I decided to go on an adventure. The “C & G”’s are small, caged, slivers of a car that take you from place to place for only a dollar or so. Like one of those rides at the fair where you are caged and flipped upside down, one grabs for the cage of the C & G and fears for her life. The C &G’s love to face speeding traffic and swivel between cars and trucks. My C & G was hit in the back sending me reeling toward the gate. The thoracic herniated disk that I was conveniently diagnosed with right before the trip loves Bangladesh.
I have been practicing my Bangla constantly so I strutted up to a C & G and told him to take me to Ashnan Manzil or the pink palace. “Yes yes of course” he spit at me with red stumps of teeth and took me across the city to an Asian International Trade Expo. My second attempt took me to the pink palace after 2 hours of wading through traffic. I have never seen driving this bad. Not in India, not in Costa Rica, not even in Baltimore.
The pink palace was 20 minutes worth of cool and then I got another C & G and took the 3 hour ride (seriously) home. The drive back went through a dense market place filled with colors and cha and sweat and garbage. We got stuck in a monsoon downpour and I became drenched to the bone with equal part rain and sweat. I am really looking forward to rural Bangladesh. I went home, got a chicken roll from down the block, showered, napped and then met Katie and company for dinner at café mango.
The pollution here is palpable and tangy. I wonder if muslim women, because of their covered nose and mouths, have a lower prevalence of upper respiratory infections.
Asalam Walaikum,
Chelsea
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