Sep 25, 2009 - Drive to Rangpur via Mahasthangarh & Paharpur Buddhist Monastery

25-09-09 This morning we head northwards, our route taking us across the fields and through the villages to Mahasthangarh, the site of the oldest city in Bangladesh dating back to the 3rd century BC. After touring the site we continue on to our night stop at Rangpur a major transit point in the north of the country. ... We also intend to explore some of the interesting old buildings and rajbaris in Dinajpur and Rangpur. ...

Sep 24, 2009 - Drive to Rajshahi via Puthia

24-09-09 This morning we leave the bustle of the city behind and head out to a more rural landscape across the massive Jamuna bridge. Travelling on across the floodplain to Rajshahi we stop at the charming little town of Puthia famous for its historic decorated Hindu temples and the imposing Zamindar’s Palace, a fine example of a Hindu Rajbari. ... We arrive late afternoon at Rajshahi, a large university town on the banks of the Padma (Ganges), in time to join the locals for a stroll along the river at sunset and perhaps a visit to Shaheb Bazaar in the town centre. ...

Sep 21, 2009 - Arrive in Dhaka

21-09-09 We start our adventure in the vibrant Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. ... Hopefully in the afernoon we will do a bit of sightseeing on our own - perhaps a walking tour of Old Dhaka. ... 22-09-09 The tour proper does not start until 6pm today when we meet the others in the group so another day's sightseeing on our own.21-09-09 We start our adventure in the vibrant Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. ... Hopefully in the afernoon we will do a bit of sightseeing on our own - perhaps a walking tour of Old Dhaka. ... 22-09-09 The tour proper does not start until 6pm today when we meet the others in the group so another day's sightseeing on our own....

Jun 1, 2009 - Long time no update....sorry!

Hi everybody, So sorry for the long silence from sunny (v humid) Bangladesh. My work in the clinic is not as dramatic - I am providing a GP and travel medicine service to Dhaka's expatriate community, mainly NGO workers. ... Life in Dhaka continues to surprise and frustrate us regularly, but overall it is fun! So many crazy sights every day and always something new and unexpected. ... Things rarely go as planned! Generally, we are loving our time here and are settled in our flat and in a routine where the weeks pass scarily quickly.Hi everybody, So sorry for the long silence from sunny (v humid) Bangladesh. My work in the clinic is not as dramatic - I am providing a GP and travel medicine service to Dhaka's expatriate community, mainly NGO workers. ... Life in Dhaka continues to surprise and frustrate us regularly, but overall it is fun! So many crazy sights every day and always something new and unexpected. ... Things rarely go as planned! Generally, we are loving our time here and are settled in our flat and in a routine where the weeks pass scarily quickly....

Nov 4, 2008 - Dhaka/Chittagong/Cox's Bazar/St Martin'sii Island

Well, we did say we were out of the nest - and how!! Train from Dhaka to Chittagong was 3 hours late (not unusual) so we waited on the platform.Well, we did say we were out of the nest - and how!! Train from Dhaka to Chittagong was 3 hours late (not unusual) so we waited on the platform....

Oct 23, 2008 - Melbourne/Singapore/Dhaka

Took 23 hours between leaving Bill & Barb's house in Melbourne, and having a beer with Doug in Dhaka, Bangladesh, feeling just slightly shagged! Doug and Genevieve are friends at the Australian High Commission and Gen is solely responsible for us being here, as a result of dinner and travelling tales at La Porchetta in North Hobart. ... Dhaka is very noisy, crowded, steamy, poverty-stricken but, at this stage, absolutely fascinating. ... Visited Dhaka University, primarily because of the famous old buildings. ... After nearly 2 weeks we're still fascinated, think of a country smaller than Victoria with 150 million people, Dhaka has 14 million - evidently the most densly populated city in the world. ...

Sep 21, 2008 - Khulna and Bagarhat

Stay in a top end hotel in Khulna for less than 10 quid a night. ... Its true, the Western Hotel let me stay in an air-con room with satelite TV, fridge, hot showers for 7 quid a night.Stay in a top end hotel in Khulna for less than 10 quid a night. ... Its true, the Western Hotel let me stay in an air-con room with satelite TV, fridge, hot showers for 7 quid a night....

Sep 6, 2008 - Cox's Bazaar

Cox's Bazaar is basically Bangladesh's number one beach resort, but as this is a muslim country the sun seekers dress very conservately, particularly the women.Cox's Bazaar is basically Bangladesh's number one beach resort, but as this is a muslim country the sun seekers dress very conservately, particularly the women....

Sep 4, 2008 - Chittagong

Imagine you own an old ocean-going vessel that you want to scrap, but there's a problem: the scrapyard wants a load of money to break the ship because it says it has concerns over asbestos, pollution from deisel fuel and other environmental issues, and you dont want to spend any money. What to do? Easy, set the autopilot for Chittagong and on arrival steer the ship straight into the beach, watch a team of Bangladeshi ship-breakers crawl over the boat like ants and take it apart by hand, and then walk away. ... And in a nutshell the ship breaking yards are the only thing worth seeing in Chittagong. ... The owners are very camera shy though, I only managed the one photo.Imagine you own an old ocean-going vessel that you want to scrap, but there's a problem: the scrapyard wants a load of money to break the ship because it says it has concerns over asbestos, pollution from deisel fuel and other environmental issues, and you dont want to spend any money. What to do? Easy, set the autopilot for Chittagong and on arrival steer the ship straight into the beach, watch a team of Bangladeshi ship-breakers crawl over the boat like ants and take it apart by hand, and then walk away. ... And in a nutshell the ship breaking yards are the only thing worth seeing in Chittagong. ... The owners are very camera shy though, I only managed the one photo....

Aug 30, 2008 - Dhaka

Big cities in the Indian subcontinent are very crowded and polluted, and I can tell you that Dhaka is the worst I've come across. ... I met that rarest of sights in Dhaka, a fellow tourist and he was only in the country to do a visa run for India. ... I've finally got round to updating my blog after 3 weeks of being in this country and that Aussie is still the only non-Bangladeshi I've met here; clearly this country is well off the tourist beaten trail.Big cities in the Indian subcontinent are very crowded and polluted, and I can tell you that Dhaka is the worst I've come across. ... I met that rarest of sights in Dhaka, a fellow tourist and he was only in the country to do a visa run for India. ... I've finally got round to updating my blog after 3 weeks of being in this country and that Aussie is still the only non-Bangladeshi I've met here; clearly this country is well off the tourist beaten trail....

Aug 27, 2008 - Bogra and around

I stayed at Bogra and used it as a base to visit two nearby sights of interest, the ruins of the old city of Mahasthangarh and the old buddist monastry of Paharpur. ... Mahasthangarh is not much more than paddy fields inside grown over remains of the old city walls, not much to see to be honest.I stayed at Bogra and used it as a base to visit two nearby sights of interest, the ruins of the old city of Mahasthangarh and the old buddist monastry of Paharpur. ... Mahasthangarh is not much more than paddy fields inside grown over remains of the old city walls, not much to see to be honest....

Aug 23, 2008 - Rangpur

On the Indian side the concrete boxes that Indians now aspire to as homes gives way to huts made of reedmat, and there is a distinct lack of public transport so my only option to get to the nearest town is a 14k ride with a cycle rickshaw to connect for the bus journey to Rangpur, my first overnight stop in Bangladesh. ... The bus throws off its passengers in Rangpur and I'm trying to find out exactly what part of the map I'm on when Sajjad introduces himself and offers to help me find a hotel room, thus proving one of travelling's most important rules: you can always rely on someone to help you out when you most need it. ... My first impression of Rangpur is the huge number of pharmacies, they are everywhere and are lined up one after another and always busy - Rangpur appears to be a town of hypocondriacs. ...