I woke to the sound of the Muslim prayer call this morning, and I have NO idea what time it was. It sounded nice, so I thought it better than any alarm clock I'd ever had, and went back to sleep. I woke myself up around 8 and started organizing my day.
I wandered up from the hotel and saw the US Embassy at the end of the road I'm staying on. I walked toward an area I remembered driving through last night and passed several more embassies, consular offices, and high commissions (whatever THEY do!). I passed lots of people out walking and busy working (construction, selling things, carrying stuff, friendly baby policemen guarding random empty spaces of sidewalks).
I found myself an ATM and then a shop with pop (yay!) and bought myself a can of sprite (MAN I was thirsty with all the pollution and the heat!) and continued walking around. I found a little lake park that I walked through, and then I sat down to thumb through the guide book again to take a break from the shade. I'll share some photos of the walk through the day because it's just easier than trying to talk you through it!!
Bangladesh is definitely its very own place, unlike pretty much anywhere else I've been. People are friendly and a little shy, there are flowers and garden shops along the streets, and then other streets there are animals stalls and dead birds and rats... I'm not sure yet how it all fits together to be honest!
I spent half the morning lazing around the apartment studiously planning the rest of my time in Bangladesh with the guidebook Kassandra loaned me (it's likely what I'll be doing with my evening too!). When I got that all sorted out (mostly I wanted to have a sketch of my total comings and goings over the next 2 weeks and a hotel for tomorrow in Old Dhaka) I decided to go wander the streets. I had no particular destination in mind, I just wanted to see what it was like on the streets of Bangladesh on a normal day!
I wandered up from the hotel and saw the US Embassy at the end of the road I'm staying on. I walked toward an area I remembered driving through last night and passed several more embassies, consular offices, and high commissions (whatever THEY do!). I passed lots of people out walking and busy working (construction, selling things, carrying stuff, friendly baby policemen guarding random empty spaces of sidewalks).
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| 70Taka = $1ish Above is Tk100, 200, 20 and 10 500mL bottle of sprite: Tk28 |
Bangladesh is definitely its very own place, unlike pretty much anywhere else I've been. People are friendly and a little shy, there are flowers and garden shops along the streets, and then other streets there are animals stalls and dead birds and rats... I'm not sure yet how it all fits together to be honest!
I have never, repeat: NEVER, been stared at so much in all my life. Ever! I was dressed entirely appropriate (pants and a shirt with sleeves and everything) but man, it was surreal walking around outside today! Everywhere I looked there were cars and trucks and rickshaws and little green motorized rickshaw looking things whose names I've forgotten, and PEOPLE, people EVerywhere!!! While I did feel like a minority in Korea, it was Nowhere near how it is here in Bangladesh, nowhere near. I was a little unnerved by it at first, but as a whole day has passed in which I spent most of it outside with Bangladeshi people I really do feel only like it is out of interest and curiousity that they stare, and nothing nefarious or scary. Not one boob grab or butt grab or anything even when crushed in a throng of people watching cricket, and NOT that much can be said about my lovely Korea! :)
