As I stepped out of the doors of Dhaka airport this morning, I went totally speechless. The contrast between the green palm trees, the grey buildings and that beautiful slightly pink sky which got its color from the morning sun. Something so beautiful no words can describe. After admiring the view for a while, we drove to my friend’s family’s place who made us feel like home at the minute we arrived. We had a nice breakfast after which we decided to rest a bit before we went and explored the city.

I woke up a bit earlier than my friends and I decided to write a bit my journal. After I had finished writing I went to the dining room to chat with my friend’s sisters and father. They gave me the most amazing self-made mango juice. Apparently, there are many types of mangoes in Bangladesh and the juice was made from one of the best ones. In Bangladesh, there is a specific season for fruits such as pineapples, jackfruits, watermelons and lychees, just like in Finland we have a season for blueberries. These extremely tasty mangoes are available only during the first weeks of June. Another good reason to come back to Bangladesh!

I looked outside of the window while we were talking and saw a green flag with a red disc in the middle, the flag of Bangladesh. I asked about the meaning behind the colors. The green field represents the lushness of the land of Bangladesh and the red disc the blood of those who died for the independence of Bangladesh. Before Bangladesh was declared independent in 1971 it used to be part of Pakistan and called as East Pakistan. Interestingly, West Pakistan was not located next to East Pakistan, it was located on the other side of India. If you are interested in learning more about the history there are many articles on the internet which you may read. Not the easiest topic, however an important one, since it helps to understand how the country has become what it is today.

The red disc on the flag has also another meaning. It represents the rising sun. The beautiful red colored sun we saw this morning while driving through Dhaka. We saw also lots of food stalls and a huge marketplace which was busy already at 6am. People were working and some guys carrying huge amounts of bananas on top of their heads. We did not yet go and visit the marketplace; however, we did have some really amazing food. I just love the variety of different kind of cuisines they have here. You will have to wait to see some pics cos yesterday I was just too busy eating. Will probably write a blog post about Bengali food at some point during my trip.

Before I entered the plane in Finland, I had a feeling that this trip would change my life. I feel like it already has. People that I have met here are just extremely helpful, kind and welcoming. We even got invited to a wedding and I am so looking forward to that. Will be an awesome experience. If you are planning to visit Dhaka, I would recommend travelling here with a friend and to stay with a local you know well. That way it’s much safer and you get a much better experience. Soon we will head up to see the old town of Dhaka. Looking forward to sharing all the pics with you.

See ya!

Best,

Johanna

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