Kathmandu-  The Last Day

The last day in Kathmandu was probably the most picturesque as we went to different temples, stupas, road pictures, and monkeys!!!

We went yet again to the to the Monkey temple and watched the monkeys run around and saw a different part of the temple and it was not disappointing….

[Show slideshow]

It was then on to Bhaktapur Square which was the capital of Nepal until Kathmandu.  As we crossed the river we noticed a quick change in how people were dressed as this place had some of the best wood work architecture I have ever seen.  The streets were lined with people and if it was not for rain, the photos would of come out better….

[Show slideshow]

Next stop was a nice and rainy one at the Boudhanath Stupa.  This is a very beautiful stupa built in the city.  We got to witness many people in praying and it was beautiful how many people came out during the rain to pray and the droves that came out after the rain…

[Show slideshow]

As we were rushed to get to the airport, we went to the Pushupatinath Temple last and would of loved to spend more time there.  The temple is a walk up from the river and it is filled with very aggressive monkeys.  It seems that this is the main temple and river people go to in Kathmandu in order to be cremated and we witnessed some going on, we saw many interesting people there and this is a place i could of spent the day sightseeing….

[Show slideshow]

And of course….people on the road doing their everyday thing while two guys drive by with cameras out of the car window…

[Show slideshow]

Kathmandu is a sprawling metropolis that reminds me of a cross between Cairo and Dhaka.  With big truck, cars, motorcycles and scooters coming at you from all directions, you must really watch where you walk. 

This city is a very colorful city with buildings painted different colors as well as very colorful dress for the men and women from the Hindu religion that dominates that country and the Buddhist minority. Many of the people here are a cross between SE Asian and Indian, which makes their skin and eyes very beautiful!!!!  Of course you cant forget the on the road pictures around Kathmandu…

[Show slideshow]

Our first stop was the UNESCO site Swayambhu Mahachaitya, which is one of the most famous Buddhist Temples in Kathmandu.  However as religion is not an issue here for many people, it is still visited by Hindus by the thousands on a daily basis.  A quick jaunt around here you will see people giving offerings and praying to the different shrines located in the premises. 

[Show slideshow]

Of course the temple has another name- “Monkey Temple.”  Hundreds of Rhesus Macaque Monkeys inhabit this area and as I have experience with photographing them, they took me by surprise as they were actually jumping into a pool and swimming….

[Show slideshow]

I thought I had seen it all until I was standing by a Stupa and low and behold a monkey had stolen an ice cream from someone and perched himself up on the base of the Stupa and ate the ice cream almost like a human while people watched in amazement…

[Show slideshow]

 Our last stop in Kathmandu was another UNESCO site named Hanuman-dhoka Durbar Square named for the famous Hindu hero Hanuman the Monkey God.  This square was also home to the many kings of Nepal up until 10 years ago.  Walking the streets here was amazing looking at all the architecture as well as the people.  We were treated to a festival on a float as we rounded the corner which made for great photos and we were even thrown good luck charms…

[Show slideshow]

Leaving Kathmandu, we headed to Pokhara which is a lakeside town that is beautifully built.  The scenery along the way does not need writing but viewing the photos below…

[Show slideshow]

If you can get away from the scary roads with the buses and trucks, then you can notice people everywhere living out their lives as the cars stroll by.  There are many small villages along the way and the people who are working in the fields or working in shops are seen everywhere along the way…

[Show slideshow]

As we arrived in Pokhara, we went on a tip around the lake in the area and went to a Hindu temple on an island in the middle of the lake.  There will still be more exploring to do in this wonderful little city…

[Show slideshow]

From Waterfalls and Mountain Scenery to Chitwan National Park

In Pokhara we had the chance to visit a lovely waterfall that went to an underground cave and see how the Hindus made a shrine out of it which was miraculous to see…

[Show slideshow]

We had the opportunity to go to a Hindu Shrine in which people were making offerings in each of the little shrines located inside the structure.   I decided to see what a goat was bleating about and the owner came over and untied him and took him into the shrine to make an offering (no sacrifice).  It was interesting to see the different types of people there and what they did for each ritual….

[Show slideshow]

The rest of the day was pure mountain scenery with rolling hills and the greenest valleys and mountains you can imagine, stopping along the way to see the rice terraces bring me back to memories of Madagascar..

[Show slideshow]

Don’t forget when you are on the road it is smart to get pictures of everyday people in their every day life….

[Show slideshow]

Chitwan National Park was the first National Park established in Nepal in 1973.  Since its inception, it has garnered world wide attention for its grasslands and subtropical deciduous forests.  Its main claim to fame is of course the One-Horned Indian Rhinoceros which has its largest Nepalese population here in this park.  

……………………………………………………………….

A great place to stay here that rests in a perfect location in Chitwan Tiger Camp.  It sits right on the confluence of two rivers and is the starting point for a small jungle trek, large jungle trek, canoeing down the river as well as Jeep 4X4.  The food here is some of the best I have ever had in my life as well as great service from the waiter as well as guides.  I will not forget this place…..

We did mostly jungle treks here as with the monsoon season, the roads were to muddy and most were closed.  I was fine with the jungle trek safari as it went through very dense green brush.  I ran across a few leeches attached to me a few times as it had just rained so they were out in groves.  Whenever we went out it was hot and humid, perhaps the worst humidity I ever ran into as within five minutes in the shade or sun, you would already be drenched in sweat.

Besides Tigers (who are hard to spot in the monsoon season because of the thick grass, the main attraction here is the famous one horned Indian Rinoceros which is an endangered species just like its African counterpart. 

We were able to see at least five or six different rhinos on our trip here, including 5 on the first day.  We even got to hear and see two males battling for territory running after each other across the river, but they were too fast for any good pictures from the point I was at.

[Show slideshow]

The main attraction which we followed around for the two days at different points in the park was the baby rhino.  It seems that during a flood, it had lost its mom so it was seen roaming around different parts of the river or on the banks grazing.   I was ablet to snap off some fabulous pictures of this great beast going about feeding or sunning most of the time…

[Show slideshow]

During one of our jungle walks, we ran across a scene that looks like it is from a post apocolyptic movie.  The abandoned hotel or Gaida Wildlife Camp was once a sprawling destination inside the park for people to start their safaris.  However 8 years ago the Nepalese government banned any hotels or camps from operating inside the park, so this place was left to fade away into the jungle as mother nature has definitely retaken it.  I was able to get some great pictures inside the bar and reception area which would make for a good scene in the walking dead if it was to take place in a jungle…

[Show slideshow]

The landscape here was amazing with the jungle and the sunset and the rivers.  No wonder why this place attracts people from all over the world….

[Show slideshow]

Walking out to one of our jungle treks we noticed they were filming a movie (possibly a photo shoot) and snapped a few pictures of the people in the sweltering heat…

[Show slideshow]

If you do not like bugs or spiders, then the jungle treks are not for you as we ran across many different types of bugs including beautifully woven spider webs…

[Show slideshow]

Small Frogs were out in droves and I managed to get a few snaps of some before they jumped away, as I did of a snake which I am still trying to identify before he slithered into a pile of dead leaves and branches

[Show slideshow]

There are two types of Crocodiles here- The Common Crocodile and the Gharial, which has a longer snout and only feeds on fish.  They were often seem swimming by or sunning themselves on the banks of the river…

[Show slideshow]

The types of birds in this National park is countless as we ran into storks, kingfishers, swallows, and herons plus countless more….

[Show slideshow]

You cannot go on a Safari without seeing monkeys.  The shy Rhesus Macaques were seen in trees jumping around on our 4X4 safari, with a cute baby away from his mom learning how to forage for food himself…

[Show slideshow]

Its not often that you run into a problem with landslides going back on the main mountain highway of a place, but we sure did, however, that did not deter us from making the best out of it as there were many photos to be had along this slow journey…

[Show slideshow]

The rest of the time….well take a look at mountain villages along the roads back to Kathmandu…

[Show slideshow]

Paro to Thimphu

Flying in from Dhaka, we only had six people on our flight which is probably a record for me on any flight I have ever taken.  Immigration was cleared in a second and the only problem I had was paying a 200 percent tax on tobacco (this would have been a good time to quit), but still under what the US charges for a pack.

We visited Rinpung Dzong Fortress as every town/city in Bhutan has one of these fortresses to protect them against invaders.  You will notice the architecture is very close to the architecture of UTEP and inside was amazing as half of the fortress is a monastery while the other half deals with administrative dealings….

[Show slideshow]

As we drove to the capital Thimphu, we drove through some of the most beautiful scenery I have every seen, through the mountain passes and rolling clouds with a blue sky, stopping alone the way to buy snacks like cheese candy and spicy fresh potato chips at roadside stands….

[Show slideshow]

Thimphu Area

Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan with around 150,000 people.  Built in a valley among some mountain passes and next to a river, it is one of the most picturesque cities from the mountains in a lot of Asia. 

[Show slideshow]

We went to a Memorial Chorten Stupa and saw some of the older people staying here all day to pray and watching them go around the Stupa and staying by the prayer wheels to pray.

[Show slideshow]

We made our way up to(what will be upon completion) the biggest sitting Buddha statue in the world that overlooks the city.  The sheer size of this is amazing and the statues surrounding the Buddhas are very colorful that glisten in the sun…..

[Show slideshow]

An old temple was a very interesting place we stopped as people bring their kids their to be blessed by the Monks.  We were not allowed to take photos inside but it was awe inspiring seeing the Monks chant…

[Show slideshow]

We had the chance to go to a Wild Animal Reserve in which we saw a bizarre looking animal called the Takin.  This animal looks like a cross between a goat and a buffalo but are very shy and it was hard to photograph them.  We were also able to see a Musk Deer off in the distance….

[Show slideshow]

We also had the chance to go to the Tashochlo Dzong Fortress (Fortress of Auspicious Glorious Religion), which like the other fortress is built along a river and was used to protect the city from invaders. 

[Show slideshow]

We then made our way to the farmers market in which people sold everything from dried beef, to dried bacon, to more vegetables that you can imagine.  Most of the food is organic and are produced by farmers from nearby areas.

[Show slideshow]

As we drove by the national staidum we noticed they were having an archery competition.  As archery is the national sport of Bhutan, you see people practicing everywhere!!!!   During the competition which is shooting an arrow 145 meters away we saw how the teams react to their wins or losses in games that can last a full day….

[Show slideshow]

The rest of the day was just spent people watching as we sat near a café and did some street walking to see how people went about their everyday life….

[Show slideshow]

Road to Phobjikha

It is time to get up into the highlands of the country as we go from 4500 feet to 9600 feet in just a few hours of driving along some of the most brilliant landscape you can imagine. 

Going along the windy roads was met with the brilliance of the pine covered landscape with the sun shining so brightly among the mountains. …

[Show slideshow]

We had the chance to stop in a village and walk along the street and talk to people.  A few men were sitting along a store front enjoying the weather as they were quite keen to us taking their picture.  As we stopped into a tea shop, the waitress who had a very highland look to her served us….

[Show slideshow]

As we kept climbing up in the mountains, we suddenly started dropping down into the glacial valley in which thousands of migrating Cranes come there during the winter months to feed.  The villages in this valley looked something like Switzerland with the beautiful backdrop of the rolling hills.  We had a chance to hike along the valley on a nature trail and enjoy the vastness of the land that went on for miles. 

[Show slideshow]

During our lunch, we went to a home stay to eat some local food they grow in the area and I had a chance to photograph a beautiful highland girl who was the sister of our driver.  Her smile and generosity she showed us made me respect this culture even more than I already did

[Show slideshow]

After our hike, we ran across the Gangtey Goenpa Monestary from the 17^th Century.   As we had already been to a few monasteries, we were not expecting much, however we were treated a festival which happens at most once a year (pictures not included) and noticed some of the more wicked looking drawings and carvings in the monastery wall…

[Show slideshow]

Road to Punakha

As the scenery here is amazing, we left Thimphu and went over the pass to Punakha through pristine trees and lovely mountain scenery.  The pass at the top had a memorial to the soldiers who lost their life during the Indian insurgents who lived in a part of the country some years ago that wanted to create their own state.  As we were high up, the fog rolled in and made the photographs amazing.

[Show slideshow]

The scenery along the way was magnificent as the clouds rolled slowly over the mountains and the greenness of the terrain stretched for miles with people going about their everyday business in this beautiful country. …

[Show slideshow]

THE DIVINE MADMAN

Our highlight of the day was visiting the “Temple of the Divine Madman” or “The Fertility Temple.”  In the village leading up to this temple they have paintings of phalluses aka penises all along the different houses.  As the short story goes, there was an enlightened Buddhist in the 15^th to 16^th Century named Lam Drukpa Kuenley who had an unorthodox style of teaching.  He was portrayed as a vagabond around the countryside indulging in song, dance, alcohol, women, feasting and hunting.  Weather this was true or not is definitely speculation, but in reality he was beyond the norms of society at that time.  He was against the established norms of the time and taunted the monastic order of the time.  The use of his “Phallus” as a flaming thunderbolt weapon can symbolize the discomfort society experiences when facing the truth. People from all over the world namely Buddhists come to this place to pray for the wellness of their children as he is seen as somewhat of a liberator which released Buddhists from their cyclical existence.  I actually like this guy and he may be one of my new heroes!!!!!

[Show slideshow]

We then headed to the Fortress of this ancient capital of Punakha aptly named Puna Dechen Phodrang or the Fortress of Happiness.  As in other fortresses in the towns/cities, this one is built on the convergence of two rivers.  This is one of the most elaborate fortresses as it is the second oldest and the many murals depicted inside depict the life of Buddha in pictures.  I was happy with how empty it was as pictures came out pristine…

[Show slideshow]

Doing another walk we headed across a beautiful suspension bridge that was filled with beautiful prayer flags and people going about their everyday life walking across it….

[Show slideshow]

Highlands to Paro

We left the beautiful highlands in the morning on our long road back to Paro seeing the scenery that we passed just days before, and yet it was still amazing as the people were out going about their every day life and the clouds were floating above…

[Show slideshow]

Our lunch stop was over a lovely rice patty with a lovely waitress who was very shy to take pictures but finally was happy to pose for us and very thankful we wanted to take her photo….

[Show slideshow]

As we were still up in the highlands we decided to stop by a local roadside stand and saw two highland girls with their red cheeks.  They were quite thankful that I gave them pen and paper and were quite shy but happy to take photos…

[Show slideshow]

We got to see some monkeys that were jumping from tree to tree on the roadside.  They were a lot shyer than most previous species of Rhesus Macaques that I have seen, however they still decided to pose on the ground or up in trees for pictures…..

[Show slideshow]

As we were driving up to over 12000 feet to a hike to a nunnery, the views were amazing covered by sun one minute and foggy clouds the next…..

[Show slideshow]

The hike to the nunnery took a few hours through the clouds in the sky to dry pine forests to wet forests with rhododendron trees.  Breathing fresh air was great and so was the hike was we neared the nunnery….

[Show slideshow]

The nunnery was an old temple that was converted as a place for Buddhist nuns about 15 years ago.  The live a simple life and are only allowed to leave the nunnery for 15 days a year, making their life very isolated as this is a long way from any civilization…..

[Show slideshow]

Before reaching the hotel we had the chance to stop at a new micro brewery that just opened named Namgay Artisanal Brewerey.  The owner has imported all of the equipment to brew his own beers and as we tried tasters of all of them we were amazed with the flavors.  The bottle and send to different places in Bhutan a wheat beer, dark ale, and red rice beer.  The three that they have on tap that are only at the brewery are a milk stout, IPA, and apple cider which is made from the freshest apples in Bhutan.  They have a lovely selection of pub food and a menu that they will start pairing with beers for dinner as this brewery/restaurant will be one of the up and coming places in Bhutan for beer lovers!!!!  They are working on their website, but you can see them on Facebook here. 

[Show slideshow]

Bhutan

Paro to Thimphu

Around the Capital Thimphu

On the Road to Punakha

On the Road to the Highlands

Highlands to Paro

Nunnery and Brewery

Paro Taktsang– The Tigers Nest

If you have spent your life living in El Paso and you look at the architecture of Bhutan, you will notice the country looks like one big UTEP campus.  Most of the architecture at UTEP was infact taken from the Bhutanese style which dots this entire landlocked small country, dubbed by many different websites as “The Happiest Country in the World.”

The Kingdom of Bhutan is landlocked between parts of India and Tibet and is the second least populous country in South Asia next to the Maldives.  It has a long history of being along the silk road and was never colonized by any countries which means they developed a very extinct identity.  With only 700,000 people in the country, this is the second least populous country in South Asia next to the Maldives. 

This is perhaps the most expensive country to travel to as there is a daily rate set by the government of 250 USD per day.  Tourism has gradually been rising over the past twenty years as more people are coming to visit this beautiful country. 

As it is mandated by the government to use a guide and driver, a great person to use that was referred to me by a friend and I am referring to everyone is Rinzin Thunderbolt.  He has been in the tourism industry since 2010 and his English is perfect and his history of the country and the different buildings is impressive.  He can organize any type of tour and he can carefully select the best itinerary, hotels, and food that you desire based on your preferences. He will help cater to any clients needs and is probably one of the best guides I have ever had in my years of travel.  If you ever go to Bhutan, he is your man to organize any type of tour with.

The following are the best ways to get in touch with him:

email- ginger22nd@gmail.com.  

Wechat- rinzinjr22

Whats app- +975 7720 5059

Website for his company- Bhutan Heights

Rinzin

Rinzin

Paro to Thimphu

Around the Capital Thimphu

On the Road to Punakha

On the Road to the Highlands

Highlands to Paro

Nunnery and Brewery

Paro Taktsang– The Tigers Nest

Tigers Nest or Paro Taktsang is a Himalayan Buddhist site that is located just a few minutes from the town of Paro.  This site is one of the most iconic and visited places in all of Bhutan and should not be missed if you travel here.

Of course we had our last day of on the road pictures that showed just how colorful this culture is and how beautiful the landscape is no matter where you are in the country….

[Show slideshow]

The hike up to the Tigers Nest is a bit of a difficult one as 90 percent of the time it is uphill on a very muddy path with more than a few people slipping both up and down.  However along the way you will see many people both old and young making this trek to this sacred site.  Some people even posed for pictures…..

[Show slideshow]

While we did not actually go into the Tigers nest (line was three hours long as this is a very auspicious day), but we got plenty of pictures of the different vantage points along the trail.  Some of them were covered by clouds at times and some of them by trees, and some of them with the sun shining on the monastery, but all came out beautiful with this lovely monastery built into a hard to reach cliff….

[Show slideshow]

As the night set in, we were able to get some photos of the fortress which was our first stop at night from our hotel ending an excellent trip with one of the most scenic countries in the world…..

[Show slideshow]

Floating Market and Way Back to Dhaka

As our time in Bangladesh was coming to an end, it would be ever so fitting to spend most of our last day on the water, as this country does have over 700 rivers .

We got up early and made our way a couple hours to a floating market in which local farmers jump in their boats and sell whatever fruits and vegetables they have.  This was an experience as I have been to other floating markets, but most of these are very touristy with people trying to sell you all of their items.  Besides the fruits and vegetables, we spent the morning at the boat making market in which we saw excellent craftsmanship and most of the boats cost as little as 20 USD!!!! 

[Show slideshow]

We spend the rest of the morning going up and down the canals and tributaries to check out the way people live as well as some of the pottery and shelves they make to be sold around the country.  It seems that every family has a part in selling an item and they work hard every day in the sweltering heat and humidity to do this.

[Show slideshow]

At last we jumped on our six hour ferry back to Dhaka, not before we were able to snap off a few last pics of the beautiful landscape as well as a better than average sunset…….

[Show slideshow]

 On the road and water to Barisal

Leaving the Sundarbans area we headed in NE direction to Barisal, and of course there was a lot of color on the road with people living there everyday lives in small villages that we drove by and also walked around….

[Show slideshow]

We had the chance to stop by one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites which is aptly named Mosque City of Begharat and was a mosque(s) from 500 years ago in a small village that was nicely preserved. There are different smaller mosques in the surrounding areas that are built into neighborhoods and has been given the name by Forbes as one of the “Lost Cities.”  The architecture was from the Mughal Empire who ruled over this region and India and shows a Bengal variant of  Indo-Islamic architecture.

[Show slideshow]

While waiting for the passenger river boat, I noticed a baby kept staring at me through some bars, so I took it upon myself to take some pictures of the little guy with his mom and some other onlookers that came out quite nice as I finally got him to crack a smile.  If you notice the mark on his forehead, it is an old superstition that says this mark will protect them from bad things in life….

[Show slideshow]

The highlight of the day came with a cruise on a local passenger ship on the river Morolgonj.  We boarded at a small station with many locals and talked with many people (or tried to have conversations).  As we boarded the ship we were on the top deck away from the massive crowds as we saw how people lived on the river banks as well as the fishing they did in their daily lives.  We met a Bangladeshi family that lives in the US that had two kids who attend school there and talked with them for the ride as we took pictures of the land and the water

[Show slideshow]

The sunset was a lovely one from the boat deck as it had rained for a couple hours very hard (as this is monsoon season).  As we got close to docking, the rain and the dark clouds disappeared as the sun slowly setting off in the distance gave us a great glimpse of a beautiful sunset

[Show slideshow]

The Largest Mangrove Forest in the World

The Sundarbans is one of the natural wonders of the world as it is the largest Mangrove Forest in the world that spreads across Bangladesh and West Bengal in India.  About 2/3 of it is in Bangladesh while the remaining 1/3 is in India and it draws people from around the world to see its vast magnificent beauty.

With our luck, it rained for half the day as we were on an open boat with rain hitting our face, however it did not stop us from looking around and noticing the villages on the bank still working as if a little bit of water will stop them.

[Show slideshow]

The forest is lush with vegetation and wildlife.  Even during the dry season it is still green and animals and birds are seen far and wide.  Some animals we saw were crabs, frogs, hawks, mud skippers, snakes, spotted deer, Gangetic Dolphin, and Crocodiles.

[Show slideshow]

[Show slideshow]

Of course you can never leave out the Rhesus Macaque monkeys.  These monkeys are seen all over Asia and are some of the most photographic.  However it is not smart to get to close to them as they will bite….

[Show slideshow]

Leaving the Sundarbans, we stopped by a small village right across the river (as people are not allowed to live in this protected area).  The village relies mostly on fishing as they cannot grow to many crops because of the salt water.  The people are quite friendly, however after the rainstorm we found it difficult to walk around as easy as the locals in the mud……

[Show slideshow]

Getting back to Khulna at night, has some great photo opportunities of street life after dark.  Markets are still going on and people running around from place to place in Tuk Tuks and Rickshaws…….

[Show slideshow]

Banana Markets, Off the highway villages, and goats on top of buses

The Road to Khulna was filled with different types of people from banana farmers to people waiting on the road for their rides, and even over-packed carts full of people waiting to be dropped off to their villages.

This seems to be banana season as most of the bananas are being picked then sent off to various places around the country.  The side of the road proved to be the hot spot where people were bringing the fruits (no pun intended) of their labor ready to sell.  Everyone seemed pretty happy and willing to give us free bananas every chance they got as you can see below:

[Show slideshow]

Taking a stop to a village that was literally off the highway proved to be a major highlight of the day.  We walked up and down the village road accumulating people wherever we went.  We had a chance to talk to a local boy named Imran who took us around the village as they had the most amazing and welcoming people and were definitely not shy…..

[Show slideshow]

As we stopped to get some samosas for lunch, we ran across a passenger bus with goats on the roof.  It seemed this was their drop off point, so they goats were handed from the roof of the bus to people below, as this was such an amazing site to see, especially with the loud bleats of the goats….

[Show slideshow]

The rest of the day was a long drive day with a few stops for food and just watching people on the road go about their everyday normal life…….

[Show slideshow]

A country that will surprise even the most skeptical traveler

For Bangladesh in Winter of 2019-2020 click Here

For Bangladesh Eid Summer of 2022 Click Here

Bangladesh is a country is South Asia sandwiched in by India, Nepal, and Myanmar with an outlet to the Bay of Bengal and the mouth of the Ganges River.  As one of the most densely populated places on the planet with a Muslim majority and Hindu minority, I did not know what to expect traveling here but what soon surprised…(YOU WILL FIND LINKS TO THE PEOPLE AND AREAS VISITED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE)

A great company to get in touch with to help organize your travels and places to go is Dhaka Holidays.  Even though as mentioned below, Bangladesh is not a big tourist destination (YET), they know what most people like to see and are most accommodating.  To add to that, our guide and driver who are both Bangladeshi are very caring about their customers and quickly understand what you like to see or photograph and can change any itinerary based on your likes.  Mr. Azim (our guide) is very knowledgeable of the history and culture of Bangladesh and has made our stay here most comfortable.  Mr. Shohag our driver is not deterred by the crazy driving conditions here and can weave in and out of traffic with no problem.  When you come to Bangladesh, it is imperative that you request these two gentlemen. 

This is not a major tourist destination by any means at all as we saw almost no tourists the whole time we were here.  The people are more friendly than any other country I have traveled to as they invite you into their homes or want to strike up a conversation with the little English they have!!!  With 700 rivers flowing through the country, they have enough fertile land to support generations to come…..

Getting off at the hectic Dhaka airport, I was beginning an adventure to a place that reminds me more of west Africa than any other place in the world….

Easy Links

Dhaka- Capital City

The Countryside to Tangail

Road to Rajshani- The Banks of the Ganges

Road to Kushtia

Road to Khulna- Banana Markets and Small Villages

Sundarbans- Largest Mangrove Forest in the World

On the Road and Water to Barisal- Village Walking and River Barging

Floating Markets

Tangail- The Jungle Countryside

Leaving Dhaka, we headed through some back roads on the outskirts of Dhaka through the highway to some back roads in the country.  We stopped at a beautiful pottery village (which was by no means tourist oriented) as no one tried to sell us anything at all.  Instead we were followed around by a group of kids and with gazing looks from villagers trying to figure out why we had arrived there.  Getting to the village required a bit of walking plus a small river boat with a boat man taking us across the swirling river. 

[Show slideshow]

We then went to a brass making making store that has been using the same techniques for thousands of years with molding wax into a figure, then placing clay around it, then pouring the hot metal in it and finally breaking it to get the wanted desired figure. 

[Show slideshow]

Next was a highlight as we spent hours driving through a little traveled road in the countryside to see how the people lived and worked.  As we went along we got stares and inquisitive looks the whole way as it is a fair assumption that most people had never seen a foreigner up close before. 

[Show slideshow]

As we finally got to our accommodation which is an old villa style hotel in the middle of a small village in a jungle.  We got to walk around to check out how the local people lived and how they spend months on old machines weaving different garments with no electricity….

[Show slideshow]