Date: Tue, 04 Jul 2000 08:38:24 -0700
Subject: Bangla Pani (Bangladeshy Water)
Hi All

Just left Bangladesh. Had a really great 2 weeks there. Artifs family
are really cool. When we arived they meet us at the airport. My first
thoughts of bangladesh where that it reminded me of india. Driving through
the streets of Dhaka there were stacks of rickshaws (auto and pedal),
old buses, and people sittings around fires. A dense smoke from the hung
in the air.

In the first few days in Dhaka we saw a few mogul ruins, house of parilemt,
a couple of muesems. These were cool. Our quides were three of artifs
borthers (Arnob 17, Milky 25, Charman 22). They were all great people.

Bangladesh is a small country about 1/5 the size of new zealand with
a population of 130+ million. It is the most densly populated country
in Asia except for the city countries (eg singapore). Its is also one
of the poorest. Over 80% of the population is rural. Dhaka in the capital
and the largest city, with 11million people. Literacy, Power, Telephone
are also some of the lowest in Asia. We where unable to call NZ at anything
but extrodinary rates, and after spending 90min where able to send off
3 emails. Reading emails was too slow on a hotmail like server.
On the other hand Dhaka is full of construction sites.In the country
road and power and telephonea are lagging signifigantly behind the cities.


It is increadibly beutifull in the country. One of the most pictureque
(?spelling)  places I been. The cities however are more cramped and dirty
than calcutta, delhi, bombay. Driving though india on a bus highlighted
how much poorer bangladesh is to india.

While in bangladesh we where feed continuouesly (as is expect in muslim
hospitality). The food was extemely good and improved when they discovered
jen and I quite Liked the hotish stuff. It is very similar indian but
more meat. The sweats are superb, rash gula (?spelling) being the best.
It is a white soggy ball (like sponge cake) in a carmalized condenized
milk. They make black forest gatauea seem saviory.

Artif's family were lovely and we became good friends with his brothers.
They took us to cox bizzar (longest beach in the world 712km, on burmar
border), Rangamati (lake area), and Jafflong (cousin's wife's village
in the tea growing region on the north-east border). We visted many of
their friends and family. All who feed us. 

Bangladesh is like holland in that most of it sits about 1-2 feet below
the water table,except they don't have dikes and pumps. Hence in the
Monsoon (When we where there) the place has a feeling of lots of little
islands connected by roads and bridges. Looking out a train window you
would typically see 30-50 bambo huts spread out over several kilometers.
Each on there own small islands. In between are rice paddies beneath
1-2 feet of water.Increadibly beutifull.

On returing to chitagong (2nd biggest city) from the lakes we had 12hrs
of "rain". It was some of the heaviest tropical rain I've ever seen.
But did not stop. Arnob (age 17) said he could not ever remember it raining
so hard for more than 30min. His uncle who's house we were staying at
also said that he didn't remeber rain that hard in atleast 5 yrs. Consequently
when our van broke down 20km out of down and we took a auto-rickshaw
(tuku/baby-taxi) we ran into flooding. After a 10km we had to abandon
the rickshaw and walk. As we crossed the center of town we went through
3 puddles(200-1000m across). All were above my thighs. The deepest was
to my umbilicus. A real problem form jen and arnob who are shorter than
me.The suberb that the uncle lived in was reasonably dry with only about
20cm of water, but was also atleast 1km wide. Fortunately the uncle lives
on the 4th floor of his building and on arriving home the servants had
prepared a huge meal as usual. (the first time Im felt hungry I think
in the whole 2 weeks)

In short we visited many really cool places. Meet several branches of
the family. Got feed riduclous amounts of food, often beyond nausea.

We are now in calcutta. Its odd after bagladesh cities, it seems really
clean and spacious. Many people speak english. Also its really odd to
be on the tourist trail again.While in bangladesh we saw only 2 other
non indian/bangla people, and they where near a burmease refugee organisation.
Even at the tourist spots westerners don't seem to go. At one point Arnob
was asked by a food seller if we were japanese tourists.(This was at
a spot near Dhaka where the government is trying to push as a tourist
area)

Anyway- had a great time in bangladesh, its a increadibly beutifull country
but with dirty cities. Artif's family where really nice and feed us overly
well. I think it will be a high light of the trip.'d highly recomend
it, but travel is hardish as very few speak english and apart from cox
bizare there are few hotels. Tourists are a real novelty. But well worth
it.

Next varanase, then delhi. Parkistan in early august.

Anthony.

PS- email is easy enough here so feel free to write. Just no chain letters
please.