Insights into the contrasting mega-city

A light orange morning haze rests over the rooftops of Karachi as Faisal, a young Sindhi - as the inhabitants of Pakistan's Sindh province are called - warmly welcomes me to his country. Via Couchsurfing, he offered me to stay with him and his family. However, I was unaware of Faisal's living conditions beforehand - but I was to find that out soon enough.

Countless kitschily painted and decorated buses adorn the maze of dirty and fast-moving streets of the Pakistani city. We fight our way through the morning traffic jams and reach a small palace in a better neighborhood of Karachi: Faisal's home. When he introduces me to my cook and servant, I feel uneasy. At the latest, when I see the waterfall in the garden, I realize that I have probably landed among the top 10,000 in Karachi. To experience the contrast between rich and poor firsthand feels unreal.

Discovering Karachi with Faisal

We stroll along a never-ending stretch of gray sand, and the fresh sea air displaces the smoggy air that otherwise dominates. Parents with children and groups of young people have fun on the beach here. It gives the impression that Clifton Beach is a refuge from the city of millions. Colorfully decorated camels with seats and snake charmers with cobra-filled sacks paint an immensely relaxed picture and almost degrade the breaking of the waves on one of the longest beaches in the world to a supporting actor.

Between the many similar streets hung with cables, one or the other jewel is hidden in the mega-city. The Mohatta Palace, for example. Once a summer residence of a bustling businessman, it now functions as a museum of Pakistani art.

The white landmark

A visit to Karachi is not complete until you visit the Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleum. The famous landmark, done in white marble, is the resting place of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The mausoleum is accessible, and Jinnah's tomb is centrally located beneath an imposing dome.

A sprawling garden surrounds the mausoleum and seems far removed from the smog and frenzied atmosphere of the streets. Rare tranquility that many school groups also take advantage of during their visit. There is no escape from the sweltering heat, however.

Faisal and I move on to visit Empress Market. The car stops on the left side of the road. Countless mopeds pass by, so I can only minimally open the door to squeeze out of the vehicle. Crossing random traffic in multi-lane streets is a breakneck experience that requires patience. We move forward a meter, mopeds and rickshaws roaring around our ears left and right. We walk further, only to dodge a noisy, crowded bus. Everywhere it scurries, everywhere are people, everywhere is movement. No corner of the eye captures tranquility. Everything is in motion - emblematic of almost all of Karachi.

Cloths and nets are stretched over the stalls, giving the Empress Market a furtive atmosphere. Even the ubiquitous dirty walkways and litter can't compete with the market's intangible colors and smells. Everything is sold here, from fruits, vegetables, electronic devices, and various utensils to meat circled by flies.

My days in Karachi and with Faisal and his family fly by. Without my local friends, I could have only scratched the surface and never gotten the same instructive insight into the stark divide between rich and poor and the wild life of Karachi.

Karachi gives you everything you'd expect from a mega-city. It takes you in, whirls you helplessly through the wild streets, gives you a hefty culture shock, reality, and hospitality, and ultimately leaves you bereft of breath. (2017)