Tiny Jamburas starting their life.
Lily flower buds.
Patabahar leaves.
Rubber leaves.
Creepers.
Unknown (fern?).
Fern.
Weed.
Seasons Turn
Seasons turn swiftly in Bangladesh, like some other things. Last week I was enjoying the cool breezes of the end of winter on my skin. Yesterday it was suddenly hot.
In the farm, in just three weeks, the bald trees...
...had turned green...
... with leaves dripping color.
Of course the usual suspects still prowled.
But the bright yellow flowers of fall that had attracted so many critters...
... were gone, the dying plant now busy creating seedlings in place of flowers.
Even the ugly roadside plants...
...jumped into spring by producing pretty flowers.
The creepers of the forest were also out looking for some action.
But the best part of spring were these intensely fragrant Jambura blossoms. Thakur Mohashoi, "Fagune tor aamer boler ghraan" is not nearly as sweet-smelling as these, but somehow "Faguney tor jamburar boler ghraney" does not sound so poetic!
Baikka Beel (Photos)
Baikka Beel is a wildlife sanctuary in the Hail Haor wetlands near Srimongol. It is a USAID-funded project. I bicycled there yesterday. Here are some pictures.
The sign on the main MoulviBazar-Srimongol road is to your right if you are coming from MB, about 0.5 km past Bhairabganj Bazar:
On the road I ran into fishermen returning from the haor with fish...
... as well as water buffaloes, whose milk is rich and flavorful...
... not to mention grandma who was out shopping with granddaughter...
...but this horseman was a surprise.
After about an hour of cycling from the main road, there was this explanatory sign...
...and an observation tower with incredible views from the top.
On the tower, Ujjol - one of the caretakers - points out some birds...
... of which there were thousands...
...and thousands.
Another view from the tower...
As I started back I saw the field was full of cobwebs reflecting morning light.
An excellent morning of exploration. My thanks to the sponsors and organizers of this project, which provides sanctuary for 98 types of fish and 160 types of birds. I will certainly visit it again, Inshallah.
Day in the Farm (Photos)
Here are pictures from a day I spent in my Father's rubber farm, located 200km NE of Dhaka near Srimongol.
Mimosa (Lojjaboti) flowers were in full bloom.
I was walking on thick grass near the pond. Suddenly a I heard a rustle very close to me, and this dove (Ghoo-ghoo pakhi) flew out and landed on the other side of a creek flowing near the pond.
After a while he took off again and crash-landed in a paddy field. A farm worker went to inspect and picked it up so I could take a picture. The dove's legs and wings seemed alright, but he could fly only short distances. We set it free after the picture session.
Meanwhile, a giant yellow flower had bloomed near the bungalow. It attracted all manners of critters, including bees...
Ants sometimes worked alone...
...and sometimes in groups...
"Stay away, Mr. Bee, you don't have landing rights on this runway - urm, stamen!"
"But try that one - over there."
A wasp (bolta) hovered near the flowers, zigging and zagging...
Whoops, that was a rough landing!
A hairy spider appeared in the plant's leaves.
Butterflies hung around in odd positions...
...while a nervous dragonfly considered whether to join the fray.
There were many other wildflowers in the farm, including this kind
and these:
All in all, a rewarding day at the farm! Isn't the Bd countryside beautiful?
Srimongol Bike Ride (Photos)
Yesterday I went for a 40-mile bike ride through the tea gardens in Srimongol. With me was Stefan (a biking buddy) who planned this trip and came prepared with an older edition of Lonely Planet Bangladesh with a map of this area (the current edition does not.) We started out in Kamalganj and biked in a loop through many tea estates including Srigobindapur, Dolai, Balicchera, Husseinabad and Phulbari.
The starting point for this loop was the HEED bungalow in Kamalganj. From there we followed the main road towards Shamshernagar until reaching a large intersection, where we turned right. Then we pretty much followed this road all the way, looping through various gardens and emerging on the main road again near Srimongol.
The road varied from paved to brick to sand. We did not encounter significant mud despite the rainy season.
It was a daytrip from Dhaka. Left Dhaka by car: 6:30am; arrived at Kamalganj: 9:30am; done biking: 3:30pm; left for Dhaka by car: 4pm; arrived home: 8:30pm.
It was beautiful in a serene, peaceful kind of way. Here are some pictures. Many thanks to Stefan for taking the initiative for the trip and navigating.
We ran into some spectacular landscapes. In the distance it was raining, but we luckily managed to stay dry:
The path was pretty though the brick portions of it jarred every bone in my body!
Many people used biycles in the villages. The boy in the foreground is too small to sit on the saddle but can ride by threading his leg through the frame's triangle. Later we met two boys who had bicycled from Shamshernagar to Srimongol (19km) for fun.
Once we lost our way and ran into these kids in a village...
... and then this Mohish (water buffalo) with whom I was very careful not to get into an argument!
School was over near Srigobindopur:
This father and son pair were working in the tea field:
In the garden, women waited to weigh the tea they had collected. Life must be hard when so much of it depends on weight - be it tea-leaves, rubber-latex, fruits, firewood or fish.
Other workers got a lunch break...
...While a boy offered guavas for sale near a labor village.
On a mandap at the foot of a large tree were remains of a prayer offering:
A drying sari lit up the landscape...
... as did this group who had just finished their weighing:
Meanwhile, it was time for the Friday shave for one of the men -
...but - as usual - the children had a better idea!
Postscript: Several years ago, I photographed the tea workers extensively. You can see some of them in my photo exhibit at the Fixing Shadows online Gallery, for example, this girl
A Bike Trip
Yesterday I went on a 5-hour, 35-km bike trip through the villages behind Khilkhet with some new friends. Making our way through the villages, we encountered charming children, enchanting scenery and friendly villagers.
We biked through the wide avenues of Bashundhara Housing and crossed a four-bamboo-wide bridge ("shako") to find ourselves in Khilkhet. Following a road, we crossed a river by boat, then followed the "path" and eventually looped back to the ferry. Although the terrain was mostly flat, scenery varied from wide open green fields to picturesque meandering rivers to tree-canopied paths connecting one village to another.
I was reminded once again why Bangladeshi villagers are quite possibly the friendliest people in the world. Several times kids offered to pluck ripe Kamrangas from the trees for us. At one household we had to dissuade women who wanted to go make Shemai for us. One girl, Khadeja, asked me if I had a daughter. When I said yes, she asked me to bring her to visit. Why, I asked. So I can see her and show her the village, said Khadeja. Don't forget my name, Khadeja of Bashabashi village, and I will be waiting to see your daughter.
In these villages cricket was the game of choice, followed by soccer. Few kids knew about the games of my childhood such as Kabadi or Dariabandha.
And of course everyone wanted to have their picture taken. Instant feedback of digital camera doubled the children's delight.
At the end of the journey we stopped at a tea stall in Khilkhet. We had tea/soft drinks and Christian bought some Samosas. Initially I worried about the bacteria, but then I relented and tried one. It was delicious and no, it did not make me sick.
All this within one hour of biking from Gulshan/Baridhara.
Many thanks to Nancy, Christian and Stefan for inviting me along on this trip.
Boats on the river Balu:
Field of green:
Bounty of tomatoes in a village:
A statue of Hindu goddess Kali at a village mandap:
More green:
Khadeja of village Bashabashi:
Khadeja and a friend:
Do all cows have funny ears?
Path connnecting villages:
Another river scene:
Three brothers:
A Trip to Cox's Bazar
We made a trip to Cox's Bazar over a three-day weekend: 15-17 December. The options for getting to CB are: a) bus; b) plane; c) drive. We drove. Started out at Dhaka at 7am; reached CB at 3pm. We drove straight through, did not stop anywhere.
To go south from Chittagong, you have to cross the Karnaphuli river. We got on the wrong bridge over the river. This was a really narrow, single-lane railway bridge. There was a flagman who held up traffic one way and let the traffic pass the other way. On our way back we crossed the river on a more conventional bridge.
Anyways, CB was very beautiful. Sunset on the beach was incredible. I was also very happy to see a lot of Bangladeshis enjoying this beautiful spot. Tourism has become big business in Bangladesh. Big Volvo busses ply the Dhaka-CB road, carrying many middle-class families to their vacations.
We ate at the hotel, but there is lots of places with good food in CB. There are shops selling souvenirs made from "jhinuk" - zillions of different kinds. And lots of "Burmese" shops selling unpredictable combinations of things: "Shaq" basketball shorts, a variety of knives, laser pointers, even a book-light!
Development is crazy. I counted over 20 multi-storied hotels that are open today, as well as many more under constrution. "Angel Drop", a tea shop that the Lonely Planet Guide raved about, was exceptional because of the open air design, and because no concrete was used. It looked very nice. But I was tired and wanted a cup of regular milky Bangladeshi tea only to be told they served coffee (instant) and milkless tea.
The beach sand was dark. The water was a little murky. Parts of the beach were littered with trash. Seems like we Bangladeshis like to share so much, we even share our trash with other beachgoers! Parts of the beach were covered by intricate, beautiful patterns created by tiny (1cm) crab.
There was a large patch of "Jhau" trees on the beach. I assume that they break the force of the winds of the Norwesters that hit these parts during the monsoon.
We got on a speedboat for a short ride. There are other sports such as jet skis, "bananas", as well as dune buggies on the sand.
The Dhaka-Chittagong highway had at least 8 or 10 large rest stops. We stopped at "The Off Beat" which had a diverse menu offering everything from French Fries to noodles to biriyani to Korolla Bhaji. The Fries were so-so - I think
they mixed in a little turmeric. Later I found out that another favorite is Highway Inn. Apparently the Khichuri-Gosht at Highway Inn is amazing.
Next time I go, I am definitely going to take a trip to Teknaf and St Martin's. I understand SM is more pristine, and there is no electricity.
courtesy by...
SAGAR RESTUARANT
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Sagar Restaurant offers an extensive choice We provide 100% halal meat.of traditional Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian cuisine together with new mouthwatering recipes, but if you have a preferred dish that isn't on the menu, please don't hesitate to ask the management who will be more than happy to have our chef specially prepare it for you. |
Jamaica, New York 11432
PHONE: 718-298-5696
718-657-2855
718-213-4338(for catering only)
Web Site: www.sagarfood.com
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