By way of Beijing and Bangkok, I finally arrived in Dhaka, Bangladesh at 2am. This is my first trip to Asia and my frame of reference is all the time I've spent in Africa. Perhaps it was the hour, but my initial impression was that there was a decidedly different "vibe" than what I feel when I land most anywhere in Africa. There is something alive and pulsating about Africa that I just didn't feel here.
I got out into Dhaka a little bit today and it is a large, dusty developing world city where horns are honking literally constantly. A couple of colleagues and I went to buy clothing and gifts. Fabric is a weak spot of mine and Bangladesh is the place to indulge! I bought a couple of salwar kamiz - the 3 piece outfits women here wear. They are comprised of a tunic, loose drawstring pants and a wrap. Silks, cottons, batik, weave, embroidery - they have it all and it is beautiful! On our way back to the hotel, we jumped in a tuk tuk, which is basically 3 wheels, a cage and a motor. The cage served to allow air in to cool us off and keep street vendors out. Our driver immediately turned around so we were driving the wrong way down a major road. Within a couple of blocks, we finally made a turn and got going the correct way. I rapidly figured out that the traffic hierarchy for who gets the right of way is: big trucks then newer model cars then older cars then tuk tuks then rickshaws then people on foot. Thankfully we weren't at the very bottom of the vehicle food chain and finally made it back safely.
Tomorrow is a day of meetings then a few days of site visits in an urban slum and a flight out to a rural area. I'll no doubt have much more to share.
I got out into Dhaka a little bit today and it is a large, dusty developing world city where horns are honking literally constantly. A couple of colleagues and I went to buy clothing and gifts. Fabric is a weak spot of mine and Bangladesh is the place to indulge! I bought a couple of salwar kamiz - the 3 piece outfits women here wear. They are comprised of a tunic, loose drawstring pants and a wrap. Silks, cottons, batik, weave, embroidery - they have it all and it is beautiful! On our way back to the hotel, we jumped in a tuk tuk, which is basically 3 wheels, a cage and a motor. The cage served to allow air in to cool us off and keep street vendors out. Our driver immediately turned around so we were driving the wrong way down a major road. Within a couple of blocks, we finally made a turn and got going the correct way. I rapidly figured out that the traffic hierarchy for who gets the right of way is: big trucks then newer model cars then older cars then tuk tuks then rickshaws then people on foot. Thankfully we weren't at the very bottom of the vehicle food chain and finally made it back safely.
Tomorrow is a day of meetings then a few days of site visits in an urban slum and a flight out to a rural area. I'll no doubt have much more to share.
No comments:
Post a Comment