In early October a friend and I met up in Bangladesh for a few days of touring around the country. "Why Bangladesh? Nobody goes there," was the question I got from most people when I told them about my plans. It was also part of the reason why I wanted to go. “Off the beaten track” still exists in Bangladesh. In the 5 days that I was there, I saw 4 other white people, not counting my friend. As such, we were quite the attraction ourselves. If anyone is thinking it would be great to be a celebrity, I recommend they go to Bangladesh for a couple weeks. It gives you a good idea of what the constant attention feels like, stares, people wanting to take their photo with you in the city and on the beach (seriously).
One of the days when we were travelling between cities, we got to a ferry crossing and had to wait about 30 minutes for the next ferry to cross. Looking around for some entertainment to kill the time, we soon realized that we were the entertainment. I don't think too many tourists make it through that particular crossing. We became even more of a hit when my friend started gambling in a street game. I did the quick math and figured that the "house" had about a 50% advantage but that wasn’t a reason not to play. My friend as betting around 5 Taka (~$0.10) and managed to win a couple times and lose a couple times, walking away with 2 Taka in winnings. I was tempted to put down a 500 Taka note but I didn't want to risk breaking the bank and turning a good time ugly.
At several different times on our trip, our guide arranged for us to have an armed police escort. While he insisted that it was not really necessary, he still seemed compelled to have it. They were always nice guys but what made the situation awkward was when we rolled up to a small village or tourist site full of Bangladeshis. Having an armed security detail does not help you to close the gap between you and the locals. Everyone was brought down to the same level though when we passed over a particularly slippery section of moss-covered rocks. It didn't matter if you were carrying a camera or a gun; it was all you could do to keep from falling on your backside. 
We spent the majority of our trip in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Southeast Bangladesh but on the way there we passed by some of the coastal regions. Bangladesh is one of the biggest ship breakers in the world. Old ships that are going to be taken out of service are brought here and dragged up as far as the can on the beach. Then workers with saws, hammers and torches start cutting pieces off. If you ever wanted a surplus lifeboat, compressor, set of captain’s stateroom furniture, this is your place. Unfortunately for the workers, it is a dangerous job and their living conditions are terrible. This is a picture of one of the villages that was right on the water. It is easy to imagine the devastation that a typhoon could bring to the area.
On the way up into the hill tracts, we stopped in the village of Painam Nagar. It used to be a big trading port on river but now is mostly deserted. There were many colonial buildings and a few Hindu temples. It was many years out of repair and it was neat to see how the jungle was slowly reclaiming it.
One of the days when we were travelling between cities, we got to a ferry crossing and had to wait about 30 minutes for the next ferry to cross. Looking around for some entertainment to kill the time, we soon realized that we were the entertainment. I don't think too many tourists make it through that particular crossing. We became even more of a hit when my friend started gambling in a street game. I did the quick math and figured that the "house" had about a 50% advantage but that wasn’t a reason not to play. My friend as betting around 5 Taka (~$0.10) and managed to win a couple times and lose a couple times, walking away with 2 Taka in winnings. I was tempted to put down a 500 Taka note but I didn't want to risk breaking the bank and turning a good time ugly.
At several different times on our trip, our guide arranged for us to have an armed police escort. While he insisted that it was not really necessary, he still seemed compelled to have it. They were always nice guys but what made the situation awkward was when we rolled up to a small village or tourist site full of Bangladeshis. Having an armed security detail does not help you to close the gap between you and the locals. Everyone was brought down to the same level though when we passed over a particularly slippery section of moss-covered rocks. It didn't matter if you were carrying a camera or a gun; it was all you could do to keep from falling on your backside. 
We spent the majority of our trip in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Southeast Bangladesh but on the way there we passed by some of the coastal regions. Bangladesh is one of the biggest ship breakers in the world. Old ships that are going to be taken out of service are brought here and dragged up as far as the can on the beach. Then workers with saws, hammers and torches start cutting pieces off. If you ever wanted a surplus lifeboat, compressor, set of captain’s stateroom furniture, this is your place. Unfortunately for the workers, it is a dangerous job and their living conditions are terrible. This is a picture of one of the villages that was right on the water. It is easy to imagine the devastation that a typhoon could bring to the area.
On the way up into the hill tracts, we stopped in the village of Painam Nagar. It used to be a big trading port on river but now is mostly deserted. There were many colonial buildings and a few Hindu temples. It was many years out of repair and it was neat to see how the jungle was slowly reclaiming it. 
posted by Clay C at
11:07 PM
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