The Beautiful Ormara !

Despite working in Balochistan for more than two years I had not been able to visit the Gwadar city. Since it was far away from my duty station and also not in our project jurisdiction, I kept delaying that. In February 2022, I had a dental appointment in Karachi. 

At Quetta International Airport boarding for Karachi

On the day of appointment Dr. Robia told me that I have to visit after 4 days again. This gave me the opportunity to pack for Gwadar as Gwadar was just 8 hours drive from Karachi (as compared to 15 hours from Quetta). I had not planned this tour. So I contacted Jan of Ormara. My friend Zaitoon from Gwadar was kind enough to connect me with him. He runs a tour company Jahangard which takes weekend tours to Ormara beach for camping. Jan said they will leave early morning on Saturday. Next day I was there at Johar Mor Bridge where Jahangard buses were waiting for tourists to mount. We had a hi-roof minibus, and we were seven people; mostly couples except this lone wanderer. 

My ride to Ormara ! 

The conveyance was very comfortable and thanks to the coastal highway too. This road trip from Karachi to Ormara (and further to Gwadar) is so beautiful that you will keep your head (and nose if have a bigger one like mine) stuck to the windowpane to cherish the beauty of the coast. The highway is not wide enough as it should have been given the prospects of development. A wide 4 lanes high way would be in demand in near future if the development and tourism sector prospers. Given the  beauty and rich resources the southern Balochistan embodies, the future is there. If and only if the Government is serious enough. 

Arriving at Ormara beach on a sunny day. The picture can't do justice to the beauty. Taken from a phone from far away ! 

Arriving at Ormara was another aha moment for me. We set camps on the beach. I went for the waters. It was blue and pure. Peaceful and beautiful. For an hour or so I kept walking in the waters. I made so videos. Now when I look at the videos, I see that mostly I was murmuring the poems of Faiz and some other poems that I had long ago memorized. However, no one can beat Faiz when he says, ‘’Chashm-e-Nam Jan-e-Shorida Kafi nehi… Tuhmat-e-Ishq Poshida Kafi nehi’’ (The tearful eyes, the distressed soul are not enough. The accusation of hidden love is not enough). Who knows whose tears have filled the ormara beach because only tears can be this pure as the waters of Ormara. The dusk fell and peace of the beach was turning golden. But when the night fell the sound of the gushing waters was sounding scary and painful. The sound of the sea felt like some people were crying; together. The moon light was not exposing them that much but the powerful ambient noise of the sea waves sounded like the whole of Balochistan is crying. Not sure why. May be for all the things this province deserves but not yet been conferred upon by the state? May be for all the praise the beauty of this land deserves but not having people with the vision to see that? May be for all the sufferings the mankind is causing to each other instead of living together happily as fellow human beings? I do not know. Oh, there is a call for dinner and I must go because Jahangard team has fixed a time for dinner, and all have to join.

A tent and a book is all I need for the rest of my life !

All pictures are taken on phone camera. No edits no filters. Happy me :)

 

A tented village for the night at Ormara Beach. Photo Credits: Atta

Meat is very much enjoyed in Balcohistan as part of lunch or dinner menu. Rosh is the favorite dish of most of the people here. So, our dinner also had mutton. After dinner, a screen was set up for movie. Tomorrow this group was going back to Karachi. I had some other plans (as always). At mid night (12AM to be exact) I left the camp to the nearby bus station looking for ride to Gwadar. Luckily, I found a seat in one of the buses going to Gwadar from Karachi. Happily, I plugged in my earphones and left for Gwadar.

(Next about the soulful Gwadar - comment below if you want to read about Gwadar)