A well-known and oftlamented fact is that Karachiites have very limited options when it comes to weekend getaways. Those of us who live in the port city have always been somewhat envious of people living in Lahore and Islamabad, who can take interesting trips to the majestic northern parts of Pakistan at whim.

Well, it was pretty much on a whim that my family and I decided to make a star-gazing trip to Ranikot Fort, arranged by the Karachi Astronomers Society (KAS). A family friend recommended it, having been to a previous one.

KAS arranges monthly trips from October to March every year to different places in Balochistan and Sindh.

These trips are known as Ratjaga, which in Urdu means `to stay awake all night` and, in this instance, it refers to experiencing astronomy when the sky is dark.

This was KAS`s 71st Ratjaga, having started in 2008.

Our trip had more than 130 people, with the majority in four coasters, while some of us took our cars. Serendipity is often the best part of such trips. En route, we found that an old friend from school was also on the trip. She joined us in our car for part of the ride and we reminisced about old times.

THE ROAD TO RANIKOT Ranikot Fort, also known as the Great Wall of Sindh, lies in Jamshoro district. It is a couple of hours from Hyderabad and a four-hour drive from Karachi. The drive is fairly straight-forward; initially, on the Super Highway to Hyderabad, then the N-55 highway also known as the Indus Highway with the last 45 minutes on a link road off the highway which leads to the fort.

We were pleasantly surprised tofind that the road leading up to the fort has recently been re-laid and is now smooth. Along the way, we saw vast barren lands which, as my wife kept pointing out, are ideal for solar and wind power. Given much of this land may not be fertile enough for agriculture, as compared to Punjab, the area can be utilised to generate renewable electricity for the country, deployment of which requires copious amounts of land.

Once we arrived at Ranikot, the KAS team gave a de-briefing regarding the schedule for the day, which included a brief history of the Ranikot Fort. It was nominated in 1993 by the Pakistan National Commission for Unesco (PNCU) for world heritage status and has since been on the tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites.

The history of Ranikot Fort it self is intriguing and has many conflicting narratives, as highlighted to us by the KAS team.

Some say it was built in pre-Islamic Sindh many centuries back, while others argue that it was made by the Talpur Mirs in the 19th century.

The structure itself also leaves many unanswered questions: why is there a series of forts together, measuring a massive 31km in circumference, built pretty much in the middle of nowhere? What was it protecting? A NIGHT WITHOUT NOISE We went to explore one of the forts in the early evening. As soon as we set out, our urban-dwelling spirits experienced a boost. The air was fresh and crisp, unlike what we are used to. The lack of ambient noise was refreshing as well.We visited Miri Kot, a small fort within Ranikot, which is said to have been the palace residence of the Mir royal family. The main fort area can also be visited by foot.

However, we were advised to head back to the camping area before sundown, as it gets dark deceptively quickly there.

Once back, we settled into our tents, which were cosy and comfortable, and had ample space for two people. Carrying a sleeping bag and extra quilts is a good idea though, to make for a more comfortable night`s sleep.

Post sun-down, the lights were put out and KAS gave clear instructions that there would be no white lights on, to minimise light pollution and enhance the stargazing experience. We also had to put red tape on our mobile torchlights. The darkness added to the sense of adventure.

UNDER THE CELESTIAL CANOPY As darkness descended, KAS started the stargazing guided tour.

There was a large area with daris [rugs], where all of us sat or lay down. Lying down under the sky full of stars with your family and friends was a really therapeutic experience and I would highly recommend it.

It slows down our overworked and overwhelmed machinery of the brain and lets you gaze at the wonders of the galaxies far and wide.

The night sky sparkled with stars and planets. In Karachi`s polluted sky, we usually only see a handful of stars. Here, however, the sky was full of them.

The KAS team had set up threelarge telescopes as well, from which we could see some of the planets up close. The team used laser lights to give us a guided tour of the night sky. They highlighted the difference between stars and planets; stars appear to twinkle while planets do not they only reflect the light of the sun, and are much closer to Earth than the stars.

Many different means of locating the North Star were shown and, when we took an hour-long break for dinner and came back, the North Star was the only one which had remained in the same place relative to Earth, whilst every other star and planet had moved relative to Earth.

We also saw Orion`s Nebula, the closest star-forming region to Earth.

On the massive telescopes, we saw Venus, the red-planet Mars, Jupiter and its four moons (it has a total of 95 moons). We also spotted the seven sisters, a group of stars in the Pleiades star cluster.

The stargazing continued well into the night. However, I decided to retire to our tent after midnight and slept with my kids. Many others continued the observation of the beautiful night sky. The next morning, we all had an early breakfast, and then headed back to Karachi.

The KAS-organised Ratjaga was an enjoyable and enriching experience and it is highly recommended as a short overnight trip to be taken with family and friends. While just a few hours from home, it is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

It allowed us to experience first-hand the vast expanse of our universe, a reality check to our large egos. When the trips resume in October, we would like to explore other venues where KAS goes as well, potentially a venue in Balochistan this time.

The writer is afinance professional and an avid reader. An essay of his was recently published in the anthology Home #ItsComplicated.

He can be contacted at farrukhkarim@gmail.com