Part 3:  A challenging holiday  

By Shanaz Ramzi

   Leaving early for the train station the next morning, we arrived one hour fifteen minutes before time – yes, hubby dear likes to play it safe! Luckily, there was a shopping gallery below the station so I whiled away the time doing some gift shopping. But, surprisingly, the train was delayed, so we still had plenty of time on our hands, before we finally set off. 

   Arriving at the train station in Rome, we took a taxi to our hotel, II Covo B&B, ideally located at a ten-minute walk from the Colosseum, on a street lined with quaint shops and restaurants. Since we had arrived before the check-in time, we left our bags with the hotel and walked to the Colosseum. We were immediately accosted by guides offering us tours of the Colosseum along with the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum with an option to skip the long lines and get immediate tickets, so we decided to go with that. 

   Joining a motley group of tourists we did an exhaustive and exhausting tour of the awe-inspiring Colosseum, which I saw for the first time from the inside, and then the guide left us on our own to explore the Forum after ensuring our entry there. Our feet ready to fall off, but motivated by all the mind-boggling sights no matter where we turned, we continued to plod on our own and take pictures till the heat and fatigue got the better of us, and we decided to call it a day. Walking back to our hotel we stopped for lunch at a wayside restaurant on an adjacent street, where we had the most divine garlic bread as appetizer, and then stayed indoors, unpacking and resting, till the evening.

   In the evening, we walked to a taxi stand, all the while browsing in the shops lining the narrow streets, and picking up an item or two. We took a cab to the most famous and photographed, 18th century Trevi Fountain, which we had seen on an earlier trip, but had not had our fill of, and after a lot more photographs, thought we’d explore the 17th century Baroque Saints Vincent and Anastasius church located at Trevi, where the embalmed hearts of 22 popes are preserved. That’s when disaster struck! After taking a few pictures, just as I was climbing down the last step, my left knee caved in. I felt like it had separated from the joint; the pain was excruciating. With great difficulty and with my husband’s support, I managed to limp to a nearby eatery, where we partook of dinner, which despite the pain was an enjoyable experience. In fact, the presentation of our food was so great that it seemed like they were celebrating us, and the two young ladies sitting at an adjacent table, were so taken up by us – I think they hadn’t seen an elderly couple so young at heart before --! that they insisted on taking our photograph for us!  After dinner, since there was no question of walking around any further, we took a cab and went back to our hotel to call it a night.

   The next morning, we had booked ourselves for a tour of St Peter’s at the Vatican, and right after that for a tour of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Although my husband felt we should give the Vatican a miss seeing the state of my knee, we had both been looking so forward to this part of our trip that I was reluctant to let it go, especially as I was unsure if we would ever be able to do it again, if we missed it this time! So, we had an early breakfast as the Vatican was half an hour away from our hotel and we were booked for a 9 am tour. We had booked a taxi and waited patiently for it to arrive, but it turned out that there was a labour strike taking place, so no taxi was responding. Hence, we decided to walk the ten minutes to the nearest taxi stand, and hail a cab from there. By the time we got the taxi, I was already in acute pain, but kept mum. 

   At the Vatican, since we had prior tickets, our queue was not as long as the one for without tickets, but the walk to the entrance of the Vatican, and then inside to St Peter’s, and then inside the church, and the fifteen-minute walk outside the Vatican to reach the Museum, was probably one I will never forget as long as I live! The pain was so consuming that I was howling from within, but determination (my husband would like to think of it as stubbornness!) and short breaks whenever I spotted a vacant bench, finally got me to the entrance of the Museum. There we learned that they needed physical tickets for us to enter – we had e-tickets on our phone – and the ticket office was also at some distance, so I waited while my husband went to do the needful. He returned with one of the Vatican volunteers in tow, who took one look at me and asked if I required a wheelchair. I must have blessed that boy countless times, as had it not been for him, we would probably never have known that the Museum had wheelchairs – and complimentary ones at that – for anyone who may require them.

   The rest of the tour that day was a breeze, and I don’t know whether we were more fascinated by the glorious art and architecture we were exposed to that day, or by the concern, respect, and protocol given to people with special needs. Truly humbling! After the tour we decided to try our luck at Saint Maria Maggiore, where the late Pope Francis has been buried, as we had spotted long queues outside it, the day before. As luck would have it, the queue wasn’t too long, and was quite fast-moving, and the cherry on the top was that there was a ramp for people who couldn’t take the stairs, so it was a relatively painless experience. Inside too, it was very fast-moving as the volunteers were not allowing anyone to tarry too long at the site, so it was just a matter of a few seconds, when you paid your respects, perhaps took a photograph – selfies were strictly prohibited – and moved on.  

   Famished, we decided to take a taxi to Trastevere, a restaurant hub specializing in Roman cuisine. The area, comprising the quintessential narrow cobbled streets was lined with way-side restaurants and shops, so ate and shopped some, before taking a taxi back toward our hotel. We got off a street or so before our hotel street so that we could browse in the shops dotting them, and cooled off with Italian ice creams before walking back to the hotel to rest our tired feet. At night, we took another stroll down our street to partake of our final Italian meal, and bid Rome adios.

   

   

Art at every corner -- part 2 – Florence

Art at every corner -- part 2 – Florence By Shanaz Ramzi The train from Venice to Florence left on the dot but surprisingly arrived 15 minutes behind schedule. By the time we got a taxi and reached our hotel, Mio Hotel, which was not in the city centre, there was no choice but to unpack and call it a night, for, unlike in Venice, there was no nightlife a hop, skip, and jump away. Mercifully, we had spotted a shawarma kiosk, Star Kebab, close to the hotel, as we had driven passed, so my husband walked down to grab something to eat in our room, quite delighted that we could finally devour meat after a couple of days! The next morning, we woke up early as we had booked tickets for the famous Galleria Uffizi, an art museum that was a fair distance away from our hotel, in the historic centre of Florence. We walked to the tram station that was thankfully within walking distance from our hotel, from where we struggled to purchase tickets from their vending machines but with no luck, as the machines for taking cash were not working. Finally, a Good Samaritan who could speak English told us we should just take the tram anyway, get off at the next stop, and purchase the tickets there, as they were valid for a couple of hours so it didn’t matter where we got them from. Relieved, we did as we were guided, and it worked. Back on the tram, we got off at our station only to discover that it was a twenty-minute walk to the gallery! Huffing and puffing we finally made it right in time to join the queue, but not without being amazed by the beauty of our surroundings, for every building and every sculpture we passed, -- and there were plenty -- was a work of art. The Square where the Gallery is located is in itself so stunning that one had a hard time deciding what to photograph and what to skip. Spread over two floors and two corridors of a sprawling building, the Gallery has a mind-boggling collection of paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to Modern day, but even on its own, without any displays, the building is stunning, with its magnificent adorned ceilings and woodwork. After an exhaustive tour of the Gallery, we hung around in the Piazza della Signoria, taking photographs of the numerous sights, and shopping from its quaint outlets. Then, since we had planned to spend half a day in Sienna, we walked to the tram station from where we took a tram to the bus stop, from where we had been told we would get the bus to Sienna. However, when we reached the stop, we were informed that the last bus to Sienna had left five minutes ago, and our only hope was to go back from where we had come, and take a train to Sienna. So, back we went, as in any case all the action was in the city centre, regardless of whether we would be able to catch the train or not. Lucky for us though, we discovered by the time we reached the train station and found the counter dealing with tickets to Sienna, that there was a train leaving for Sienna in half an hour. We booked our tickets and quickly grabbed a salad and tea from one of the cafes at the station, so that we could have it on the train. We had been told that we would have to take a bus once we reached the station in Sienna, to go into the town, but weren’t quite sure which bus stop we should get off at. Again, luck was with us, for I started chatting with a young girl also waiting at the bus stop, and she advised us to take the bus she was about to take, and to get off where she would. She gave us a few names of the places we should see there. Armed with this information we did as we were bid. Getting off at the stop with her we walked toward where we saw signs of activity, and soon found ourselves walking up and down steep cobbled streets, till we reached the Piazza Del Campo, mentioned by our guide. The Piazza turned out to be a delightful place, unlike anything we had seen before. An iconic Square with a unique sloping fan shape, it was like a stadium without seats or stairs, and people were sitting on the cobbled floor of the Square as if they were in a grassy park. At the bottom of the slope was a huge tent, and we learned that Italy’s annual cycle race was scheduled to take place, and the cyclists were going to gather there the next day. On top of the slope were quaint curios and souvenir shops, and open-air eateries from where one could get a 360-degree view of the Gothic architecture all around. We shopped a bit and then had our supper in one of the cafes – it was the first time that we had cold soup that had to be eaten with a fork! Recharged, we walked around and took photographs, and then located a taxi stand so that we could take a ride back to the station. Back in Florence, we hailed another taxi to the hotel, and then busied ourselves packing, as we were booked to leave for Rome the next morning.

A Dream Vacation – part 1 -- Venice

By Shanaz Ramzi

   I had been wanting to visit Europe and see certain cities in depth for many years now, and was beginning to fear that by the time my husband and I got round to doing it, we would either be too old to do the inevitable long walks, or not enjoying the best of health, both of which would detract from the pleasure of appreciating all there is to see and do. So, when amidst all the war tension and uncertainty my husband and I finally got our Schengen visas, we decided to go ahead with our trip – despite the turbulent times. However, while mercifully the war came to an abrupt end, my worst nightmare came true the day before we were set to embark on our travel, for my left knee started to pain acutely.

   Determined not to get bogged down, I armed myself with Brufen and pain-relief rubs and gels, and off we went, our first destination, my dream city, Venice, comprising more than 100 islands in the Adriatic Sea. Reaching early afternoon, we hailed a cab from the airport which surprisingly had their fixed rates posted on its window, so there was no bargaining or question of being hoodwinked. It dropped us off at the pier from where we had to take a water taxi to reach our hotel, as Venice has only canals connecting the 111 islands comprising it, or 400 bridges that can be crossed on foot. Just as we were negotiating with a taxi driver and debating whether we should opt for a water bus instead to take us to our hotel, we saw two more couples asking the same driver what it would cost to take them in the same direction. He offered to take all of us together in 100 euros so that we could split the total amount among us, which suited us all, so we all clambered into the boat. I was very impressed by the driver’s fairness for he took 35 euros each from two sets of couples, as we had a little farther to go, and 30 from the remaining couple as they were going to get off a little before us.  

   The ride through the Grand Canal with magnificent Gothic and Renaissance palaces flanking both its banks, was a picturesque one. To our delight, our hotel was in an alley directly overlooking the pier where we were deposited along with our luggage, so we didn’t have to lug it far. We checked in into our hotel -- Hotel Commercio and Pellegrino -- and then went for a walk to the nearby central square, Piazza San Marco, to explore the area, bustling with tourists and kiosks selling souvenirs. The vistas were great no matter which direction you looked; if it weren’t some magnificent architecture your eyes would set on, then it would be one of the quaint bridges over the canals connecting the islands, or the black, red and gold gondolas lining the bank, beckoning you to them. To our delight, we spotted a building that was playing host to the Venice Architecture Biennale, on its first floor, so immediately went up to see the displays there.

   We had lunch at one of the open-air sidewalk cafes that line all the streets of Venice -- the best pizza we had on the trip, I might add – and then rejuvenated, went for a stroll in the many alleys, exploring the shops dotting them. Dusk in Italy wasn’t till 8:30 pm so we had plenty of time to make the best of the daylight hours. Then we went off for what was the highlight for me, of our tour – the hour-long gondola ride! Our gondolier was most affable and gave us a guided tour of all the sights we passed, enhancing our appreciation of this fascinating city on canals. As we started walking and debating where to partake of dinner, it suddenly began to pour, so we darted into the nearest eatery that had canopies over their tables, and had dinner with the rain pelting down, making the evening quite surreal. The rain subsided just as suddenly as it had started, and our dinner over, we made our way quickly back to our hotel, to call it a night.

   The next day we packed before breakfast, as check-out was by 11 am, and left the bags with the hotel reception as we planned to spend the day sight-seeing, before taking the train to Florence in the evening. We then made our way to the Square, and seeing that the queue for St Mark’s Bell Tower, also known as St. Mark's Campanile, was short, as it was still early in the day – the previous evening it had been formidable – we decided to go for it. The tallest structure in Venice at 323 ft, it offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of Venice so the trip up the elevator to the turret is worth it. Although a reconstruction after its collapse in 1902, The tower faithfully replicates the original structure and remains a prominent symbol of Venice. 

   We had booked tickets for St Mark’s Basilica for the afternoon but learned that they required physical tickets to grant us entry, which would be available from the ticket office located within the Square but at a fair distance away. So, we spent a good hour trying to locate the office, in the process seeing a lot more of the tiny alleys, bridges, canals, and the beautiful architecture of buildings in which such mundane things like ticketing offices were located. Finally, we found it and returned to join the queue outside the golden Basilica, a magnificent building with a façade that is as awe-inspiring as its interior. It reminded me of a grander version of Hagia Sofia in Istanbul. 

   After lunch at an eatery overlooking the canal and the Bridge of Sighs, built in 1614 and renowned for its location – sitting between Doge’s Palace and the New Prison from where the prisoners would wistfully glimpse their last view of freedom through its small windows before entering the prison cells – we walked to Doge’s Palace, the next major tourist attraction in the Square. The Doge's Palace isn't just a museum; it's a meticulously planned labyrinth reflecting Venetian history in its very structure. From its entrance into the grand courtyard full of architectural elements and beautiful sculptures to its two floors housing opulent chambers and art masterpieces, not to mention prisons, the palace offers a variety of stunning gems. 

   After our trip to the Palace we were back in the narrow lanes boasting a plethora of inviting shops, and of course, we had to succumb to the temptation, though our bags were packed. Finally, we made our way to the hotel to freshen up and collect our luggage. Luckily the pier from where the waterbus was to take us to the train station was just across from our hotel, so we didn’t have to struggle too much with our bags. Reaching the station much ahead of time, we sat down to have tea at one of their cafes, and took turns to explore the numerous interesting shops dotting the place, until it was finally time to board our train. 

    

 Karachi celebrates culture and heritage

By Shanaz Ramzi

 Published in Humsafar in 2002

 

   In recent years, Pakistan’s most vibrant and alive city, Karachi, had been so ravaged by strife and riots that Karachiites had forgotten what it was to move about freely without fearing for one’s life. Social and cultural events had come almost to a standstill, with only pockets of activities taking place in exclusive surroundings, restricted to the enjoyment of a select few. With the objective of once again infusing life into the city and empowering it socially, culturally and economically, a group of professionals got together under the banner of KaravanKarachi two years ago and spearheaded a number of cultural activities. With most events held in the open on the streets and as accessible to the general public as to the elite, KaravanKarachi went a long way in bringing a semblance of normalcy into the lives of beleaguered Karachiites.

   Last year, with the broader perspective of trying to promote peace in the city and cohesion in the province KaravanKarachi began working under the motto of ‘My Karachi; City of Quaid, City of Peace’ and launched its first event for this year – a mega sea carnival parade the likes of which has never been witnessed by the city before. With thousands of people participating in the festival’s many activities and scores of people attending it, the one happy phenomenon that marked the occasion was the carefree atmosphere in which people from every strata of society mingled with one another, enjoying the day’s festivities.

   The other unique aspect of the event was that although it was masterminded by a handful of organisers, people from across the spectrum of Karachi’s citizens adopted it with the same spirit and gusto. Be it academe, representatives of commerce and industry or the public sector, all pitched in to make the carnival a resounding success. It was probably for the first time in Pakistan’s history that various government departments, districts of Sindh and the towns of Karachi joined hands with ordinary citizens to ensure that the event becomes a memorable one.

   And an unforgettable event it undoubtedly was, with something to suit everyone’s tastes. With one of Karachi’s beautiful beaches forming the backdrop to the parade, it was for the first time that an event of such magnitude had been arranged on the beachfront, blocking traffic along a good portion of its length and allowing pedestrians a field day on the main thoroughfare.

   As a preliminary to the main event, more than 3500 school children representing over 300 government, private and special schools had painted murals on canvas on the theme ‘My Karachi’. Placed together, the mega mural, extending over a kilometer in length, was stretched along the seaside wall at Beach Avenue (popularly known as Sea View) the venue for the carnival. Welcoming all visitors, the mural was the first project of its kind to be undertaken on such a grand scale by schoolchildren in any city of Pakistan and artistically portrayed the youngsters’ vision of their city.

   Among the major attractions on offer were the 150 or so stalls that lined the two-kilometer stretch of service road overlooking the Sea View apartments, offering a wide array of food, handicrafts, games and commercial products. Many government departments had also taken the opportunity to set up stalls highlighting their achievements and progress and publicizing the facilities offered by them. The most popular of the stalls, though were the ones from the various districts of Sindh –such as Khairpur, Nawabshah, Sanghar, Shikarpur, Badin, Naushero Feroz, Thatta, Mirpurkhas and Sukkur -- displaying and selling their quaint indigenous crafts and products.

   In order to ensure that there was never a dull moment, no matter which part of the strip one was at, six stages had been set up at intervals between stalls with different performances taking place on them. In fact, most stages had two different sets of performances, so that in the earlier part of the day, for the benefit of children attending the carnival particularly, there were performances by school kids, and later in the evening pop groups entertained the crowds.

   In keeping with the spirit of imbibing pride in our roots, each stage had been named after an old part of the city. Manora featured private school performances followed by presentations of visiting artists from various districts; Manghopir hosted special school performances followed by street theatre; Keamari had government schools followed by pop groups; Mithadar witnessed martial arts followed by a muppets show; while Kolachi and Kharadar saw children from the audience airing their views on Pakistan and a puppet show respectively.   

   As soon as the chief guests of the occasion – the governor of Sindh, Ishrat-ul-Ebad and chief minister Sindh, Ali Muhammed Maher – arrived, they were accompanied by Yasmeen Lari, chairperson of KaravanKarachi, on a horse-carriage for a tour of the mural, stages and stalls. Hordes of surprised people gathered on either side of the buggy could be seen waving to them frantically for it is a rare sight in Karachi to see dignitaries at such close quarters. More accustomed to spotting them ensconced in cars with tinted windows, whizzing pass the general public, it was another treat to see them alighting onto the main stage, in full view from all sides.

   The main stage had been erected on the opposite side of the strip, halfway down the length of the parade area with the beach as its backdrop. The formal proceedings of the evening, comprising tilawat, national anthem and three brief speeches, culminated with the release of pigeons to symbolize the desire for peace in the city. Then the much-awaited parade began. Led by the highly professional navy and Sindh police bands the colourful parade included various government, private and special school bands, ethnic dancers and musicians, police acrobats, sports cars and unique cultural and historical floats.

   The floats were of course the most charming part of the parade leaving the audiences completely enthralled. To begin with, the floral floats by the garden department of the city district government -- with a little girl cocooned within one of its massive flower arrangements -- were an instant hit with the public. Also fascinating were the 1936 fire engine and the KMC building model made of solid teak, both provided by the city district government.

   Among the cultural floats the ones brought by the various towns of Karachi and districts of Sindh with folk artists and artisans on board, proved to be highly popular. The floats that immediately come to mind are that of Mirpurkhas, with snake charmers displaying their skills and performing the traditional ‘sapera’ dance led by dancers in peacock costumes, and the Lyari Township floats with their ever-lithe young and old dancing gracefully. Khairpur’s floats decorated with historic buildings, brought to life by folk dancers were also very appreciated.

   The KaravanKarachi float decorated with props of heritage buildings, and that of Government Boys’ Secondary School projecting a fire station with children looking out its various windows, received much applause. Just as fascinating were the police acrobatic motorcyclists and the demo of Rahnuma 915 by the traffic police. Bringing up the rear of the parade, the traffic police on motorbikes marked the signal for the next item on the agenda – the impressive commando demonstration by the anti-terrorist training center, Razzakabad. With containers stacked to a height of 50ft to give the semblance of a building, the commandos enacted a mock display of a hostage rescue operation from a multi-story building specially constructed for the event, after receiving a call from Madadgar – 15.

   Hardly had the crowds finished cheering the commandoes as they made their descent from the building with hostages clinging on to their necks that the next item of entertainment commenced on the beach. Again organized by the Sindh police, the multitudes witnessed a rare presentation of martial art skills, armed motorcycle patrolling and the Madadgar 15 shooting.

   As a finale to the festival, there was a magnificent display of fireworks courtesy the Sindh police. One must admit that the carnival went a long way in building the image of the Sindh police, for it was for the first time that the public could relate to their activities. In fact, so touched were the hordes of people present by the efforts of the organizers to project all the positive work taking place in the province and provide clean, free and unadulterated entertainment for citizens hailing from every strata of society that some actually came up on the main stage to express their gratitude.

   Both the governor and the chief minister expressed the desire to make the Karavan SeaKarnival Parade an annual feature so that people from all over Pakistan and abroad could visit Karachi during the festival month and join in the celebrations on a regular basis. One hopes that this carnival will mark the beginning of many such programmes in the city celebrating its multi-dimensional aspects. Who knows, if such events become the norm, Karachi may soon become a viable tourist destination.

Click on the link to watch the documentary on KaravanKarachi written and narrated by Shanaz Ramzi:

https://youtu.be/HPZkcMah_rQ

 For Beauty and Tranquility – within and without!

A few days ago I was invited to an Ikebana exhibition by the Sogetsu School to cover it for my blog. The exhibition was organized at Rosy’s Salon, and was followed by a talk by the beautician, or rather a question and answers session, where eager ladies of all ages showered her with their queries, and she patiently answered each.

But to get back to the subject at hand – the Ikebana exhibits. Although there were only 12 pieces on display, what needs to be commended is not just the creativity of these ladies, but their enthusiasm, commitment and determination to carry on their exhibitions and activities in spite of the pandemic scare. With most of the members who were exhibiting -- nine are teachers as well -- on the wrong side of 60, they had diligently and artistically managed to arrange their displays spread over three areas – the reception, entrance foyer and parlour – maintaining adequate space between each arrangement. They had also kept the Q and A outdoors, everyone religiously wearing their masks throughout the programme.

So, the first exhibit, created by Perin Mooraj, was at the reception area, a profusion of purple and mauve chrysanthemums arranged in two polished wicker baskets, with babies’ breath, wild grass and twigs artistically arranged, connecting the two containers. As you walked into the foyer, there were two other beautiful arrangements on the floor – one by Nayyer Arshad and the other by Nishat Alvi. While Nayyer’s was a simple display of spray-painted babies’ breath, purple statis, face palm, foliage and twigs in a large earthenware vase, the other was an elaborate arrangement basically made with spray-painted babies’ breath, tall twigs and foliage. It made one marvel at what imagination and creativity can produce, even with the simplest of tools.

Once you entered the main parlour, the remaining nine arrangements greeted you, mostly interspersed on table tops and counters between chairs for servicing clients, adding to the aesthetic environment of the space, and maintaining safe distances between arrangements so that clients or visitors are not placed at risk. The fourth arrangement, displayed in a shallow green ceramic container, was by Shirin Poonawala comprising yellow chrysanthemums offset by dark green foliage and the branch of a tree. 

The next arrangement, by Tarannum Lakda, was one of the larger displays, comprising orange gladiolas, white chrysanthemums leaves and twigs, arranged within a bamboo frame, giving it a picturesque touch.

My personal favourite, as much for the innovative design of the container used as for the simplicity and artistic use of the plants, was the one arranged by Saman Hasan. She had arranged wheat stalks, yellow chrysanthemums, leaves and asparagus in a white bag-shaped vase which was eye-catching, and most fetching. 

Madiha Taha’s arrangement comprising basically mauve chrysanthemums and leaves had been done in a rectangular container, the arrangement divided into two parts, and then unified by twigs and leaves.

Another simple and elegant arrangement was by director of Karachi Sogetsu Study Group, Shahina Zuberi. A combination of statis, pink lilies and areca palm leaves, the arrangement in the vase was given further character by bamboo sticks propped against the vase.

I loved Nafisa Baig’s arrangement too, done in painted hollow bamboos. She had managed to put together bright orange Asiatic lilies, yellow chrysanthemums, babies’ breath, and leaves artfully shaped by hand into an indisputably attractive display.

Rubina Faiz’s arrangement with white gladiolas, money plant, babies’ breath and twigs done in and across two tiny containers was another artistic display. However, the arrangement that warrants special mention was the one done in a hand-made improvised dried leaf ‘basket’ rather than in a purchased container, by Nazli Baig. With the basket an intrinsic part of the arrangement, the display also incorporated white chrysanthemums, babies’ breath, bamboo sticks and money plant. 

Perhaps the largest and most elaborate arrangement was the last, by Nuzhat Jamali.  Arranged in a steel frame, the pink and purple chrysanthemums, babies’ breath, ferns, areca palm leaves, painted dried leaves and dried twigs made for a fetching display.

All I know is after seeing all these creative pieces, some using barely any flowers, I feel quite remorseful that I have never bothered to go the extra mile and arrange the many beautiful flowers I received as presents, into artistic displays. No longer will I be content just depositing them in vases and enjoying their beauty and perfume!

 Destination Pakistan – or not?

By Shanaz Ramzi

 

 

As the convener for FPCCI’s Central Standing Committee on Tourism Development 2020, and an ardent advocate of promoting local tourism, I availed the opportunity recently to visit parts of our northern areas, particularly as my committee has been working diligently on presenting the government with working papers on how we can promote local tourism all across the country so that economy thrives, jobs are created and while we ensure our people have beautiful locales to visit, the environment is also protected and benefits from it.

 

Can you then imagine my shock when the places I chose to ‘check out’ – which I had heard people rave about for decades, but had not had the opportunity to visit – turned out to be major disappointments! Our party had decided on Shogran, Batakundi, Naran, Kaghan, Saiful Muluk, and finally Hunza for our trip, and my husband and I had decided that we would accompany them up till Saiful Muluk and then return as we didn’t want to be away for too long.

 

So, flying into Islamabad, my husband and I rented a four-wheeler and drove up till Mansehra check post where we met up with the others who had driven from Karachi and Lahore. The motorway was of course, everything people say it is – a fantastic drive complete with two highly impressive tunnels at Abbottabad – but the one thing sorely missing en route, right up till Mansehra, which was at an-hour-and-a-half drive from Islamabad, was washrooms. I was quite surprised that there were none on the way as I had heard that the Punjab government had made some state-of-the-art ones off the motorway, which one could use at a payment of rupees 50 per person. We ultimately landing up using the bathrooms in the accommodations for the people manning the toll gate!

 

Driving for another two hours till we reached Balakot check post, the gateway to Kaghan Valley, we waited for the rest of our party to catch up. I had heard so much about the beauty of Kaghan Valley and its green hills and thick forests that the relatively uninspiring landscape and mountains shorn of trees that we passed came as quite a shock. 

 

Stopping only to take pictures at the raging Kunhar River, the 166 km river that originates at Lake Lulusar, and is the main feature of Kaghan Valley we spotted signages announcing fresh trout available along its banks and passed a number of restaurants that served just trout.

 

The road all the way had been perfect and in another 45 minutes we reached the town of Kawai. Nothing prepared us for the trek that awaited us thereafter, to our hotel in Shogran, allegedly one of the most beautiful plateaus in the valley. The one-hour drive to our hotel – Cedar Wood Resort -- from Kawai was via a narrow, steep, winding, uneven, rocky track that is only recommended if you are in a four-wheeler. The good news is that all the hotel owners – yes, all hotels in Shogran are only accessible via this track – realise this and have kept a parking spot at Kawai, at the foot of this path, for those adventurous tourists who may have set out to explore the northern areas in a sedan rather than a SUV. So, you can park below and then take the hotel jeep up to the hotel.

 

After what seemed to be an unending 45 minutes, we finally reached our hotel – an aesthetically beautiful resort boasting a profusion of seasonal flowers and attractive landscape. That’s where its merits ended. I wish the owners had spent as much time on the maintenance of their establishment and on providing the basic amenities that any seasoned traveler looks for, as they had done on beautifying the place, for the bathrooms were a disaster – majority of the flushes of the WCs were not working, and the so-called ‘cleaned’ bathrooms were a mess. The staff had literally hosed down the bathroom after the rooms’ occupants had left – toilet roll, soaps, et al -- and then left them wet for the next set of guests to check in. To make matters worse, there was no running hot water, and even in the peak of summer it was too cold to take a shower. Obviously trained staff and quality service was not their strength, which is such a shame as the ‘resort’ could be a delight if they would just spruce up their act a bit. The establishment is apparently on its way to setting up a chair lift so obviously not having funds to invest in its upkeep is not a problem, but having a different set of priorities is.

 

Our initial plan had been to stay at Shogran for three nights and to do day trips to all the nearby touristy areas, but having done the trek up to the hotel once, we were in no mood to do it on a daily basis. Hence, we checked out and made our way towards Naran, where we had tentative bookings for another hotel. 

 

En route we stopped at Trout Park Fish Point and Restaurant for lunch – a treat we had been dreaming about since the day before! With clear streams gushing forth and charpoys laid out over running water where one could sit and dip one’s feet in its icy cold temperatures, while partaking of delectable fried trout, the wayside eatery was a refreshing stop in more ways than one. The brown trout from Kunhar River and rainbow farm trout fried in fresh masala prepared by the cooks, were devoured in no time, as was the karhai chicken, and mash daal.

 

Naran turned out to be so crowded – it was a weekend that day – and so congested with hotels literally stuck to one another that we panicked that this could just be a hotbed for another pandemic. So, we decided to drive to Batakundi instead, which proved to be the best decision we could have taken. 

 

The isolated Pine Top hotel overlooking magnificent views of Kaghan’s Valley’s highest peaks, was unoccupied, so we had the entire resort to ourselves. The chalets, each comprising two rooms with clean, attached bathrooms, kitchen and a sitting room were just what the doctor ordered, and the cool, low temperatures was the icing on the cake.

 

The next morning after breakfast we left for Naran and couldn’t believe it was the same town we had passed through the day before. Practically desolate now, as it was a working day, we booked jeeps from there to take us up to Lake Saiful Muluk. Although private SUVs could also do the trek – and we did pass some on the way – they are discouraged by the locals, both because they want the jeep mafia to thrive, since it is their only source of livelihood, and because parts of the terrain are really treacherous and do require local expertise. It involves around 45 minutes of bumpy riding that is akin to a roller-coaster ride, but less smooth, and crosses a massive glacier on the way, the track in front of which is eroded, water-filled, and difficult to traverse. On our way back, we actually witnessed a jeep that had got stuck there and had to turn back. When we did the trip, there were all of 50 jeeps, if that, but we were told that at the peak of the tourist season there are an average of 1500 jeeps doing the trek, and a long queue plying the narrow path.

 

Located at 10,500 ft above sea level Lake Saiful Muluk is described by one travel magazine that I had consulted before embarking on the journey, in the following words: ‘No trip to Kaghan valley is complete without a visit to the legendary Lake Saiful Muluk. Words cannot describe the beauty and serenity of the setting and picture postcards do no justice. The crystalline waters of Lake Saiful Muluk reflecting the surrounding snow-peaked mountains is an image that must be seen in person’. Obviously, when we took up the challenge of undertaking this trek, we had this vision in mind. 

 

What we saw as soon as we arrived at the parking area for the jeeps, was a garbage dump. Passing it, we climbed down a steep path and found ourselves flanked on both sides by shabby stalls selling pakoray, tea, toys and what not, beyond which was a lake. That was our first impression of Lake Saiful Muluk. Kicking ourselves that we had tortured our backs undertaking this horrendous journey for this anti-climax of a vision, we decided to make the best of a bad bargain, and went down to the lake, which left those among us who had seen it ten years ago, just as depressed, as they felt its level had gone down considerably and it no longer looked as impressive as it once did. 

 

Since the lake had a little barrage of sorts that allowed the water to collect in a stream flanked by rocky formations, we climbed down further to take some pics. With our moods slightly improved, we sat down to hear the story of Saiful Muluk from the baba that is always looking for an audience. As the legend goes, the lake is named after Prince Sauful Muluk who fell in love with a fairy princess from the mountains here. She had been kept captive by a white giant and he helps her to escape with him. According to the legend they live to this date in a cave near the lake. The old man tells the tale in Pushtu and is happy to take whatever you give him for his efforts, as indeed are a lot of other locals who hound you for the same.

 

 We then decided to take boat ride of the lake since there was nothing else to do, instead of going back so soon after arriving. It was a good thing we did, because when you move away from the filth all around you and reach the centre of the lake, you do eventually see what all the fuss is about. Surrounded by impressive snow-clad mountains, crowned by the summit of Malika Parbat (Queen of the Mountains), the view is undoubtedly picturesque when seen from a point where there are no nearby eye-sores to ruin the view. 

 

Our boat owner took us across the lake where we were allowed a ten-minute stop to get off and slide down a glacier. Would you believe what we saw there, among other things – a dirty pamper! And this at a time when tourists had still not started coming in their regular numbers thanks to Covid-19! To the credit of the authorities, there were dustbins everywhere at Lake Saiful Muluk entreating humans to behave like animals who do not throw rubbish everywhere like humans do, but of course, our merry-making public who want to have a good time in natural, scenic environs are not pushed about leaving the place worthy of visiting even a second time! 

 

My earnest suggestion to the authorities would be to hire uniformed locals who have been trained in keeping touristy places clean, and to empower them to heavily fine littering visitors. That is the only way to ensure that these places remain tourist attractions. What’s more, vendors should not be allowed to set up stalls at their whims. There should be proper SOPs, like anywhere in the developed world, and stalls should be catering to the various needs of tourists rather than just proliferating rampantly and adding to the mess.

 

On our drive down, some of us got off to take pictures under the massive glacier – a rare treat indeed -- and then we headed back to Naran. After a scrumptious lunch at Afaq hotel we went off for a walk along the only main road that Naran boasts of, from where we bought dried fruit and had matka chai. For those who have not tried it, this is a must – especially the Kashmiri chai served in the earthenware glass.

 

Exhausted, we went back to our hotel to call it an early night, as the next day we were leaving back for Islamabad, while those who were travelling by road were going further up to Hunza. I came back with the sorry realization that we have so much to offer in terms of tourism but so much more that we have to set right before it can develop into a full-fledged industry. 

 

 

Pakistan’s Treasure Trove By Shanaz Ramzi

  

Pakistan’s Treasure Trove

By Shanaz Ramzi

 

Did you know the word jewel comes from the Arabic word laal? Rubies are the laals of ancient times, and when they appear in big sizes, are the most expensive jewels in the world. 

   

Pakistan has the fifth largest reservoir of gemstones in the world some of which, including rubies, have brought the country into prominence in the minerals and gems industry. Among the other gems that have been mined in the country are peridot, aquamarine, topaz (various colours: violet and pink, golden and champagne), emerald, sapphire, jade, rare-earth minerals bastnaesite and xenotime, sphene, tourmaline, spinel and many varieties and types of quartz including amethyst. Lapis lazuli, and some ornamental stones have also been found. 

 

The most important gems of Pakistan though, are emerald from Swat Valley and ruby from Hunza Valley. Also notable are pink topaz from Katlang near Mardan, a city north of Peshawar, and aquamarine from Dassu near Slzardu, the capital of Baltistan Province. 

Sadly, with so much wealth, the gem industry of Pakistan is still in its infancy and contributes less than one per cent to the national product. Although the country exports gemstones worth at least $3.7 billion annually, the potential of Pakistan’s gemstone industry is huge when it comes to adding to the country’s economy. Pakistan has the potential to export 800,000 carat ruby, 87,000 carat emerald and five million carat peridot annually. Why then, is our gem industry in such a grim position? To discover the truth, one must take a look at Pakistan’s mining history.

 

History of gems mining in Pakistan

 

Although relics of the Gandhara and Indus civilisations excavated in what is now Pakistan bear estimony to the importance that the ancient rulers placed on gem stones, post-Partition not much attention had been given to this sector until the late ’70s.

 

In 1958, goatherds found a few green crystals on the slopes of a hill north of Mingora and brought them to their reigning sovereign, Prince Miamgul Jahanzeb. Not recognizing the stones, the prince showed them to some visitors from Bombay, who promptly identified them as emeralds. At once the prince declared the hill forbidden territory and engaged workmen to search the surface for more crystals. It is unlikely that the prince gained much wealth from these amateurish efforts, which continued until Pakistan abolished its feudal system in 1968. For the next several years, mining was placed under the charge of the Industrial Development Corporation of Pakistan. The latter then relinquished this responsibility to the Mineral Development Corporation of Pakistan, which operated the mines though still small in scope, and with little professional guidance - for two more years. In February 1979 the Gemstone Corporation of Pakistan was formed, and immediately began to reorganize mining according to modern principles, with professional engineers and geologists placed on the permanent staff. Its purpose was to effectively explorePakistan’s wealth in minerals and facilitate gemstone mining and business in Pakistan. It had some valuable influence but ultimately was liquidated in 1997 and subsequently abandoned. 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Scenario

 

There are two bodies now working for the welfare and growth of this industry in Pakistan: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (formerly Export Promotion Bureau) and All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association of Rough & Un-Polished Precious & Semi-precious Stones (APCEA). Most of the emerald, ruby and topaz mines are currently owned by the state. A special permit is required to visit them. However, these mines under government lease, yield hardly anything. It is in fact, the mines operated by non-professional residents in mining areas who mine jewels without any permission, support or guidance from the government, adopting hazardous, traditional methods of mining that actually yield gems, whatever the quality may be. The miners usually form groups and initiate diggings and blastings, dividing any costs that may accrue during the mining period among themselves. Dynamites are still being used for extraction of gemstones in the country owing to which a big percentage of  raw products gets damaged. In fact, so pre-historic are their mining methods that even if the miners are at an altitude of 2,000 metres and have to dig deep down to reach the gemstone reserves, they carry the required heavy machinery themselves, or onmules. The resulting product is therefore often compromised in terms of both quality and quantity. The yield is much less owing to limitations in terms of mining and processing skills and technology. In spite of this sorry state of affairs, some types of gemstones found in the country are regarded as the world’s best owing to their unique features and excellent quality.

 

 

Market for gems

 

Pakistan shares a long and porous border (2430 km) with Afghanistan. This has effectively resulted in a full influx of all types of Afghan minerals into Pakistan, from which they are traded. Aside from Afghanistan, Pakistan is a market for gems from Central Asia as well as from Africa. Many common gems are not found but sold in Pakistan.
   

Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar serves as the first, direct, and only market for all minerals since 1979. Before that, Pakistan’s only port city of Karachi held the market of gem minerals in Pakistan. Following Peshawar’s rise in prominence, Karachi’s significance and role in gem minerals was reduced to that of little significance.

 

Since 1994, the four-day annual Pakistan Gems and Mineral Show has been held in Peshawar with the joint collaboration of TDAP and APCEA, every October. However, the exhibition still has a long way to go before it can attract any potential buyers from abroad. Its few stalls on display do not fulfill any of the requisite needs of experienced buyers from abroad, especially the USA and Europe.

 

Some interesting facts about Pakistani gems 

 

Pakistan's most sought after and expensive gems are emeralds from the Mingora mines where deposits lie in an emerald-bearing belt of rocks bordering the Swat Valley. The small sized gems are the best in colour and lustre in the world and combine best with the larger sizes of gems from the Panjsher Valley in Afghanistan. The best quality gems weighing 10 carats and above could be bought for as much as Rs 10 lacs per carat. Pink topaz from Katlang and aquamarine from Baltistan and Shigar are also in great demand abroad.

Rubies and blue sapphires, the hardest gems after diamonds are even more expensive in large sizes as best quality rubies are rare in big sizes. 

 

Among Pakistan’s expensive semi-precious gems are rubellite (deep pink and red tourmalines), pink topaz and strong blue aquamarine. These can cost up to 5-10 thousand per carat for the best quality gems.

 

Coral is actually a plant that is found in reefs along Pakistan's coastline. It comes in many colours, red being the most expensive, as well as pink, orange, black, and white. It is a soft gem.

Pigeon blood sapphire is found only rarely in Pakistan but are more common from Afghanistan.

 

Good quality quartz varieties of amethyst (purple quartz) and citrine (yellow/orange quartz) are available everywhere in the north and also in Balochistan.

 

Lesser gems are also found in Pakistan like spessartine, a jadeite but not a jade, and fluorite, a soft clear gem that comes in deep and light blue hues, as well as in purple and green sometimes resembling emerald green. These are inexpensive. The cheaper gems are available from Rs100 to Rs 2000 per carat. 

 

Major Gemstone Mining Areas in Pakistan

KP

Swat (Malakand division) – Emerald, various types of quartz, and epidote
Dir (Malakand division) – Corundum and quartz
Mansehra (Hazara division) – Corundum and smoky quartz
Kohistan (Hazara division) – Peridot
Peshawar district (Frontier province) – Quartz with astrophyllite/reibeckite fiber inclusions, xenotime, and bastnaesite

Chilas (Diamer district) – Alluvial diopside, zircon, rutile quartz, aquamarine, and tourmaline
Gilgit, Hunza, Aquamarine, topaz (golden and white), emerald (new find), ruby, pollucite,  peridot, rutile quartz, morganite, apatite, spinel, and pargasite
Baltistan, Skardu, Shigar, Shengus, Stak Nala and Tormiq Nala Aquamarine, topaz, tourmaline, apatite, sphene, morganite, and quartz
Shigar Baltistan district – Apatite, zoisite, rutile quartz, epidote, and morganite
Childee, Kashmal, and Yuno (Shigar area, near Skardu, Baltistan district) –Aquamarine, emerald-colour tourmaline, apatite, morganite, topaz, and quartz
Hyderabad, Testun, Dassu, Net Tahirabad, and Goyungo (Shigar area, Baltistan district) – Topaz (best golden colour here), aquamarine, tourmaline, morganite, rare earth minerals, apatite, quartz, and new find emerald
Appu Aligund, Fuljo, Braldu, Bashu, and Karma (Baltistan district) – Tourmaline, aquamarine, garnets, diopside, ruby, pargasite, emerald, topaz, amethyst, scheelite, and quartz
Khaplu, Saltoro near Siachan Glacier area (Ganche area, Baltistan district) – Aquamarine, amethyst, and fine golden rutile quartz


Northern Areas of Pakistan 

Mohmand Agency – Emerald, clinozoisite, sphene, and epidote
Bajaur Agency – Emerald, garnet, and orange-colour scapolite
Khyber Agency – Quartz with astrophyllite/reibeckite fibers inclusions, xenotime, and bastnaesite
North and South Waziristan Agencies – Faden quartz, diamond quartz, phantom quartz, chlorite-included quartz, and window quartz


Balochistan Province

Kharan district – Brookite, anatase, and quartz

Chaman (near Quetta) – Diamond quartz, window quartz, quartz on prehnite-base, and faden quartz included by chlorite

 

Moving Forward

Pakistan has the potential to become a great hub of the gemstone industry, on a scale comparable to that of Brazil, provided it takes a few essential, locally effective steps that could enhance the exploration of resources and growth of business. 

 

The very first step should be government support for its own people as well as foreigners working in this industry. It must also conduct surveys of the quality of gems available in the country by reputable/foreign-based institutes to attract foreign investors in this sector. 

 

The establishment by Pakistan of Gems and Gemmological Institute in Peshawar in 2001, is an investment that will hopefully bear fruit. Already, in recent years some progress has been made, with the geology of the country now known and mapped in great detail. Also, while predominantly, the hardware used for mining consisted of sledge hammers and metal crowbars, pneumatic drills operated via portable air compressors have now replaced them.

 

Gems are the most condensed form of wealth. They never lose their value like gold. Small fluctuations occur but prices always rise and so are a good and safe investment. International banks even accept jewels as collateral for loans extended. So, if both our private and public sector invest into it wisely, this could become a major cash cow and the boost our country needs, as well as great investment for us as individuals!