Bustling, Busy Bogra

I fell asleep about ten minutes after the bus left. Despite the volume of all the honking and the lurching and bumping that happens along the way while you ride the Bangladesh bus system I have no trouble sleeping during the ride; I’m quite sure now that I can sleep near anywhere! So as I was saying, I fell asleep on the bus. I wasn’t worried about time because it was at least a two hour ride and I didn’t think I would sleep too deeply. The next thing I knew the bus supervisor was tapping me saying “Madam, please come” - we had arrived in Bogra: SHORTEST bus ride EVER!!!

The bus supervisor lugged my bag up the aisle and helped me hop off as I was still rubbing the sleep outta my eyes I was still a bit groggy from my nap as I waved goodbye. I found a covered tea stall to hide in (my new preference when arriving in a new spot!) and collect myself. I had my tea and decided on a hotel in the guidebook, and then asked the young man in the tea stall to help me get a rickshaw to the Akboria Hotel, which is apparently quite well known in Bogra, and I had no trouble.

It still amazes me how friendly, helpful, and almost protective people are here when I ask for help.  When the kid (he was like, I don't know, 17?) hunted me down a rickshaw and I asked him how much he told me (10 Taka, it's almost always 10 Taka) and then he had a fairly loud conversation with the driver that included finger wagging and a hand on the hip about not ripping me off and overcharging me.  My Bangla is getting better!!

Bogra was bustling and full of life in the centre of town, which centred around a railway line. The area of the Akboria hotel was down a narrow hallway between buildings that I wouldn’t have found without the help of some locals and a nearby security guard. I was doubtful that I was going to stay there for the first couple of moments, but once I saw the rooms I decided it was a fine place to stay and I booked myself a room.

I didn’t know anyone in Bogra so I just set down my bags, grabbed my book and wandered around.
I walked up the street from my hotel thinking I might come across something to see and found a small river.

From there I hopped a rickshaw to the Nawab Bari, or palace. Originally the building was an indigo plantation warehouse, but a nawab family bought it as their country home. It is surrounded by a collection of painted animals and people and a small children’s amusement park. I wandered inside the building and looked at their small dusty collection and their mannequins and room settings, and even took a few photos when the young guides suggested it.

If I understand it correctly, one of the most influential nawabs that lived in this spot was Muhammed Ali Bogra. He had a really colourful history with many interesting jobs (like High Commissioner to Canada, (isn't that a lofty title?!)  Ambassador of Pakistan and Ambassador to Burma, Foreign Minister, and the 3^rd Prime Minister of what was then Pakistan), and I read a lot about him at the museum.

After that I wandered the streets awhile with no particular plan or places to visit. I walked around for a couple of hours before the sun started to set and I headed back to my hotel and dinner at the attached and very famous restaurant. They were very good to me there, very helpful even though the restaurant was incredibly busy.

Overall it was a pretty uneventful day but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I wrote awhile, read my book in my room, watched Prince of Persia and then went to sleep. In the morning I planned to visit a nearby citadel and old temple/mosque site before going on to Rajshahi again, but that was it for one day!

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Morning came and I lazed about in my hotel room with my stomach doing funny things, grumbling and gurgling.  I was feeling quite tired and even a little listless, and not really ready to get on another bus.  I waffled back and forth in my dirty room about whether to go out and try to find the citadel.  It was to involve another LOCAL BUS ride, god in heaven help me, and I just didn't know if I could do it this particular morning.

I went and had breakfast, the restaurant staff finding me special more "private" seating on the top floor away from all the other gawking diners.  I had something to eat (my normal porata and dim and daal) and they enjoyed a private gawking session, all standing around watching me eat while I alternately giggled and shook my head.

I grabbed a cup of tea on my way out and found some laundry soap, I needed to wash clothes at my next stop.  Handwashing is easy enough, and I have so few clothes with me that it's necessary.  The heat makes it super easy to get everything washed and dried from bedtime to early morning - much more than I can say for Korea!!

Around 9 I finally decided that I couldn't stay in the disgusting room and I didn't want to catch the local bus to the citadel, so I wandered down to the front desk to ask them the best way to get to Mahastangar.  Lo and behold they told me it was a short 20Tk CNG ride, yippee!!

I got myself a rickshaw to the CNG stand, found myself a seat in a nearly-ready-to-go CNG (they only leave where there are 6 willing passengers headed in the same direction) and we were off.  I met a dentist along the way, one of the other passengers, and 20 minutes later after chatting most of the way he took it upon himself to get me to Mahastan Citadel and the temple next door, which involved catching another rickshaw once the CNG stopped at the local stand.

The museum was closed for the day, but I wandered the old temple site with the nice dentist and took some pictures of the beautiful views of the valley below.  Since the museum was closed (I actually get really bored by museums, so I was a little grateful!) I said goodbye to the dentist (he had to get to work) and walked the perimeter of the citadel on my own.

I wandered here and wandered there, and I marvelled at the way the locals had used the lands to its full agricultural potential despite the fact that it was an important site - everything in Bangladesh is old; I guess you can't really just stop using the space because there's something ancient and cool-looking on it!

As I wandered through the fields a few young people wandered behind me, shadowing my steps, and I walked into the centre of the walls rather than along the edge with the other tourists.  There was a group of women and a few children who were farming part of the land, and when I smiled a hello at them one of the women sat down and patted the ground beside her, inviting me to take a seat.  Of course not wanting to be impolite I padded over and plunked myself down beside her while they all gathered round and tried to decide what to make of me.

The friendly woman examined my clothing and gestured between us at the similiarities first and then the many differences.  She literally scratched her head a few times while she pondered, and the she took off my scarf and rearranged it before putting it back on me again - I'm not really sure what that part was about!  :)

After about 5 minutes (and more people starting to appear I'd had enough and wanted to resume my peaceful walk.  Interspersed with giggling school girls, school boys with puffed out chests, sunglasses, and spiky hair, and the odd canoodling couple, I had the peace and quiet I'd been looking for for most of the rest of my walk.

The sun was out by this time, quite hot, and I was thinking I should probably be back to check out of my hotel room around noon.  I know there was another old site about 10 minutes up the road by rickshaw but I was feeling a little dragged out, and really just wanted to go somewhere with a cleaner hotel with less noise that was more relaxing, so I headed back to the CNG stand.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that my Bangla managed to get me right back where I started with the dentist, and then before I knew it I was back at my hotel to pick up my bags, bid farewell to the disgusting hotel, and find my way to the bus stand.  Next stop: Rajshahi to see my friends... a break from all the sightseeing.

I'm thinking I need a break!