Daily grind: Jehanzeb Salim

The head of operations at Super Savari Express, takes us along on an adventurous daylong journey

The head of operations at the super-cool bus-tour company, Super Savari Express, takes us along on an adventurous daylong journey exploring Karachi like never before. Here we discover iconic sites and hidden treasures around our incredible city

5am:

Dreaming of where to drive the Super Savari Express (SSE) to next.

6am:

Snoring away…wishing I didn’t have such an early wake-up call!

7am:



I quickly run to the washroom to freshen up and drive to the SSE head quarters before our guests begin to arrive.

8am:

Once everyone’s attendance is taken, and they’ve checked into Super Savari Express (yes we give them the Wi-Fi password), we have a quick introduction and get ready to roll. If sitting on a bus so pretty even a bride would envy it isn’t enough, we wake everyone up, and give them a chance to do it desi-movie style, at our morning run with the pigeons at Kabootar Chowk.

9am:

We continue on a walking tour through the old streets of Saddar, camera’s are ready, capturing shots of the old buildings, shops and people, all in the eerie calm that comes over Karachi on an early Sunday morning.

10am:

Each step brings us closer to the anda paratha and chai fresh out of a dhaaba at an old Iranian restaurant in the heart of the city. But first we make sure we season everyone’s nostrils and taste buds with the aroma of the spices at the nearby Empress Market!

11am:

With full stomach’s and happy faces we make our way towards Frere Hall to explore it’s vast expanses. We also drive by the former Flag Staff House, the Old Metropole Hotel, a number of religious sites, and then visit a number of Karachi’s oldest institutions, tucked away waiting to be explored.



12pm:

Karachi is incomplete without a trip down Bandar Road, singing the infamous ‘Bandar Road say Kemari’ as we drive by every icon the song mentions. With a quick stop to check the time at the Merewether Tower, we take our final walk down Victorian Karachi on the now restored Edulgee Dinshaw Road.

1pm:

Our final drive explores Karachi’s Truck Art Wall as we head towards PIDC for the paan that made the place famous. Once everyone has secured a classic meetha paan, we head towards our final stop, the St Patrick’s Cathedral.

2pm:

We bid our farewells, people exchange numbers, hugs and take pictures, but most importantly they take back a new found appreciation for their city, leaving with a new bond, or strengthening an old one.

3pm:

I head to the office to get some organisational work done. It’s my favorite part of the day because our office is an explosion of colour as soon as you enter.



4pm:

I get down to organising our tours for the week, get in touch with people from all walks of life to introduce Super Savari Express to them, and work on different projects to see how we can take the venture to new heights.

5pm:

My team and I order lunch from a shawarma food stall across the street, for Rs80 it’s messy, but a fair deal.

7pm:

I get home and have a nice long shower before taking the Super Savari Vespa out for a spin. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the cool evening breeze and help attract attention (not complaining).

8pm:

I have dinner with my friends or family.

10pm:

Now I’m off to bed…dreaming of where to take the Super Savari Express to next.