-cold 7-Up Can, sat on a chair facing the sea to enjoy the fabulous view. After finishing the drink in slow motions, I resumed my walk. It was surprising to see a large number of branches of the banks besides offices of real-estate dealers. There were billboards and wall-hangings offering villas, bungalows and plots in Golden Palms, West Bay, East Bay and Garden City of Gwadar. But the business seemed dull as the boom had busted.

The Cliff

Beach Road with Hammerhead Cliff in the backdrop

Soon I was near the cliff known as "Hammerhead Cliff". It was a piece of mountain said to be 10 km long, two km wide and about 200 meters high. But no hotel was in sight. It was yet 3 km away and I was again advised by the passerby to take a rickshaw. I refused as usual but soon realized that I was overdoing it. The symptoms were already there: muscular pains, sounds from cracking and grinding joints. I stayed put and moved on. Eventually, I saw the hotel atop the cliff and a winding road going up there. It was too much and I decided to take an auto rickshaw. Through a hard bargain, I brought the charges down to 3-dollar for going up and down with one-hour wait and dropping me at my hotel about 8 km away.

An Oasis in the Desert

Zaver Pearl Continental Hotel

credit: http://www.flickr.com/sarfrazh/

Zaver Pearl Continental Hotel at Gwadar is a five star hotel located on the cliff with 120 guest rooms, dining halls and a business center. It has mosaic marble flooring creating an element of surprise in an otherwise dusty town. Since I was dead tired, I headed straight for the coffee shop, picked up cheapest of the cheap deals of 2-dollar Espresso Coffee and biscuits. The aroma, the taste, the ambiance and, above all a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea had soothing effects on me. It reminded me of Natasha Attwood who said:

Oh weary traveler; when will you rest?
Will you not stop awhile and rest your tired bones?
Your skin battered by the Wind,
Scorched by the Sun,
Softened by the Rain.

Gwadar Bazaar

I had come to Gwadar on a night bus and did not see the terrain. So on the last day my main task was to look for a bus or van going back during day time. With little efforts and queries, I was able to locate terminal of Sajadi Van. Though it was not comfortable like luxury bus I traveled with before but was the only option. I booked a seat for 4^th April, 2010 paying Rs.1,000 or around US$ 12 per person.

Now I had ample time to explore the markets or bazaars. There was nothing but small old shops with winding streets. Surprisingly, there was good presence of Pathans dealing in electronic goods. There were few persons wearing Jalaba and turban probably from the nearby country, the Sultanate of Oman.

The sun was setting in the outstretched horizon and the whole surrounding was looking as if it had been painted in crimson.

An evening on the beach

SOLAR PANELED STREET LIGHTS

I returned to hotel, had lunch and slept for a while. In the evening, I sat under a thatched hut to enjoy the sea. The water had receded, the sea bed had become dry and more people were walking towards the distant water. I hardly noticed the sky changing color when the sun was about to set in. I grabbed my camera and captured sunset across the deep blue water. As the sun went down, solar-paneled street lights went up adding to the charm. Just behind me were local musicians singing songs in Baluchi with a variety of instruments like sarod, narr and a double flue called Doneli.

Mekran Coastal Highway

Mekran Coastal Highway, 653 km

This is a 653 km long highway labeled as N–10, which joins N -25 or RCD Highway originating from Karachi at 118 km. Thus the distance between Gwadar to Karachi is 771. Mekran Coastal Highway is two-lane metalled road. Most of the time, the road follows a straight path and is one can drive over 100 km per hour. Previously there was a muddy track. It could take several days in travel. Now the time has reduced to six hours. The route turns scenic when the road hugs the Arabian Sea about five times.

With the opening of this road, a dusty fishing village like Gwadar has turned into a bustling city with a modern seaport, airport and a five-star hotel. A desalination plants provides drinking water while powers comes from the neighboring Iran. The region was about to take-off like Dubai but recent political problems in the country have slowed down the pace.

ORMARA

On the way back, the van stopped near Ormara for lunch. Ormara is a small port located on the Mekran coastline along the Arabian Sea, about 450 kilometers west of Karachi. It has a naval base and an airport for use of short haul air crafts like Fokker and Cessna.

The eating place was nothing but a mud hut. Despite this, I enjoyed its dishes as these were made from good quality rice and lentil called “daal”. Chicken and mutton curries were also available. Besides, one can buy all international brands of mineral water and soft drinks.

The area was the poorest of the poor regions in Pakistan. I could see some people sitting outside the café. They represented a picture of gloom: their mouths dry, their bodies weak, their pockets empty. I asked the hotelier if I could offer them some foods. He discouraged me as, according to him, more & more would hover around in hope of the dole.

BUZI PASS

The best part of the journey was passing through a 75-km Buzi Pass. The van twisted and turned upward around the hairpin bends. There were mountains and rocks all around the road. These were not of granite but of mud formed by the wind and water. At 1,000 feet above the sea level, there were breathtaking views of blue water on one side and grandeur of majestic mountains on the other side. The way the sun illuminated those mountains was a sight to see.

Princess of Hope

Some of the rocks looked as if they had been carved out by the skilful sculptors. One looked like a lady standing upright in a royal pose. It was named as “Princess of Hope” by Angelina Jolie during her trip to this area. There was another formation called Sleeping Beauty beside a lion head looking like Sphinx of Cairo.

The winding road kept opening up panoramic vistas. Every turn on the Buzi pass revealed magnificent rock patterns. There were many geological wonders like mud volcanoes. In fact world highest known mud volcano was reportedly located nearby with a height of 100 meters. The mud oozing out was said to be not hot but cool.

Soon after the Buzi Pass, I asked the driver to stop the van at the Bridge of River Hingol as I wanted to go to Hinglaj, the most sacred pilgrim place for Hindus. I got down for few hours before returning to Karachi.