Brussels , General info:
8/10

Brussels is the capital of the European Union. Some parts of it are not so interesting, but a lot of it is very interesting. It is well worth visiting. It has nice musea, a few thousand restaurants, a lot of nice pubs and brasseries in the French style and it is one of the greenest cities of Europe.

Brussels , Cheap stuff:
8/10

There are a lot of cheap secondhand shops where they sell books (FR, ENG, NL...), cd's and dvd's on the Bouelvard Lemonnier/Lemonnierlaan, between the Bourse/Beurs and the Place Fontainas/Fontainasplein and in the Rue du Midi/Zuidstraat, not far from the Place Fontainas/Fontainasplein. Especially the Pêle Mêle (Bouelvard Lemonnier/Lemonnierlaan 55) is well worth a visit. Thousands of books are waiting for you!

Brussels , Safety:
9/10

In my opinion, Brussels is a very safe city. I have been working iin Brussels over 20 years, and never anything happened to me. But you should look after your stuff in big train stations, like everywhere else.

Karachi , General info:
8/10

Karachi is the main financial and industrial hub in Pakistan, a country with a GDP greater than Norway and Denmark combined. Karachi contributes nearly 70% of Pakistan's $420 billion GDP (source: CIA World Facts Book). Karachi's sea ports (Karachi main and Port Qasim) handle nearly 100% of Pakistan's international trade. The city's attractions include its mild weather, and its open space inland. Karachi International Airport has historically been a hub for international airlines, though recently it has lost its luster to Dubai and Mumbai.

Karachi's industries include automobile plants (Toyota, Suzuki, Nissan and local auto and auto parts manufacturers), textiles, steel, oil refineries, chemical and fertilizer, food processing, space launch systems (Sonmiani Beach), and nuclear power.

Karachi' tourist attractions include its white sand beaches, moonlight crab fishing, and its sea dolphins, fine Pakistani cuisine mostly focused around goat meat, beef, chicken, and fish.

Karachi , Cheap stuff:
7/10

Karachi has been found to be the least expensive and the most cost-efficient city of the world in terms of hotel rates for its Sheraton, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Avari (ex Hilton) and Pearl Continental (ex Intercontinental) hotels. Average room costs under $150 per night at these hotels. The finest 7-course dinner at one of the most expensive restaurants will cost under $20, while a good meal in a medium restaurant will be under $8.

The city has recently become a dumping ground of inexpensive Chinese products, thus totally annihilating local manufacture of same products. The Chinese products, however, are available at prices much lower than anywhere else in the world. A 1.0 GB USB flash memory is available for under $5.

Pizza Hut ($6 for a 10-inch pizza with five toppings), McDonalds ($1.20for a full meal), and Kentucky Fried Chicken ($1.50 for a 12-piece all white meat pack) are some of the American brands with outlets across the entire city. But watch for the toppings and add-ons --- they all have some local flavoring also available.

Karachi , Different stuff:
8/10

The spped at which the city moves beats any big city.

Karachi , Don't miss:
10/10

Don't miss grilled food, lassi (yougurt drink), and

Beaches, moonlight crab fishing and dolphin dance at the beach.

Karachi , Food:
10/10

Siekh kabab, Chicken tikka, Beef tikka, Fish (fried and tikka) and Biryani. Be sure to eat it with tandoori naan.

Drinks include lassi (yoghurt drink), roohe afzaa (watermelon extract with vanilla and natural sweeteners), mango lassi, mango and orange (kinnoo) juices.

Local ice creameries are full of faluda (icecream with rose syrup and spaghetti in milk) and pistachio ice cream on a stick.

Karachi , Hotels:
8/10

Taj Mahal, Avari, Mehran, Pearl Continental, Marriott, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Meridien, and over 500 other hotels

Karachi , Safety:
5/10

As in all large cities, Karachi has a high crime rate, though the murders rate in Karachi is still above half that in New York, and on a per capita basis, it is as low as that of San Francisco. Be sure to -not- carry any valuables with you, or a large sum of cash or expensive cameras and jewelery, unless you are with a group. Carjacking and cellphone jacking are favorite hobbies of local criminals.

Keeping a low profile, regardless of where you are, is always a wise choice. Showing off cell phones, cameras, and jewellery, and carrying a lot of hard cash is not a good idea. Travel with those Pakistanis who have been to other parts of the world and make good friends. This might help in addressing safety issues. People, in general, are quite progressive, hospitable, and hard working.