Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the self-proclaimed capital of rickshaws. First of all, motor rickshaws - bicycle rickshaws are fewer here, they are more common in the provinces. It is estimated that there are about 350,000 rickshaws, and I did not take a taxi from the airport. Once I chose such a country, live its life, eat its food, and ride its transport. By the way, later on one of the "carts" I came across an exotic device called a "rickshaw meter," albeit broken.
After choosing a "cab" and active bargaining, I sat down, and we set off. But not with a breeze - there was a terrible traffic jam. As I read in the newspaper the next day, there were popular unrest with shooting nearby. The government changed, the old ones were jailed, the people demanded they be shot, but not everyone got that. Police arrived at the "unrest," mistakenly shot the wrong people, and then things really started...
My rickshaw quickly broke down right in the middle of the crazy traffic and tried to manually move the jalopy to the roadside.
The bus station on the outskirts of the city was no better than expected, but no worse. The bus "to the north" left in the evening, and I wanted to rent something for sleep. There were no signs in English, and only by a miracle did I find a terrible hole for about three bucks a day. The toilet was a hole, and from the torn upholstery of the bed it just seemed that someone would crawl out and grab you. For half an hour I was explaining to the "administrator" to wake me at 19:30, showing the bus ticket to Rainpur (400 km), and I also set an alarm clock. Both let me down. I overslept the bus because I set the alarm for am, and the damn administrator either didn't understand or forgot. Having locked the door of the "room" with a padlock, I went down into life...
In the morning, they nobly exchanged my expired ticket. They wanted to give me an even "better seat" in the first row, but then they seated some important gentleman there, the only fat person in a suit on the entire bus.
The surroundings were a sad and unpleasant sight: swamps with rotting water, with huts standing as if in the middle of these swamps. Disgusting smoking tall chimneys - they were making bricks from the ground (!). Dead cows were being pecked by birds along the roadsides. The picture of hopelessness was complemented by many people squatting along the road, who simply scooped dust into little pillars with their hands and then smoothed it back out.
After five or six hours, confident that Rainpur was the final stop, I ask my neighbor: "Is it still far?" And he points his hand back, like, we've long passed it. Then I started cursing, condemning the local stupidity, and from the "prime" seat where the portly gentleman sat, I heard in Russian: "And where are you from?" So in a country of 120 million, I met Razman, who had recently returned to his homeland after graduating from MADI. He is the boss in his little village, he has rice fields, a small restaurant, a small shop, a factory, and he invites me to his place, especially if there is vodka and black bread. There was vodka. So I ended up in a village near the town of Dinajpur. They live poorly. Work in the fields is a dollar a day. A rural teacher earns about 35 dollars a month. For five he rents a hut. Not a palace, but livable. After sleeping and eating well, the next day I explored the surroundings, was at an independence day celebration where veterans ran in sacks, and rested. In the morning I drove to the Indian border by car. Razman wanted to see me off, but I refused. Which I later regretted.
Then I went to Bangladesh again, spent several days there, and at night returned from Sylhet to Dhaka to fly home. In the predawn fog, dead trees stuck up like skeletons, and shacks piled up. Some people were sleeping, covered with rags, some of them slowly moved like shadows. I wanted to ride around the morning city, but something inside me broke. Apparently, the frustration promised by the guidebook had arrived, and I said: "To the airport!"
Dhaka's international airport fully corresponded to the country. A toilet system of the "squat" type and station grime. Pipes had burst, and a phlegmatic cleaner lazily dragged a stick with a rag wrapped around it through the puddle (like it was some 15 years ago in our country), standing barefoot in the dirty slush. A muezzin cried out, everyone dutifully knocked their foreheads, and I quietly rejoiced that I would soon see my homeland, which in fact is also a considerable Bangladesh.
From trouble to trouble
For three millennia, the territory of Bangladesh was shaken by various wars and conflicts that swept over Hindustan in abundance. In 1200, Islam came to those lands, and in the 14th century, present-day Bangladesh became part of the Delhi Sultanate. From the 18th century, power passes to Great Britain and the East India Trading Company based in Calcutta. The "pre-independence" division of British India along national lines in 1947 led to the creation of East Pakistan, under the rule of West Pakistan. At that, the two parts are separated by thousands of kilometers, completely different languages (Urdu and Nepali) and active mutual hostility. From 1971, a war of independence began, actively supported by India; and amid the chaos and devastation (the 1970 hurricane claimed more than half a million lives), the 139th country in the world emerged - Bangladesh.
Since then, a series of military coups and natural disasters, multiplied by a peculiar local mentality, has accompanied the history of this country. The absence of industry does not save the environment - the country leads in the number of cancer patients. Corruption eats up a large part of European aid.
But otherwise... a wonderful country!
Beautiful forests, home of tigers
Sundarbans, meaning "beautiful forests" in translation, is the world's greatest delta, covering an area of 10,269 sq. km. Bangladesh has declared its entire part of the region a forest reserve.
The delta is fringed by dense mangrove forests. It is the largest surviving mangrove massif in the world and the only one where tigers live. The humid maritime tropical climate has created a unique plant complex in which plants from Southeast Asia, Polynesia, Ethiopia, and the New World meet together, forming an amazing combination not found anywhere else in the world.
The fauna of the Sundarbans is still rich and diverse, numbering at least 35 species of reptiles, more than 40 species of mammals, and more than 270 species of birds.
The Sundarbans remains the last refuge of the Bengal tiger, and although the numbers of certain species of its traditional prey have declined significantly, what remains is more than enough for the more than 700 individuals living here. But since the animals cannot be rid of their reputation as man-eating tigers, they remain under threat of extermination.
Preparing for the visit
A visa to the country costs unexpectedly much - $50, it does not matter whether it is single or double entry. Each stay is up to three months (though what would you do there that long?). If you fly into Dhaka and leave via land or sea borders, it is advisable to have permits. Now about health. India announced several years ago that there are no mandatory vaccinations. For Bangladesh, apparently, there are none either. Since there is a lot of standing water and, consequently, mosquitoes, you need to take malaria tablets. They need not be as expensive as the ones for Africa, but it is still worth it. You should start taking them two weeks before the trip. It is also a good idea to bring a bottle of mosquito repellent. And activated charcoal is worth stocking up on.
The absence of signs in English, the limited English-speaking ability of the population, and a complete inability to navigate maps and the terrain will require patience and a strong nervous system from the traveler. It is also needed to combat the frustration that awaits (as the guidebook promises) - a state of emotional depression from what one sees, especially in large cities.
There are practically no Europeans in the country. No insurance works here anyway, so don't spend money on it.
This is important for the traveler
Bangladesh is a cheap country. Even cheaper than India. Unfortunately, it is not neighboring Myanmar, which is full of seafood delicacies and Chinese restaurants. Outside the capital, there are only local eateries, and Bangladeshi cuisine is unattractive both externally and internally. Therefore, this country is very good for losing weight by eating bread and bananas. For a dollar, equal to 50 taka, you can buy 50 bananas, and for another dollar, twenty flatbreads.
A driver with a car is cheap - no more than $30 a day, but it is not easy to negotiate because of the mutual ignorance of the language. In Dhaka, in large hotels, this issue can be resolved through the concierge. Bus service is fairly well developed, but the difficulty is the same - understanding what, where, and from where departs. Scheduled buses, about twenty years old, are usually pompously named: Super Catch/Super Luxe and even Super Luxer DeLuxe (super-luxury luxury). Of course, all this is not luxury, there are no air conditioners (more precisely, they exist but are not working), and no particular cleanliness either. However, the seats are soft and not as narrow as in public transport, where there are six seats in a row. As a foreigner, you will be offered a front seat, but its value is doubtful: the roads are surprisingly good, and vehicles rush along them head-on, only parting at the last moment. Brr... Therefore, when you get on a bad, slow road, you understand that you will arrive battered but alive.
You should not expect much from hotels, but if you see a sign saying Hotel, it means you can stay there.
If you don't see one and end up in a "hotel" for locals... Well, then you can only rejoice in unheard-of savings. I didn't really remember the names of the hotels. In the city of Syhlet, I stayed at the Hiltown (something about that name rings a bell). There, by the way, there was a toilet in the "European style", a noisy air conditioner from a Baku factory, and a "breakfast in bed" ordered (though this service did not work). The whole pleasure cost $15.
The country does not have any special souvenirs, because it does not have tourists either. Local hits are jute carpets. They are cheap, but "jute-y" - poorly glued, quickly coming apart. However, a luxurious lampshade made of thousands of shells can be bought for just $5. Also impressive in quality and price is massive English-style furniture, but how would you transport it?
Useful tips, trip budget
I cannot recommend making a special trip to Bangladesh - it is very much for enthusiasts. On the other hand, if you find yourself in Calcutta (India), you can head east and, on the way to Dhaka, visit the Sundarban National Park, located on hundreds of islands. There, besides rare Bengal tigers (if you are lucky), you can also see local gypsies (that is for sure), who live on half-boats, half-rafts. It is best to pass the capital as quickly as possible and head to the coast toward Cox’s Basar. There is the longest continuous sandy beach in the world - 120 km. If you have a tent with a mosquito net, you can be perfectly secluded. In general, stop at some village, choose a wealthy house, and ask to stay for the night - you will be welcomed, and the countryside is quite pleasant - no crowding, no obvious poverty, the air is clean, and the palm trees are green. Spend a week in the country and return to India - through the states of Meghalaya and Assam, you will get back to Calcutta in three or four days.
Plan on $20 a day for food, lodging, and transport. You will be satisfied. Moreover, outside the capital, it is simply physically impossible to spend more.
Lonely Planet - so far the only guide to Bangladesh. Do not rush to believe all the horrors written there. You can quite survive here and even have a nice rest.