Wrestling with Bengal Tigers

Every morning here in Bangladesh, I wake up to the sound of the Azan (Muslim call to prayer). This chant is sung by one man and amplified through megaphones all over the city. It has a haunting and soothing sound all at once.

It took us 3 full days to arrive in Dhaka (the capital). I left Los Angeles Wed morning, flew to New York. From New York to

London, and then from London to Bahrain.

Then from Bahrain to Dhaka. By the time my co worker and I arrived in Dhaka it was Friday evening.

The city of Dhaka, Bangladesh  is immediately impressionable. Most of its eye widening wonder stems from its population (9th in the world). You can see people everywhere in every corner. Furthermore, the pollution of the city can be immediately felt on the lungs as soon as one steps out from the airport.  But the most maddening characteristic of all has to be the traffic.  Whatever you believe in, pray to them before stepping into a car.

I have traveled to cities where the driving is notoriously bat shit crazy. I rented a mo-ped in Rome against everyone's advice, withstood roundabouts in Tehran, and paralleled parked tiny rentals in Madrid. Bangladesh is a whole other story.

The concept of how many lanes exist per road is not a finite number and is simply determined by how many cars will fit at any given moment. One must factor in the size of the car, pedestrians on both sides, and the rickshaws all around (a rickshaw is a human peddled carrier - half bicycle in front, half carriage in the back). Also do not forget the motorcycles carrying multiple people at once. Based on all these considerations, a lane may be anywhere from 2 cars to 5 cars wide and will change in capacity from kilometer to kilometer. Space is not a factor, it's more about timing.

Books will tell you "Bengali" is the official language of Dhaka. This is simply not true, horns are the official language. Riding along, you will learn that there is a whole dialect based of honking. I have deciphered 5 types of honks so far:

1) watch out
2) I'm going first
3) Here I come here I come
4) what the hell are you doing
5) I am warning you I am about to do something illegal

It's petrifying and impressive. Furthermore, it is the first place where the actual DIRECTION of traffic (going on the right coming on the left - same as England) seems to be merely a suggestion.

Bangladesh's history and culture is even more multi faceted than its driving. In the city of Dhaka, you can find Muslim Mosques, Christian or Catholic Churches, and Buddhist Temples. The country was a part of Pakistan up until 1971, when it won its independence.  Presently, it seems to be the most interesting blend of Middle Eastern, Asian, and Indian influence.

The cuisine mimics that demographic as well.  Although, one has to be extremely weary of any dairy and non bottled water. Unfortunately, I was not warned that salads or non cooked vegetables also fall on that list which forced me to endure 48 hours of something in my stomach that exploded out of both ends. 

I could not lay down, could not leave my room, could not stop getting sick. I prayed to all of the cities Gods, and at the height of the Azan on the last day, Allah brought the demon out of me. I was able to nurse myself with small doses of salt/sugar water to re hydrate my body.

Today echoes of the war that brought the country its independence can still be read in the morning paper and seen in the protests and strikes.

During my stay,  I quickly realized we chose to visit during the most volatile protests the country had seen in more than two decades. Our hotel was in the diplomatic community of Gulshen and protected by two armed guards. Over 1 million protestors flooded the downtown area and an opposing political party called a "Hartal" (or strike) which closed many of the cities stores.

In terms of goods, Bangladesh is known for its pearls, handmade crafts, and traditional clothing which include a series beautiful fabrics.

You will find many know enough English to communicate basic needs and help out. Furthermore, most people posses a generally friendly and gracious outlook.

An American dollar will go a long way (1 American dollar to 80 "taka" their currency).