Countryside Wanderings

Monday brings meetings with important people for Rustin and exploring for me. I win.

I love going to the outdoor markets and feeling the energy chaos of the third world country. There are sights, smells, and poverty that we don't have in the U.S. It just seems full of life, love and passion. But Sonet made a decent point the other day. If you see the poor side of a country, you should also see the richer side. So I complemented my experiences at the New Market and Old Dhaka, with trips to the mall for my 3-piece outfit.

Taking that same philosophy, I’m ready to complement my city wanderings with countryside adventures. So we head out of Dhaka. Without Gulandaz knowing, of course.

Disclaimer: My description and poor photography do no justice to the beauty and awe of the place. The experiences I had were beyond words and the sights could not be captured in a single diluted frame or countless words. But I do what I can.

Suddenly the city ended. The change was abrupt and unforgiving. How does a big bustling wild clamoring city of 11 million people just end? Like an angry fist on a solid wooden desk. Whaam. Just like that.


And what’s left in its wake are shantytowns made from scrap metal. There are people walking barefoot on the severely potholed road. Some carrying loads on their heads in amazing balancing acts.


Some shading themselves from the hot sun with umbrellas. Some herding water buffalo. There were weaving rickshaws. And water. Great expanses of water right up next to the road. And where there’s water there are all sorts of boats.





Tiny boats.

Huge sand-hauling boats.




Row boats. Fishing boats.

Homemade boats.


And Party boats!


I would have ridden in the party boat if I hadn’t been worried about my safety, economic and otherwise. But the people dancing on the colorful roof to pounding music seemed to be having a good time.




We continued to drive. I would have preferred to walk, but everything was far apart and I would have been mobbed by curious villagers. Pictures taken from car windows are never as good.



We ate our lunch at a restaurant on stilts. Our waiter brought us our chicken tikka and kabab. Mmmm. And some warm bread to scoop it up with.



I’m getting more comfortable using my fingers as eating utensils even though it gets my hands very greasy. Mmm… Finger lickin’ good.





My stomach that day was not feeling particularly good. I think my adventurous eating caught up with me and yanked me down to the ground. Unfortunately for my digestive tract, there’s not much that will stop me from trying new delectable edibles.



So we kept going. On a whim, Sonet and his friend decided we should go to a water park. So we hopped in the car, crossed the bridge, paid a toll and proceeded through little towns until we reached Water Kingdom.


The route was spectacular. My eyes tried to take in all the people and places that whizzed by the window, but they were overwhelmed. Little shops lined the streets. People seemed more laid back than in Dhaka. Rickshaws were still everywhere, but everyone and everything wasn’t as strained and frantic like in the big city.

We passed huge structures that were identified as garment factories. I asked casually if we would be able to take a look inside. I had done some work during high school working on eradicating child labor and labor exploitation. I always wanted to see the factories first-hand. It didn’t surprise me though when they said we’d probably not get in.

I didn’t have a change of clothes for the water park, so I bought a new shirt from the gift shop and rented a pair of shorts. First stop was the wave pool. We ran and jumped and swam! It felt so nice after being in the sun and humidity. After a little bit, the waves turned off and the water started at another section. Apparently they only have one thing running at a time, I guess it’s to save water. So, the crowd of people there went from one station to the next. We went down the water slides. Played in the kiddie area. Then back to the wave pool. After a while the chlorine got into our eyes and we decided to head out.

On the drive back, I just stared out the window. The guys thought I was asleep, but I wanted to take it all in before it passed and I’d never see it again. I took a few videos to help me share the experience with you all. Check it out!




And another one as we approached Dhaka.




We met Rustin at the guesthouse and set off for dinner. We went to Yum Yum and ordered a few things. I think we were all pretty exhausted, but we ate until we couldn’t eat any more. The car kept stalling when we turned it on, so we walked back. Dhaka is still busy at night. Rickshaws lined the darkened street. We passed pedestrians and the military base. We passed the small mall and the Star Hotel. When crossing the street I still look the wrong way and almost get hit by a rickshaw.

That night I’m so tired that I fall asleep with the light on, wake up an hour later to turn it off, and fall back asleep. It's been a long day.