bangla dhun

i see a sign for free wifi at hongkong airport and can't stop smiling- out comes the iBook.
hmm.. and i wanted to travel to see the world beyond wifi, cable tv, skyscrapers.. so here i am in the perfect place - Dhaka.

coming to bangladesh is like stepping back into time. its somewhat like india as it was before the internet boom, but with less women on the streets.

i walk through an open-air vegetable market, a fish market, bangladeshi bazars, avoiding cycle rickshaws and inviting stares, while following mahmud, of the LP thorn tree bangladesh forum fame to a mega-shoppe where you get everything from hairpins to vacuum cleaners.

internet cafes are few- the cost is less than 30 cents for an hour-- you DO need that hour, its slow! uploading photos on flickr might be a challenge here, i'm sure it will be easier in thailand.

this afternoon, i (try to) go on a 24 hour boat ride to the coastal village where i am volunteering.. the boat runs only when there are enough people, so i might wander the streets of dhaka for another day or two..
more to come..