Dhaka

I got on a long flight from Tokyo to Dhaka where I got to catch up on several movies that I had wanted to watch including The Matrix, the Little Mermaid, and Elementals.

Touching down, I found myself in a very old airport, greeted immediately by the face of Mujib, a prominent figure in Bangladesh's political landscape. I easily made my way through immigration and out into the airport. The hotel I was staying in was supposed to send me a private transfer but I quickly realized it wasn't going to happen.

I stepped out into the open, with the strong scent of incense and perfumes wafting through the air and the call to prayers blaring through the sirens. This is Dhaka. I called an Uber motor so I could get to know the city a bit more through my senses, and after waiting a long time, we finally found each other.

My driver tried to take me through a path but we were stopped by the guard, he tried to make an excuse that I was a foreigner but we had to turn back and take the freeway. With traffic all around, we stopped right in the middle so he could go pee. We eventually made it to my destination which was Nascent Gardenia Residences but it ended up being the wrong one, the correct one being at Gulshan. We had to go there instead next.

It was already dark when we arrived but hey, at least I made it. One thing I noticed about Bangladesh was that it had great hospitality. The bellboy in this hotel was some of the most happy to serve if I've ever seen one. He was excited extremely pleasant and helpful. Showing me every part of the room. I bowed to him out of habit and he bowed back even lower, such a fun guy.

I went out for dinner, with the strong stench of garbage and smoke all around. I reached Kolya Restaurant where I ordered vegetable biryani. Here as well, the hospitality was a bit next level to the point where I felt like being spoiled. The waiter was straight up serving me the food from the dish to my plate, again and again. The food was great though and I ended up finishing everything.

I went back to my room, took a shower, and got ready to wake up early the next day to explore Sonargaon.Read more