Sticking out like a sore thumb

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Dhaka has to be one of the craziest places ive ever been too. It has to be one of the only places where you can go to, where you will not see another single white person in sight. The people are really friendly and everyone looks bemused at seeing a white girl with blonde hair. I enquired at the hotel about hiring a guide to take me around the city. The guy working behind the desk was only too happy to finish work and take me around himself!!

We went on a rickshaw to the local palace. As soon as I got out, within a couple of seconds I had, and I kid you not, sixty or so guys circled around me….just looking in bewilderment! Its so funny as you would think that when you make eye contact with someone that’s staring at you, they would realise its rude and turn away, but these guys just looked. I may as well have been an alien! The gates were closed for the day so we couldn’t go in. Jumped back on the rickshaw and travelled through the busy streets to the local mosque. Wherever I went I literally stopped traffic, people would stop in their tracks and stare and smile and wave. One guy told my guide he had never in his life seen someone with blonde hair. Walked around the mosque, past some grounds where there were several groups of people playing cricket. I tried to get some photos with some of the younger children who were playing but they got all shy and too scared to come up to me.

From here we went down to the ganges river, the hustle and bustle where people were unloading anything from melons to building materials from the docks, carrying them in large baskets on their heads. It was hard to believe the strength these guys had, as to look at them, they looked all skin and bone. It was sad to see a young child pulling a cart with her dying grandmother on it. There were many large old ships overflowing with people bound for India. The river was so busy not only big ships but lots of little boats transporting people from one place to another. The water was so dirty and slick with pollution. It looked like a river of oil with all sorts of rubbish floating by. You definitely wouldn’t want to go swimming in there. But for some people they use it to bathe and wash their clothes. Makes you appreciate being so lucky to have a hot shower everyday! The banks of the river were littered with rubbish and there were people sorting through it. Nevertheless I thouroughly enjoyed it and was cool to see peoples faces light up when i waved to them.

Got off the boat and went ashore. Got back on a rickshaw again and went to a place called elephant road which sells good quality chinaware. Prices are really cheap compared to what you would pay for them anywhere else. On my previous trip I had bought my parents a really nice dinner set but was missing a couple of items so had to go and pick them up. Made my way back to the hotel where i met up with the other crew for a nice buffet dinner.

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