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| The Catch! |
When the
most of the city was busy in doing justice with the sacrificial meat, I thought
of making a sea trip and discussed the idea with Tariq (University senior) and
Waqar (work colleague) who asked me earlier if we could go somewhere during the long
Eid holidays. I contacted the same
boatman we made the Oyster Trip with. He told me that it would atleast need
15-20 people to justify the cost! So I contacted the family and friends around and
got an overwhelming response to make a group of 17 adventurous souls.
It was a
long day out; challenging and exhausting especially when most of us were not
used to of sea voyages but at the end of the day it turned out to be a fully
rewarding adventure.
We planned
the trip early in the morning and everybody was punctual enough to make it to
Kemari when the muezzin was calling for Fajar prayers. It took us some time to leave
the port as the boatman could not arrange supplies in time. He had the valid
excuse too as markets were closed due to Eid Holidays and then he might not be
expecting us to be this prompt.
Things
settled down once we reached the calm waters of the open sea after getting out of
the rather turbulent Kemari-Manora channel. We sailed eventlessly along Karachi’s
coastline and crossed Manora, Sands Pit, Hawks Bay, Cape Mount, Mubarak
Village, Hubco Power Plant, and finally anchored near Charna.
Before the
trip I thought we would be able to step on the island as was in the case of
Oyster but it was impossible for the boat to dock there due to hidden
underwater rocks. However, it was the fishing experience which made everyone’s
day. Frankly speaking, it was my first fishing experience but as soon as I
dropped the string I felt there was something. I was too excited and started
screaming, forgetting to pull it back until a friend intervened. And believe me,
I caught two fish in one go and that too in my first attempt – which must be some
sort of a world record!
Soon there was
exhilaration all around as almost everybody managed to bring something out of
the sea. Fatima was the winner with a ~2kg Parrot Fish and ~1kg Sole Fish along
with many other colorful varieties. In fact, it was amazing to see so colorful
fish variety and an evidence why Charna is a favorite among scuba divers and
snorkelers.
We were also
accompanied by Oliver, my Couchsurfing guest from the UK and an avid traveler.
The return
journey was more pleasant and cooler. Luckily, it was the full moon night and
the sky was also clear. For the first time in my life, I saw the sun setting in
the West and in the meantime full moon rising from the East. An experience of
the lifetime!
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| Angler's Club with their Catch and Charna in the Background |
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|
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| Sunset Colors |
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| Another Sunset Shot |
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| And the Moonrise |
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| Kemari Port |
Kemari - Charna Excursion Highlights
A = Kmeari, B = Charna Island
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2013
Voyagers: 17 + 5 kids – Tariq’s Family,
Waqar’s Family and his Cousins, Imran’s Family, Mine too, Oliver from UK,
Nasreen and Fatima, Dr. Iqbal, Dr. Moeed, Nadeem, and Noman + 4 sailors
Catch: Parrotfish (Popat/Totamachi), Bream
((Dandia), Sole Fish, Red Snapper (Heera) and a variety of other colorful fish
Cost Per Head: Rs. 2,100 per person
including 3 meals and fishing accessories, etc.
Food Menu (included): Breakfast; Prawn Biryani (Lunch); Prawn Karhai and Fried Fish (Dinner)
Timeline
05:00 Left Home
06:00 Reached Kemari
07:00 Got Onboard
08:00 Left Kemari
10:00 Crossed Manora; Breakfast Onboard
13:00 Reached Charna, Anchored, and Started
Fishing
14:00 Lunch Onboard
16:00 Left Charna and Started the Return Journey
20:00 Anchored Near Manora for Dinner
22:00 Back to Kemari
23:00 Back Home
Lessons Learned: Food
Instead of 3,
1 meal, i.e. lunch, could have easily sufficed as all of us lost the appetite for
dinner. For the breakfast, homemade sandwiches might have done better as well. Carrying
seasonal fruits, especially citrus, would have also helped sea sickness.
Other Useful Tips
Carry your CNICs/Passports
which will be checked at the check post
We got
parking inside the jetty although there is a private secured parking outside
also
Take
tamarind (imli) along which is a local remedy for sea sickness
Photo
Credits: Nadeem, Moeed, and Myself
