Keep on truckin'

Day 10 - Karachi to Hyderabad

8:30 am and time to head further into Sindh province. First stop for the day was in the outskirts of Karachi, we turned off down a dirt road and a few minutes later after driving past parked trucks and ramshackle shopfronts we stopped at the intricately carved sandstone Chaukhandi Tombs, dating from the 15th century.

It was a clear and sunny morning, and starting to warm up. First our guide Sala briefed us on the history of the tombs, pointing out interesting features, then gave us some time to explore. We noticed a lot of large birds perched on the tombs, we thought they may have been vultures, Sala wasn't able to confirm what they were.

Back into the van for another hour, stopping next at Bhambhore Fort and archaeological museum. The Indus river flowed past the site until the river shifted, after which the fort was abandoned some time in the 13th century. The walls and ramp leading down to the original port had been excavated, and we met a fisherman who proudly showed us the big crab he had caught.

After a lunch stop at Cafe Imran we visited the UNESCO world heritage listed Makli Necropolis, a large burial site with monuments housing the tombs of royalty and other eminent people. Estimates of the number of people buried approach a million over a 400 year period.

Last visit for the day was the Shah Jahan mosque in Thatta, built in the 17th century and notable for its intricate brick and tile work.

Travelling along the highway to our overnight stop in Hyderabad we saw highly decorated and heavily loaded trucks transporting hay. We stopped where a few trucks were parked and the drivers were happy to pose for photos in front of their trucks. Even the insides were decorated, some of the trucks even having carved wooden doors!