Nepal - a mountain nirvana, but first...

Back in Dhaka after a wonderful week away and suddanly reality is just too real! I will write about my trip over the coming days, with lots of pictures of the wonderful time I had there.
First some reflections:
Today I said goodbye to my favourite Dhaka flatmate. Vic, you are one in a million and we will miss you so much here. Your time on the shores of the blue/green lake was brief, but your impact on our lives was immense. Here's to catching up with all the peeps sooner than we think.



I got back to some bad news, one which is life changing and as tears moisten my cheeks I must remember that tomorrow is always another day.
'If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.' Anna Bradstreet

Being realistic and reality

About three weeks ago I went to work to find that upon the expansion of the RMMRU office, I had somehow got a 'promotion'. Myself and my collegue Mohidul were to have our own office. I have to say for a brief period the illusion of importance went to my head and I felt like I had finally 'arrived'. But like I said it is all an illusion. I will include a picture of my new office which I like a lot not because it makes me feel important any longer but because it is quieter than the previous one and I actually enjoy working there. However, I want this entry to be more than just that, I want it to be a reflection of what I expereinced just a few days later. I received an email from my mother in Ireland with a link to a project that has been started by the doctor that delivered me 28 years ago in Vancouver. Ellen Coburn has taken the time from her profession as a family docotor in Canada to start 'The Mayan Health and Education Project' in Guatemala. Initiated in 2001, the project supports medical aid trips to Guatemala and the operation of a junior high school in Huixoc, a Mayan village in the mountain highlands near the Mexican border. I read with great admiration of the work which is being done there, and in doing so took a moment to reflect on what is really important. It is people like Ellen Cobrun that inspire others, me included, to remind ourselves about what is really important in life.
Read about the project yourselves http://www.mayanproject.org/

'Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.' Albert Einstein

Happy Paddy's Day

If you're enough lucky to be Irish...
You're lucky enough!

I know it has been a while since an update and there are some new ones coming I promise. It's now 10pm on the 17th of March and I am heading to my bed so a quiet evening here in Dhaka. We celebrated in style last night though with the Concern Paddy's day bash at their new office, where lots of Bangladeshis attempted to learn the steps to a reel - very entertaining. The celebrations lasted long into the night at a party where everyone sported green and shamrocks were aplenty; not sure how many of them actually understood the meaning of St Patrick's Day, but then again does everyone in Ireland?!
Well here is to everyone celebrating Paddy's Day around the world. I hope you all have a wonderful day and maybe next year i'll be with some more of you.
Some of the favourites:

"God invented liquor to keep the Irish from conquering the world"

"May the lilt of lush laughter lighten ever road,
May the midst of Irish magic shorten every road.
May you taste the sweetest pleasures
that fortune ever bestowed,
And may all your friends remember
all the favors you are owed."

"Dance as if no one were watching,
Sing as if no one were listening,
And live every day as if it were your last."

Cocktail of mountain memories - part 2

Morning ritual - communal teeth brushing


Evening ritual - yoga (or are they praying?)


How to sit in Bangladesh


How to cross a bridge in Bangladesh


We did it, we really did it!!!!!!

Viv is queen of the hilltracts

Cocktail of mountain memories - part 1

Vic and I start a new trend - we are hoping to hit the highstreet shops in the summer!


Locals travel in style


Best way to carry belongings in the mountains


Fancy dancing the night away wearing that necklace!!!!


The biggest cow in Bangladesh!!!!!

Is Imti happy or just about to fall off?????

Twenty-Four hours in Rangamati – tea with a king and the feet of a monk…….

The winding hill roads of Rangamati

The aluminum roof of the temple

Hot monks - is one allowed say that about monks?????

Linda with the boys at dinner

The beautiful lake

Gender equal boat people

Are the girls being arrested? What have the Swedes done now?????

Myself, Anna, Paul and Imti were joined by Linda and her friend Kristina to continue our tour of the hill tracts and visit the Chakma town of Rangamati. We waved farewell to the other as they headed back to Dhaka and set out on the road for our three and a half hour drive. The scenery continued to astound me and its beauty didn’t seem to fade. Linda and I practised our best Bangla flirting skills as we encountered the countless army check points along our route – all in a day’s work. We arrived at the Parjatan government tourist hotel in Rangamati at lunchtime and following a brief moment to admire our wonderfully comfortable rooms over looking the lake, we sat down for a massive lunch in the dinning room.
Feeling overly full, we choose to walk the 5 miles to the tribal shops area – a decision I questioned at one point when I moon walked backwards down a steep hill to dull the pain of my still recovering knees. The shopping as always in Bangladesh was a great experience of bargaining, walking away and coming back to walk away with your good of choice. I also discovered much to my delight that Rangamati grows cashew-nuts which were available for sale in the shops at a 10th of the price of cashew-nuts in Dhaka.
We enjoyed a roadside coconut water break before hopping into two auto-rickshaws to visit the local Buddhist monastery. The place was alive with people, monks and sounds I had never heard in Bangladesh before. We were asked if we would like to meet the resident 88 year old monk for a special blessing and needing all the luck I can get I obliged along with Linda and Kristina. Feeling a little holier than when we arrived, we got back in our auto-rickshaws and headed down to the river to cross to the residence of the Chakma King. Much to the horror of some of our members we walked up to his front door and rang the bell. Using the name of a friend whom had once worked with the King, thanks Jess, we gained an audience; not only that but we enjoyed the company and tea of a wonderful man. Not only was he the handsomest man I had meet in a long while, but he was interesting and was a wealth of knowledge on his local area and on the issue of minority rights. It also turned out that his sister is married to a member of the indigenous Swedish people, the Sami; and so the Swedes amongst us were very pleased.
An hour and a half later we bid farewell to the handsome King and made our way back to the hotel for a brief rest before dinner. Our destination turned out to be a wonderful local restaurant with the perfect atmosphere including candle light and Coldplay. The food was wonderful and the wine flowed aplenty. The next morning was our boat trip on the artificially created although extraordinarily beautiful lake. Myself and Paul made our way to the local police station to pick up our four man police escort, which is mandate for all foreigners travelling on the lake. Although we had called the day before and requested the escort, they were all still in bed recovering from what must have been heavy night duty the previous evening. Eventually after almost an hour waiting I had to the head police inspector involved to get them out of bed! All in a days work it seems. The two hour boat trip was amazing as the clouds cleared and the sunshine stuck the hills and water of the area. We stopped on the far side of the lake at a shop run by the local Chakma village and enjoyed tea and a lesson in the local language. Back to the hotel and we had to bid farewell to this exquisite town to make our way to Chittagong and our flight back to Dhaka.

Day three – Back from the heights

A brave man on the mountain descent


A Ruma Bazar local


Children of Ruma Bazar


Peaceful waters


Relaxing boat ride


François and I on top of the truck

Ok you can call me lazy, but my knees call me god. The thought of putting them through the pain of a downward climb of 4 hours, just created ripples of fear throughout my body. I choose to listen as did 5 others. We managed to rent a van which would transport us back to Ruma Bazar, while the others, brave hikers that they are, opted for the physical option. The decent was no walk in the park as we experienced many dangerously sloping parts to the road with eyes closed at some points but an hour and a half later we were on flat ground. We enjoyed the market of Ruma Bazar and the local children playing around us as we sipped our tea and waited for the others. Four hours later we were together and ready for our boat trip. It was an hour of bliss, as I lay back in the bamboo and newspaper covered boat and listened to the sound of the water lapping against the small boat. The tranquillity was only occasionally interrupted by the thunderous hawking and spitting of the neighbouring boat man; he seemed to be in competition with himself. Next mode of transport was two jeeps back along the winding roads of the hills with a quick stop at the Friday blanket market. I rode the whole 2 hour journey back on the very front of the jeep, sitting over the driver, with only the occasional remark from Imti regarding my safety. Back at the Guide Tours resort, we enjoyed a great lunch and a well earned drink. We were driven to our hotel in Bandraban town, and one cold shower and miles cleaner, we returned to the resort 2 hours later for a dinner of barbequed chicken, French fries and soup! My head roared in anticipation at the clean soft bed and warm blanket and I obeyed as we retired for the night.