Oh my god.
Seriously.
What
Have
I
Done
It’s dark, I’ve arrived on a wing and MANY prayers (I’m sure of it), and now I’m in a square in the middle of nowhere with NO freakin’ idea where the YWCA is (that’s where I had decided to stay) or how to get there.
"Well, you're right about that, you're here, so figure it out pumpkin!" says a voice in the back of my head. Since when does my inside voice call me 'pumpkin' I wonder...
Deeeeep breath, shoulders back and head up and all that… you’ve gotta figure it out girl - you’re perfectly fine, stop worrying about it and just go! I felt better as I walked through the crowd of people, where the crowd of evening loiterers had doubled since our arrival.
Looking around the bit I can see in the dark I'm in the dusty main square market area of Birisiri. There are lots of little shops (boarded up since it's after 9pm) and the only thing I see open is a little snack shop. There are a pile of rikshaws here and there in the crowd of people, and I am standing in the middle of the buspile (think doggypile of buses).
Okay... I need to get to the Y, I guess I'll need to pick a rikshaw.
I walked up to the first driver that met my eye and smiled saying only “YWCA?”
“Y-shmanblypamblyblahblah ok ok”
“Umm… YWCA?"
“Yahyah, Y-shmanblypamblyblahblah okay!”
Allllllrightythen, "No no, that’s okay”
Next!
2 rikshaws later and the giggles from my onlookers making me feel quite lighthearted about the whole confused situation (not a single person in the crowd makes me feel threatened or worried) and then a man is at my elbow translating for me. "Would you like to go to the YWCA? I will find you a good driver." Next thing I know we've walked around the buspile to the actual road and he's talking to a driver and telling me that I can take his ride to the Y, I’ll be there within 5 minutes (it's very close) and I should pay him only 20 Taka. Done, I think - I’ll pay him 200 if he’ll just get me there!!!
I climbed on board with the sea parting around us and hope that he’s taking me to the Y and not to some darker dark road of badness. Things looked good though so I wasn't worried
Parental Advisory Label:
Nnote to all moms and parent-like folks who are reading: I swear if I had any of the tiniest inkling of trouble I would have climbed down and had someone WALK me there if I couldn't find a ride, I was perfectly safe!
We bumped and jiggled (well, at least *I* bumped and jiggled) our way over what seems like cobble stones and his very crap light does nothing to light the way for him in the pitch of night so I take my flashlight out (yay for planning ahead and buying a flashlight!!) and shine it down to light his way (thank you for whatever power helped me remember that I had a flashlight!).
He jumped down to push at some points because we were going through sand and over broken bricks, and it took everything in me not to jump off and help him when I know it got tough to push and he was working hard.
Not even 5 minutes had passed before we were at the gate of the YWCA, the lights were on and I could see someone in the office… *MAN* was I never so happy in all my life to see that sign. I paid the man his money (I paid him 50 instead of 20 because that was the smallest bill I had and it is a physical IMPOSSIBILITY to get change out of some people without making a scene, so I didn't even bother once he was resistent about handing me back my change... 30 Taka to me is not even 50 cents, he can keep it, I'm safe and sound!).
So once through the gate I took in my well-lit surroundings (bit white concrete building that looked quite secure, gated and meshed in and all that) and I walked into the office and found a man sitting there at the desk.
I asked him if he had any rooms available and he said “Oh! My! I’m so sorry madam, please take a seat.”
First thought? Awwww crap, there’s no room - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!
After finding out I was travelling alone and he got over his shock that I had just shown up on his doorstep he told me that there were no single rooms, but that I could stay in the 8-bed dorm room alone since nobody was using it.
Sounded good to me, all I wanted was a bed and a door that locked and I wouldda been pleased as punch!!
He was very friendly and polite, I would have gauged his age around 28 or so. He looked nothing like the Bangladeshis in the city, and when I asked where he was from he said he was native to Birisiri, which meant he was part of the Garo tribe. How cool is that?!
Well, I thought it was cool anyway.
I filled out the register with my passport information and such and didn’t even ask how much the room was because I didn’t care!!!
He took me upstairs to the dorm room. It was *more than fine, equipped with big fans, beds, clean sheets, blankets, and pillows. He left a big can of skeeto-spray on the desk (which I sprayed liberally around the gigantic room!) and I even found each bed had a folded bug net to set up and sleep under (much like the princess bed I always wanted when I was a kid - yay!!!!) so it was even better than it might have been.
The man from the desk came up to ask me a few questions...
Are you married?
Yes. (this is important in Bangladesh, and I suspect also in other countries I‘m going to visit).
Where is your husband?
He is in Canada; he had to work and didn’t have time to travel, so I came alone.
Why are you here in Birisiri?
I want to learn about the Garo tribe and see Birisiri.
Why did you come to Bangladesh? I wanted to visit the country and learn about life here.
How long will you stay in Bangladesh? About 3 weeks.
Are you a student? Yes, but I’m not here as a student, just a tourist.
I was wondering if there was a purpose behind his questions or if he was merely curious himself about why I had wandered into his guesthouse. At the end of the questions he said, “The police can come and ask me questions at any time about why you are here, so I need the information.” I think he had more questions, but my raised eyebrow at being unsure why he was asking in the first place suggested that I didn’t want to answer any more, so he bid me goodnight and went back downstairs.
I plunked my bags down near the bed farthest from the door where I could have the most time to respond if someone happened to come through the door (first night, it was dark, I was nervous, lol) and I set myself up a bed.
I splashed some water on my face, downed half a bottle of water and a bag of snackmix, and within half hour I was passed out asleep - what a long freakin’ journey: woohoo!!!
Breathe easy, life’s allllll good! But what a freakin’ day!
Seriously.
What
Have
I
Done
It’s dark, I’ve arrived on a wing and MANY prayers (I’m sure of it), and now I’m in a square in the middle of nowhere with NO freakin’ idea where the YWCA is (that’s where I had decided to stay) or how to get there.
"Well, you're right about that, you're here, so figure it out pumpkin!" says a voice in the back of my head. Since when does my inside voice call me 'pumpkin' I wonder...
Deeeeep breath, shoulders back and head up and all that… you’ve gotta figure it out girl - you’re perfectly fine, stop worrying about it and just go! I felt better as I walked through the crowd of people, where the crowd of evening loiterers had doubled since our arrival.
Looking around the bit I can see in the dark I'm in the dusty main square market area of Birisiri. There are lots of little shops (boarded up since it's after 9pm) and the only thing I see open is a little snack shop. There are a pile of rikshaws here and there in the crowd of people, and I am standing in the middle of the buspile (think doggypile of buses).
Okay... I need to get to the Y, I guess I'll need to pick a rikshaw.
I walked up to the first driver that met my eye and smiled saying only “YWCA?”
“Y-shmanblypamblyblahblah ok ok”
“Umm… YWCA?"
“Yahyah, Y-shmanblypamblyblahblah okay!”
Allllllrightythen, "No no, that’s okay”
Next!
2 rikshaws later and the giggles from my onlookers making me feel quite lighthearted about the whole confused situation (not a single person in the crowd makes me feel threatened or worried) and then a man is at my elbow translating for me. "Would you like to go to the YWCA? I will find you a good driver." Next thing I know we've walked around the buspile to the actual road and he's talking to a driver and telling me that I can take his ride to the Y, I’ll be there within 5 minutes (it's very close) and I should pay him only 20 Taka. Done, I think - I’ll pay him 200 if he’ll just get me there!!!
I climbed on board with the sea parting around us and hope that he’s taking me to the Y and not to some darker dark road of badness. Things looked good though so I wasn't worried
Parental Advisory Label:
Nnote to all moms and parent-like folks who are reading: I swear if I had any of the tiniest inkling of trouble I would have climbed down and had someone WALK me there if I couldn't find a ride, I was perfectly safe!
We bumped and jiggled (well, at least *I* bumped and jiggled) our way over what seems like cobble stones and his very crap light does nothing to light the way for him in the pitch of night so I take my flashlight out (yay for planning ahead and buying a flashlight!!) and shine it down to light his way (thank you for whatever power helped me remember that I had a flashlight!).
He jumped down to push at some points because we were going through sand and over broken bricks, and it took everything in me not to jump off and help him when I know it got tough to push and he was working hard.
Not even 5 minutes had passed before we were at the gate of the YWCA, the lights were on and I could see someone in the office… *MAN* was I never so happy in all my life to see that sign. I paid the man his money (I paid him 50 instead of 20 because that was the smallest bill I had and it is a physical IMPOSSIBILITY to get change out of some people without making a scene, so I didn't even bother once he was resistent about handing me back my change... 30 Taka to me is not even 50 cents, he can keep it, I'm safe and sound!).
 |
| The YWCA in the Daylight - such a great spot! |
I asked him if he had any rooms available and he said “Oh! My! I’m so sorry madam, please take a seat.”
First thought? Awwww crap, there’s no room - eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!
After finding out I was travelling alone and he got over his shock that I had just shown up on his doorstep he told me that there were no single rooms, but that I could stay in the 8-bed dorm room alone since nobody was using it.
Sounded good to me, all I wanted was a bed and a door that locked and I wouldda been pleased as punch!!
 |
| Animesh at work at the YWCA I didn't know it yet but we would get along famously! |
He was very friendly and polite, I would have gauged his age around 28 or so. He looked nothing like the Bangladeshis in the city, and when I asked where he was from he said he was native to Birisiri, which meant he was part of the Garo tribe. How cool is that?!
Well, I thought it was cool anyway.
I filled out the register with my passport information and such and didn’t even ask how much the room was because I didn’t care!!!
He took me upstairs to the dorm room. It was *more than fine, equipped with big fans, beds, clean sheets, blankets, and pillows. He left a big can of skeeto-spray on the desk (which I sprayed liberally around the gigantic room!) and I even found each bed had a folded bug net to set up and sleep under (much like the princess bed I always wanted when I was a kid - yay!!!!) so it was even better than it might have been.
Are you married?
Yes. (this is important in Bangladesh, and I suspect also in other countries I‘m going to visit).
Where is your husband?
He is in Canada; he had to work and didn’t have time to travel, so I came alone.
Why are you here in Birisiri?
I want to learn about the Garo tribe and see Birisiri.
Why did you come to Bangladesh? I wanted to visit the country and learn about life here.
How long will you stay in Bangladesh? About 3 weeks.
Are you a student? Yes, but I’m not here as a student, just a tourist.
I was wondering if there was a purpose behind his questions or if he was merely curious himself about why I had wandered into his guesthouse. At the end of the questions he said, “The police can come and ask me questions at any time about why you are here, so I need the information.” I think he had more questions, but my raised eyebrow at being unsure why he was asking in the first place suggested that I didn’t want to answer any more, so he bid me goodnight and went back downstairs.
I splashed some water on my face, downed half a bottle of water and a bag of snackmix, and within half hour I was passed out asleep - what a long freakin’ journey: woohoo!!!
Breathe easy, life’s allllll good! But what a freakin’ day!
Pumpkin eh? HA! Too adorable.
ReplyDeleteGreat journey! I am so envious. It's always the best part of traveling when you meet locals and experience the day-to-day life that some relish....while others endure.
Enjoy the travels.