Back in Dhaka Part 1

Hello All! We are back online! Sorry for the lapse in time from the past post to now. No, Devone, Jesse is not stranded somewhere in the desert with a rag on his head... We just didn't have access to a computer on our trip. We finally got access at Jessore, but the connection was so slow, that it was only possible to type quick e-mails to our family to let them know that we were safe.

Picture 1 - Pigs on a wagon

So now bear with us as we try to catch you up on the past 7 days of our lives in Bangladesh... We left Dhaka on the morning of the 14th and made almost a question mark from Dhaka, north, west, then south to Kuakata. We will begin with the description of what we saw on the road between our stops. For starters, we have a new respect of what a 3 wheeled bike can handle. We saw things like a load of logs (yes, Dad, logs... do you want me to pick one up?), sugar cane, sacks of grain (so high it was at least 3 feet higher than the man riding the bike), 30' long pieces of bamboo, a huge pile of straw... and the best thing we saw was 4 pigs "hog tied" (sorry for the pun) in a stack laying down on the back of the bike (see picture). We saw virtually no wildlife, just lots of other animals like pigs (a whole herd of black bristly pigs running in the ditch), very skinny cows, water buffalo, ducks & geese (Shilo, there were some very interesting looking ducks) and lots and lots of gawking people.

Picture 2 - Shauna in a villiage

I bet it was quite interesting for them to be walking down the road in time to see 7 vans/SUV’s drive by with their horns blaring… but when they saw the white people inside a couple of them… then it was open faced STARING. Yes, we felt like celebrities when we would walk anywhere. We even got asked for our autographs. Shauna enjoyed the women & children wanting to talk and get their picture with her, but the men drove her crazy. Sally & Shauna are constantly being harassed with men taking their picture or taking a “group” picture with the lens being aimed at them… It’s frustrating. Jesse is helping with providing “shelter” as she ducks in beside him just before a photo is taken.

Picture 3 - Jesse, same villiage, Milling Lentil

We stayed in research station guest houses & hotels along the way. It was funny. When we arrived in Dhaka, we thought that the Rigs Inn wasn’t that nice of a hotel, but then when we got back. WOW this hotel is the ritz! The bathrooms are so gross over here. First of all… there are hoses beside every toilet with little spray nozzles on the end that they use instead of TP. So it’s luck if you find toilet paper. It’s even luckier if you find a toilet!

Yes, you heard me right… over here there is a toilet in the floor with grips on each side for your feet… hehe… lots of fun! So thankfully, our hotel here is a really beautifully clean bathroom with a full seat and nice pink toilet paper.

Picture 4 - Bangladesh traditional toilet

We have gotten to see SO many different crops over here in the fields. Some of them are sugar cane, rice, wheat, lentil, chick pea, tobacco, field pea, jute, marigold, mungbean, blackgram, grass pea, peanut, onions, garlic, coriander, mustard, bananas, coconuts, date palms, jujubies, mangos, papayas, pineapple, guava, jack fruit, among other things.

Anyway… we need to let Bert have his computer back, however, we will write more tomorrow (or later today as it would be for you).

We love & miss you guys, and hope all is well! Check out for a new posting soon as we have LOTS more to tell!

Picture 5 - Shauna, Sally & Blaine drinking green cocount juice (yes, Jason, it is so refreshing!)

Picture 6 - Jesse " Drink! Drink! Drink!"

Picture 6 - Amusement (mr. Unibrow - Blaine made me take this picture just so he could have a record of this unibrow!)