Trip to Bangladesh

Three flights, several thousand miles and two days later.... I made it!

I got off to an interesting start... my flight from Boston to JFK was canceled due to bad weather so they booked me on a flight to LaGuardia, which meant I was going to have to pick up my (heavy) luggage and get myself over to JFK.  I was not thrilled with that choice but it was the only option.  While I was waiting at the gate I learned there was a Jet Blue flight to JFK so I got myself switched to that, though my luggage may still be in LaGuardia (another story).

The flights were quite excellent!  On my way to NY, I sat next to a Rabbi who ended up telling me Passover stories and recommended a Chabad in Dhaka (go figure!).  I traveled on Etihad, the airlines of the United Arab Emirates, to Abu Dhabi and Dhaka.  It was fantastic service!  I met Bengali-Americans on all flights who gave me advice- "if you have a driver, don't let them drive too fast", "never drink the water", etc.   There are very few women traveling alone on these flights, and even fewer white women traveling alone, so I got a lot of assistance with my baggage.  I was telling Elizabeth how pleasant a change it was from the US and she agreed but says it comes at a price  - as women are otherwise quite repressed.

Not surprisingly considering the wealth of the country, The Abu Dhabi airport is amazing- dramtic tiles, plants and lots of amenities.  The transition to Bangaldesh is quite stark.  The flight to Dhaka was filled with laborers who work outside of Bangladesh to support their families. 

I arrived in Dhaka at 4:10 am and Elizabeth was waiting at the gate for me.  Being a white woman who can speak Bangla turns out to be very helpful and Elizabeth was accompanied by a high level security man who shepherded us through customs and helped me file my lost bag claim (yes, my luggage did not arrive!)  Elizabeth tried to give him a tip at the end of the several hours that he helped us and he refused (was actually a bit offended) and told us he helped us to be a friend :)

Elizabeth is living on the top floor of a house owned by she connected with through the photography community. It is a lovely house and she has a room mate who is here from the Wisconsin working for non-profit doing research.  Importantly, her room is air conditioned.

I slept a good part of today (what day is is anyway?) and now we are out off a late lunch and to buy some clothes for me as the skinny jeans I wore on my trip here do not quite fit in.

More later.