A Ramble On Bangladesh

November 1st, Dhaka.

I came to Bangldesh to shred the gnar. I figured I only had a couple months left to travel so I should make it to some crazy places. I was not prepared for what I would see and experience. For the first time in Asia I feel uncomfortable walking the streets.

The second sentence in my guide book is "Due to images of war, famine, disease and poverty, Bangladesh has largely fallen of the radar for tourism. I have yet to meet a single foreign tourist here. The only foreigners I have seen were at the airport (on a lay over) and in the embassy. Every Bangladeshi I meet asks me why I have come to Bangladesh. When I reply "tourism", they are genuinely confused.

This month was my 8th month of traveling in Asia. I had been to 10 countries and I figured I had seen a alot. I thought I had seen overpopulation and big dirty cities. I thought I had seen poverty and people begging for money, living a rough life. But when I came to Bangladesh I was blown away. It is total mayhem. It far surpasses any other gong show I have ever seen. Everywhere I go people are asking for money. If they can speak a couple words of english they say "Where you from... Give me visa" The people are desperate to leave. Twelve year old kids are walking around without shoes through the streets, asking anyone for money. However some of these young kids are working already: In metal fabrication shops, driving rickshaws or polishing shoes. And it doesn't matter if your on the busiest most modern road in the country, the ment don't hesitate to do their bussiness, making most of the urban areas almost unbearably stinky.

My 4th day in Bangladesh was the biggest gongshow yet by far. On a bus ride to a small city I was pick pocketed. This was the 4th time in Asia I had been robbed. Im not sure how it happened but when i went to get my wallet it was gone. I lost my bank card, student card and drivers licence as well as about 100 dollars cash. I also lost a Portebellos Sandwhich card that was one stamp away from a free sandwhich.

After I realized I was pick pocketed I made my way to the cop shop. All I needed was a report for insurance purposes. But unfortunately the cop's could speak very little english. The cop shop was a total gongshow. It felt like I had stepped back in time hundreds of years. There were even spears near the front entrance. And they werent for display. The gaurd at the front had a gun, made out of wood. After 6 hours I managed to get a police report that had the highest concentration of spelling mistakes I had ever seen in my life. Hopefully it will work.

During the 6 hours at the shop I was interviewed by a journalist. And within a couple of days I was Famous in Bangladesh. I made it into 5 newspapers, including the number one national paper.

I feel like i could write for hours. But Im hungry and have to get out of here. Although Bangladesh is crazy the people are incredibly generous. I've only had to pay for a hotel one night in 10 days. The rest of the time ive been stayin with people either in Dhaka or in villages. I also had a coule of free nights in a hotel thanks to the cops who felt bad about my money. But either way it is incredibly cheap here. Food and accomodation for one day can easily be covered for under 5 dollars. The hour long taxi ride it took to get here cost me a $1.20. For now Im still workin on gettin a new bank card. Some advice for those about to travel: Open an account with an international bank such as HSBC. I've looked but I have been unable to find a Squamish Credit Union Branch in Bangladesh. Also carry a visa in a safe place and don't keep all your money together but rather seperate it into different places. Fuck travellers cheques if you plan on going anywhere nubtbar. American cash is the way to go an will often come in handy.

The craziness can't be conveyed it words.

Gotta go eat,

Tyler

A preview of a very long story I plan on writing when I return to Canada

September 6th, Shigatse.

About a week ago I boarded a train to Lhasa (Tibet) from Chengdu. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I travelled 3rd class (Chinese Standards) because it was the only ticket available. The trip was 46 hours long. All of the 3rd class cabins were like full on refugee camps. People sleeping everywhere, vomiting, smoking. I had a sleeping mat but on the first night couldn't bring myself to lie on the floor. But by the second night I had sprawled out on the floor between cabins beside a toilet. I was exhausted. I was woken up by some guy after and hour or so and told to go sit down. But my seat had been stolen. So I sat on the floor. The next and final day I played shit head (a card game) with Dave, a Huang Mao a couple of cabins down. I had met Dave at the Hostel in Chengdu. I would end up spending a lot of time with him.

In Lhasa we got a place at a Hostel. The plan was to visit a lake a couple Hundred KM out of town. I proposed the idea to ride bikes. I was laughed at. Riding 200 Km on a bike was a ridiculous idea!?!? Two days later Dave and I were riding our newly purchased, 115 dollar chinese bicycles, with backpacks bungee corded to the back, towards Kathmandu Nepal. The only thing between us and Kathmandu were 1000 Kilometres and the Himalayas.

We've tossed our guide book as it is no use to us in the small towns we've been staying in. Yesterday Dave (out of Habit) said "I'm gonna head back to the Hostel." I started to laugh. We've not been staying in Hostels but rather Tibetan's houses and spare rooms. Last night there was no electricity. The night before there was electricity but no toilet. There was one toilet in town that closed at sunset. After that people just watched and wazzed on the street.

Along the way we've had a cheering squad: people honking and waving at us from their cars, kids screaming hello as us, and all sorts of animals making noises that I had never heard before. We've got 750 Km to go. Tomorrow we start the first mountain stage. As of now the plan is to keep on given'r, fueld bike yak butter tea and 25 cent bowls of noodle soup.

Cheers,
Tyler