Teapots keep making the rounds at Quetta's tea hotels long after the parathas are gone, and friends at the outdoor tables trade news, jokes and plans until late. On another table sits sajji, a lamb roasted slowly beside an open fire, torn apart and shared by everyone within reach.
Away from the tables, Kandahari Bazaar stacks almonds, pistachios and carpets, and a short drive east leads to Hanna Lake at the mouth of the Urak Valley, where apple orchards line the road. The air is dry, summers are warm without monsoon rains, and winters turn cold, with snow in some years. A Local Friend can bring you into their own neighborhood, where the corner tea hotel already knows their order.
