OK, who knows about the coastal city of Gwadar in Pakistan? Not many I guess, but that may change soon - As this city (today in it's infancy) is all set to redefine the meaning of whats known as a boom-town! Similar to the city of Tulsa Oklahoma in the US (during the oil boom), but on a much grander scale... Because this is where one of the largest deep sea ports in the world is planned to be constructed. Which will be directly linked by road and railway to China, and the Central Asian nations... But aside from this, this is also where the largest petrochemical refineries in the future will be built - Which will be linked by a network of pipelines going straight to China! So no longer will China need to import it's energy from Arabia by the long ocean route. As all the crude oil carrying ships will arrive at Gwadar port (within a day or so), and all the petroleum will get refined here, and immediately pumped to China. And we in Pakistan will of course have no shortage of energy either! Any of you guys remember the the post I made about the new island which popped out of the sea? Yes, that too all happened just off the coast of Gwadar city. See link of that post: http://www.gardenstew.com/about30856.html Anyway, I got to visit Gwadar a few days back. So here are some pictures I took on my trip. In about 5 to 6 years I think I'll post more pictures of Gwadar - Therefore consider these pictures right now as the before shots. Anyway, this basically is what Gwadar looks like from orbit. The city is in the shape like a natural hammer extending straight into deep sea, with a west and east bay on both sides of it. Thus making it the perfect natural harbor. Gwadar map ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) The area is somewhat hilly, but the neck of the hammer where the actual city is, is flat and close to sea level. While the hammer itself (which can be seen in the distance extending into the sea) is rocky and mountainous. And the area behind the city (where I took this picture from) is also naturally high. Gwadar city view at dusk, from the hill ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) In this picture you can see the under construction deep sea port, and in the distance the hammer head can also be more clearly identified. View of the under construction Gwadar deep sea port ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And this here is what the sunset at Gwadar is always like, day after day, year after year. Sunset at Gwadar ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) I've got more pictures, that I'll upload in my next post. But this is what I saw upon arrival, on the first day. Gwadar city isn't very big, so very little light pollution - Hence ideal for astronomy! Unfortunately, this camera wasn't able to pick up stars on it's own. And I also wasn't able to attach it on the telescope...
Hi S-H--Interesting posts. (I also read the one about the island from 2013.) Tell me, did that island survive or has the sea reclaimed it? It is interesting to hear of the imminent changes about to happen in Gwadar. Will the engineers factor in the potentiality of earthquakes as they design the oil refineries & pipelines?
Wow, thanks for taking us along on your trip. The area looks very dry and desert like. That is such a interesting area of the world.
Very interesting to hear of the economic development in this region. There was mention on a weekly news about Paistan that your post helps to give a broader perspective. Oil and politics seem to be tightly interwoven. It will be interesting to see how the region around the port and refineries grows. Hope you will be able to share photos of the natural environment (plants, critters) that would be quite exotic to me.
No the island is still there, couldn't get to it myself, as it's still considered to be way too unstable. But the sea hasn't reclaimed it. And yes, the engineers and geological scientists will just have to design and construct everything to withstand future earthquakes... It would be extremely stupid (bordering on criminal negligence actually) to not do so. OK, now for some more pictures - I'll start with the animals. I found only stuffed 3 examples in the natural history museum. A local male wild goat, a female wild goat, and an ocean bird. The goats are said to have an extremely bad attitude. So everyone who isn't of this area is advised to say away from them, and not even try to photograph them. Because they really will charge at people randomly (even when you haven't done anything to them)... Typical southern Pakistani attitude! Anyway, aside from these, I really didn't get to see any wild goat. However the ocean was full of fish (of all kinds). But on land I myself only saw a few scorpions and a snake - So that basically killed my thirst for any outdoor adventure... Male wild goat ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Female wild goat ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Ocean bird ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Anyway, here are some more pictures. This is what the local landscape is mostly like. Strange structures carved by rainfall in hardened sand hills. Way too many snakes and scorpions where hiding from the hot sun in these channels - So I didn't bother to climb up any of these hills. But just notice the breathtaking sapphire blue sky (totally free of pollution, and perfect for astronomy)! Gwadar landscape 1 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Gwadar landscape 2 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Gwadar landscape 3 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Gwadar landscape 4 ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And this one is known as the Princess of hope. Why exactly? I honestly have no clue... Gwadar landscape 5 (Princess of Hope) ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And this is a view of the the main highway that connects Gwadar city to the rest of Pakistan. During the day as well as in the night, all you'll see on it is a never ending line of huge tricks bring in construction material, (mainly concrete and steel). Main highway to Gwadar city ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) And this is another view of Gwadar city and it's West Bay beach front. Later all these small building will get replaced by huge resort hotels (exactly like in Acapulco Mexico)! No wait, that is what will happen to the East Bay, the West Bay will become an industrial complex, with a free export processing zone (exempted from all tax and duties) alongside the harbor... Gwadar city and it's West Bay beach front ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Gwadar beach! ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Gwadar beach again (with so many seashells) ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
Of course I'm happy with all these changes. Why shouldn't I be? Not only is this place in the future going to become a major economic hub - But already the nations of India and Iran are frowning over it, (as whatever good we do, upsets them both to a very great extent)... India and Pakistan were, still are, and forever will be bitter enemies, (as our fight goes back to over 5,000 years, believe it or not)! So it's perfectly understandable why Indians are angry over this... But Pakistan and Iran had great relations in the past! In fact, if M. A. Jinnah was the father of Pakistan, then King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, King Hussein of Jordan, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan of UAE, Sukarno of Indonesia, and the Shah of Iran - Were all (and still are) thought of as paternal uncles of Pakistan... But ever since that crazy revolution took place in Iran during the late late 70s - Our relations with Iran suffered greatly. And so today are at a stage were it can only improve, (as in hitting rock bottom)! Saudis too today hate Iran a lot, and since Gwadar will mainly be feeding Saudi oil to China - Means that this place is going to shoot up like a rocket! And will also eventually work on Iran like an economic chokehold. Something which is extremely desirable for the Saudis, Americans, UK, and surprisingly Israelis too! So today there are too many forces working on this place. Some what to destroy it, while others what to build it into a new economic hub... In history this place was nothing but wild territory, governed only by nomadic tribes. So no real progress of any kind was seen here in the last 500+ years. But now all of that is changing very fast! So yes, I am very happy with it! Indians and Iranis have recently tried many dirty tactics to derail progress over here. Mainly by provoking local idiots to indulge in terrorism, (by kidnapping and murdering a few Chinese engineers working at Gwadar). Their aim was to poison relationship between China and Pakistan. But all that had no lasting effect, as anything which is propelled by Saudi petrochemical money, (and China's thirst for energy), has way too much momentum... Also, ever since Pakistan military took control of the area (providing security as well as putting their own engineers to work) - All trouble making locals also started to vanish "mysteriously" (hehehehehe) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_persons_(Pakistan) - So since than things have only gone from good to great!
See what I had predicted??? Just yesterday the Chinese President Mr. Xi Jinping visited Pakistan on an official 3 day visit - See video of his arrival: Anyway, the long planned idea of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) finally came into effect yesterday - After President Mr. Xi Jinping signed over 51 MoUs and pledged to invest over 46 billion dollars! We also have now given a 40 year long lease of Gwadar port to China, so they can operate from it freely (as well as develop it further) - Our own government has so far put in 6.69 billion Rupees to acquire the land through the deputy commissioner of Gwadar. Basically, what all this will do is drastically reduce the transit time, (from 45 days to about a week), when it comes to transportation of petrochemical fuel to China from the Middle East. But not only that, it will also insure extra security, as well as become an extremely important area of strategic importance too. Because right now Chinese ships going to and coming from the Middle East and Europe - Just have to pass through the Strait of Malacca... Which has the potential of becoming a very dangerous bottleneck, as it very easy to blockade... However, all that is now going to change very soon - As Pakistan's and mainly Gwadar city's location is just a stone's throw distance away from the oil rich Middle East! Which is why the Arab nations are very happy about this too! Anyway, this is history in the making - And it all starts from Gwadar city port!!!
