Potion
What was he mixing?
No idea.
But it was an entertaining piece of street theatre.
More rickshaw impressions:
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Bangladesh rickshaws
Rickshaws
If there’s one thing that’s a symbol of Bangladesh, it has to be its colorful trishaws.
These moving works of art are everywhere.
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Bangladesh – Paharpur
Magical
Paharpur dates back to the 8th century and was once the largest Buddhist monastery south of the Himalaya.
We stayed at the Paharpur guesthouse which was located inside the grounds. Early the next morning we walked alone amongst the ruins, soaking up the atmosphere.
Then the gates opened and Bangladeshi day-trippers flooded in.
As soon as they spotted us it was, “Madame, madame! Can we take our picture with you?” The attention didn’t let up until closing time.
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Bangladesh – old Dhaka
Congested
The backstreets of old Dhaka are permanently clogged.
Since our touring bikes are quite narrow, we managed to manoeuver through the traffic jams.
And when we couldn’t spot an opening, friendly rickshaw chauffeurs would point to places they thought we could squeeze through.
More Dhaka impressions:
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Chance encounter
Blessing
When you meet a sacred elephant on the road, just give the handler a bit of change.
In return, he’ll thank you and pray for your safe journey.
More on the road impressions:
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Dhaka
Frantic
Dhaka’s population is out on the streets, all 17 million of them.
And they’re all doing something; buying, selling, going every which way.
In the mornings, we were eager to head out and see everything.
But by evening, we were happy to be back in the peace and quiet of our hotel room.
More Dhaka impressions
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Rocket boat
Rocket boat
We left Dhaka while the sun set, heading downriver to Khulna.
The next morning, we woke up to see the river covered in mist. A serene, calm landscape that was in total contrast to the chaos of Dhaka.
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Cycling
Tranquil
The back roads of Bangladesh are great for cycling!
No busses, just three-wheelers loaded up with produce and people.
They would smile and wave as they passed us.
And yes, there is nothing so ego-destroying as being overtaken by a van rickshaw carrying multiple passengers.
More on the road impressions
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Oman – bicycle touring
Cycling
Oman is barren yet the diversity in desert landscapes is enormous.
After weeks of touring by bicycle, our skin dried out and we were continually covered in sand.
We had turned into desert rats.
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Oman – camping
No problem
Wild camping is legal in Oman.
Since there’s almost nobody around, we’d just pull off the road and set up our tent.
Even when we camped behind a government building, the Omanis didn’t bat an eye.
More camping impressions:
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Bolivia – bicycle touring
Cycling
Bolivia isn’t the easiest destination to ride through due to the sand and high elevations.
But pedaling across the Salar de Uyuni has to be one of our all-time favorite cycling experiences!
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Bolivia – train graveyard
Relics
Just outside of Uyuni lies the abandoned Cementerio de Trenes.
The rusted locomotives and rail cars have long been corroded by the salty winds.
It’s an eerie, yet strangely beautiful sight.
Another Uyuni impression:
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Argentina – bicycle touring
Cycling
The never-ending Ruta 40 led us through Argentina.
Accompanied by a playlist of road trip songs that played through our heads – the miles flew by.
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Parade
Parade
We spent the morning sitting on a teashop bench, watching the decorated trucks and busses drive by.
I was just about to leave when Paul said, “Grace, wait. I see something else coming.”
More Badami impressions:
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Reclining Buddha
Gigantic
The Reclining Buddha is enormous. From head to toe he’s more than 200 feet long.
Yet even up close, the perfection and attention to detail is astounding.
More Yangon impressions:
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