How is Bangladesh?
Bangladesh
Azië
Everlasting
How is Bangladesh?
How is Bangladesh, you may ask?
Leaving for our next destination is also an early start, our train leaves at 06:30. There is no one awake when we leave the hotel and the gates are locked. We need to pay our bill and get out. Hello! Hello! We shout and the manager stirs from the settee in the office and flattens his hair as he grabs the keys, we pay thaka 1700 (€17) for our two nights and he opens the gates. We are out and there is no one around except the homeless still asleep under their blankets on the streets. We start to walk and luckily two cycle rickshaws come towards us out of the fog. Station please. The scene at the station differs from the other evening, the people that live in and around the station hall are still sleeping, but its still a grim place to be, let alone live. Our train is already there and we show our ticket. The station master shakes our hands, the guard greets us, the machinist introduces himself to us. A kind passenger shows us to our carriage. there are no lights in the train yet so we wait to board. We meet a man from manor park, ( a stones throw from my birthplace in London) he lives there and is visiting family here. We exchange pleasantries and talk about differences, the lights go on and its time to board. Our first class carriage has four berths, like two bunk beds. It's just about visible to see out of the grubby windows but the green leatherette bunks are comfortable and after a breakfast of mandarin, apple and digestive biscuits, (we found a supermarket yesterday and bought digestive biscuits, toast crackers and laughing cow cheese that we shall enjoy for lunch!) we are all set for our journey. We pass on the first class train breakfast, vegetarian they say but with a very distinctive chicken leg:)
The guard has checked on us, are we fine? The conductor has checked on us twice and sent for the cleaner to give our compartment another clean with an albeit dirty cloth, but its the thought. We thank them all they make us feel very welcomed guests. This is Bangladesh!