Day 1. Outside Sharjah International Airport to begin the weekend trip to Bangladesh. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/01-XL.jpg And about to check in for the Air Arabia 3am flight to Chittagong. An Emirati low cost carrier based in Sharjah, it was my first time flying the airline. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/02-XL.jpg The 3,700 kilometer flight to Chittagong's Shah Amanat International Airport was scheduled to take 4.5 hours. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...353/M/03-M.gif I had visited Bangladesh for four days a few years ago but only to Dhaka and inland to Khulna. When I spotted a weekend trip to Chittagong on a Meetup group I quickly decided it was a good opportunity to head back. Airside with my boarding pass for aisle seat 3C. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...9/XL/04-XL.jpg Walking across the tarmac to board the Air Arabia A320. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/05-XL.jpg And a quick selfie before departure. Despite being a LCC the seat pitch was relatively comfortable and the seats actully reclined unlike other LCC's I had been on. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...5/XL/06-XL.jpg After take-off I put on my eyeshades and put in some earplugs to catch a few hours sleep. Coffee, muffin and a Snickers at dawn somewhere other eastern India. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...5/XL/07-XL.jpg Starting our descent to Chittagong. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...7/XL/08-XL.jpg And my freshly stamped Bangladeshi visa for $51. There were four others on the weekend trip and we quickly recognized each other being the only people queueing up for the visa on arrival. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...8/XL/09-XL.jpg Just outside where I met up with Didar, our guide for today in Chittagong. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/10-XL.jpg A couple of the guys had forgotten to bring a paper copy of the hotel reservation so were a little late after trying to figure out how to send it to a Bangladeshi immigration Gmail account to print out. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...a/XL/11-XL.jpg Didar then took us to an awaiting minivan for the ~30 minute drive into the city. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...d/XL/12-XL.jpg In the lobby of the Well Park Residence Hotel. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...1/XL/13-XL.jpg Welcome glass of mango juice. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/14-XL.jpg And our room for the one night stay. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/15-XL.jpg The view from the balcony. My roomate was Maher, an internal bank auditor from the UK working in Abu Dhabi but living in Dubai. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...a/XL/16-XL.jpg Rickshaws out on the street. I wasn't too tired or jetlagged so decided to go for a stroll. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...8/XL/17-XL.jpg Oranges and banana's for sale. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...8/XL/18-XL.jpg A Bangladeshi girl chatting on her phone. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...3/XL/19-XL.jpg Crowd. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...d/XL/20-XL.jpg Pharmacy. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...a/XL/21-XL.jpg Ladies chatting on the street. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...f/XL/22-XL.jpg Cigarette. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...e/XL/23-XL.jpg A rickshaw driver pausing briefly for a quick portrait. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/24-XL.jpg Bunny ears. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/25-XL.jpg More banana's for sale. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...7/XL/26-XL.jpg A driver inside the bars surrounding his auto-rickshaw. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...5/XL/27-XL.jpg Waiting for the next customer. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...4/XL/28-XL.jpg A spiderweb of cables above O.R. Nizam Road. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...5/XL/29-XL.jpg Mother and daughter crossing the road. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...a/XL/30-XL.jpg Back at the hotel restaurant with some chicken soup and spring rolls for lunch. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...e/XL/31-XL.jpg And some tasty fried rice and spicy curry. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/32-XL.jpg At 1:30pm we met up with Didar again and headed out in the minivan for a drive through the busy streets. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...d/XL/33-XL.jpg A short while late we arrived at Karnaphuli Mariners Park. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...3/XL/34-XL.jpg Chittagong is one of the main fishing hubs of Bangladesh due to its proximity to the Bay of Bengal. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/35-XL.jpg A fisherman repairing a gillnet. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...7/XL/36-XL.jpg A lady walking in front of the anchored fishing boats. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/37-XL.jpg Looking west with more gillnets stretched out for repair. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...e/XL/38-XL.jpg A row of the wooden fishing boats at low tide. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...5/XL/39-XL.jpg A fishing boat under construction. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/40-XL.jpg Each boat costs approximately ~6 million taka ($70,000) to build including engine and nets. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/41-XL.jpg Wood for the boats is sourced from neighbouring Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia as well as locally. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/42-XL.jpg A boat builder pausing for a photo. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/43-XL.jpg Another worker with a length of caulking cotton. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...3/XL/44-XL.jpg The caulking cotton is hammered in between the wooden planks to help waterproof the hull. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...2/XL/45-XL.jpg When the boat is out to sea one crew member has the sole job of cotton caulking to ensure the hull remains watertight. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...d/XL/46-XL.jpg A carpenter shaving down pieces of wood to make wooden pegs for the boat construction. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/47-XL.jpg We then drove a few kilometres in the minivan again to our next stop. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...9/XL/48-XL.jpg Roadside snack stall. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/49-XL.jpg Making our way down an alley towards the Karnaphuli River. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/50-XL.jpg And boarded a waiting riverboat. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...4/XL/51-XL.jpg Fishing trawlers moored in the middle of the river as we head upstream. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/52-XL.jpg Fishermen. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...2/XL/53-XL.jpg Rowing downstream. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/54-XL.jpg Passing under the Shah Amanat Bridge. The Chinese-built bridge opened in 2010. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/55-XL.jpg Ladder. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...1/XL/56-XL.jpg A riverboat along side a bulk carrier ship. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/57-XL.jpg After cruising down the river for ~5 kilometers we disembarked on the southern bank of the Karnaphuli River at Shikalbaha. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...d/XL/58-XL.jpg In Shikalbaha we visited another boatyard. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...8/XL/59-XL.jpg Black tar painted on the wooden hull for waterproofing. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...7/XL/60-XL.jpg While the Karnaphuli boatyard we had just visited was for the construction of new boats, the Shikalbaha boatyard was for repair of existing boats. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...d/XL/61-XL.jpg Three carpenters. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...3/XL/62-XL.jpg The boatyard foreman. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/63-XL.jpg Chipping away. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/64-XL.jpg It was a contrast comparing the boats after they had spent many years working versus the new boats under consruction earlier in the day. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...a/XL/65-XL.jpg A gentleman in his tar-splattered shirt. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...7/XL/66-XL.jpg A drum of tar being carried to the boatyard. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/67-XL.jpg We then boarded the boat for the journey back. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/68-XL.jpg A fishing trawler cruising down the river. Chattogram is the official name of the city. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/69-XL.jpg Towing a rowboat which was struggling with the incoming tide. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...5/XL/70-XL.jpg Back on the northern bank of the river. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/71-XL.jpg And the sun beginning to set to the west. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...5/XL/72-XL.jpg Peanuts for sale. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...8/XL/73-XL.jpg Three wheeled transport. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/74-XL.jpg We then drove into the city to the Old Railway Station. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...b/XL/75-XL.jpg Chittagong has two main railway stations. A busy, modern railway station and the Old Railway Station which was built by the British during the Colonial period. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/76-XL.jpg Station master. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...2/XL/77-XL.jpg The station dates from the late 19th century when a railway line was built between Chittagong and the city of Comilla. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...1/XL/78-XL.jpg Passengers about to depart. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...e/XL/79-XL.jpg Floral headscarf. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...3/XL/80-XL.jpg Toki headcap. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...f/XL/81-XL.jpg Waiting for the next train. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...2/XL/82-XL.jpg Three men in thobes. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/83-XL.jpg A game of cricket underway as we continue our walk into the city. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...7/XL/84-XL.jpg Busy Station Road. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...4/XL/85-XL.jpg In the minivan again behind all the tuk-tuks. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...9/XL/86-XL.jpg And back at the Well Park Hotel after dusk. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/87-XL.jpg Some Mum brand bottled water at the hotel restaurant for dinner. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...e/XL/88-XL.jpg Grilled chicken and vegetables for the main. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...2/XL/89-XL.jpg And some sweet rice pudding for dessert at the end of day 1. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...8/XL/90-XL.jpg |
Day 2. Dawn in the city on the morning of day 2. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...6/XL/91-XL.jpg In the hotel restaurant before 7am for breakfast. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...c/XL/92-XL.jpg At 7:30am we met up with our guide for today, Mustafa, and drove down to the Karnaphuli River. Fishing boats in the early morning fog. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...9/XL/93-XL.jpg We then went for a walk through the Chittagong fish market. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...1/XL/94-XL.jpg Filleting a fish. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...4/XL/95-XL.jpg Crates of fish fresh from the Bay of Bengal. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...7/XL/96-XL.jpg The market is the city's main wholesale fish market. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...1/XL/97-XL.jpg Each morning hundreds of tons of fish are sold in the market. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/98-XL.jpg Boys selling ice. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...0/XL/99-XL.jpg Fish is the main source of protein in Bengali cuisine. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/100-XL.jpg A man holding up an Asian sea bass while another shows off a Catfish behind him. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/101-XL.jpg A truckload of fish about to leave the market. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/102-XL.jpg We then made a short drive west down Strand road to the salt processing area of the city. Two businessmen with small piles of salt on the desk. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/103-XL.jpg Salt being unloaded from a boat in the Karnaphuli River. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/104-XL.jpg The salt being washed to further purity it. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/105-XL.jpg Bangladesh produces ~1.6 million tons of salt annually. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/106-XL.jpg The cleaned salt being milled. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/107-XL.jpg And the final product piled high in a warehouse. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/108-XL.jpg Being packed into large 50kg sacks. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/109-XL.jpg And into smaller packages for retail sale. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/110-XL.jpg We then headed in the minivan again for a 40 minute ride north to the infamous Chittagong Ship Breaking Yards. Although the shipbreaking yards used to be a tourist attraction, due to their poor safety record outsiders are no longer welcome with guards were posted and multiple signs warning against photography. They couldn't block access to the sea however and it was possible to get a glimpse of the shipbreaking via a ride in a boat along the coast. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/111-XL.jpg The recently beached Nigerian flagged oil tanker, Diddi, ready for scrapping as we headed out in the wooden boat. It was quite surreal to see such a large ship completely out of the water, simply sitting stranded on the beach. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/112-XL.jpg Our guide explained how the ships are first cut into larger chunks and then attached to steel cables and winched ashore to be cut up further to be easily digested as scrap. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/113-XL.jpg A AHTS vessel in the process of being broken up. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/114-XL.jpg The exposed internals of a ship's stern after it has been cut open. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/115-XL.jpg The remains of a ferry that used to sail between the cities of Shidao in China and Gunsan in South Korea. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/116-XL.jpg The shipbreaking yard is the world's largest, handling a fifth of the world's total and accounts for around a half of all steel in Bangladesh. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/117-XL.jpg The Panamanian registered Uni Lucky, built in 1990 as a wood chips carrier. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/118-XL.jpg The stern of the 20 year old container ship Spirit of Manila. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/119-XL.jpg Workers out on deck. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/120-XL.jpg The shipbreaking and associated industry in Chittagong employ over 25,000 people. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/121-XL.jpg There are eighty active shipbreaking yards along the 14 kilometer stretch of coast. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/122-XL.jpg A towering ship superstructure, still with it's original lifeboat. When each ship is scrapped all the machinery and fittings are stripped and sold to salvage dealers — from enormous engines, batteries, generators, and miles of copper wiring to the crew bunks, portholes, lifeboats, and electronic dials on the bridge. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/123-XL.jpg The slightly apocalyptic and ominous atmosphere of the Chittagong Ship Breaking Yards also helped it serve as a very cinematic shooting location for the superhero movie Avengers: Age of Ultron. A still from the movie is shown below: http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...XL/123A-XL.jpg A cluster of ships waiting to be cut and sliced apart at the end of their working lives. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/124-XL.jpg Looking up at the green hull of a container ship formerly owned by the Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/125-XL.jpg The name of the ship now partially covered over with sheets of steel. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/140-XL.jpg A worker looking out from a lower deck from a ship with a now open and exposed stern. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/126-XL.jpg The recently arrived cargo ship Georgia K which had been beached a week prior. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/127-XL.jpg The stern of a ship with cut off chunks laying down beside. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/128-XL.jpg And the bent propellor, possibly when it was driven at full speed up onto the beach. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/138-XL.jpg Nick then pulled out his red Mavic Air from his bag. I had decided not to bring my drone on the trip so was very jealous! http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/129-XL.jpg Looking down on our boat making its way through the dirty oily water. Luckily Nick kindly shared the video from his drone and I was able to grab a few stills from the footage. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/130-XL.jpg The broken hulls of numerous beached ships stretching out along the coast and dwarfing our little wooden boat centre-bottom. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/131-XL.jpg Looking down on the hulking remains of a trio of ships. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/132-XL.jpg And a large hawk getting curious with Nick's drone. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/133-XL.jpg The red hull of a ferry formerly belonging to the Chilean operator Navimag. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/134-XL.jpg A long streak of black oil in the heavily polluted waters below. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/135-XL.jpg Nick's drone coming in for landing. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/136-XL.jpg Nick piloting the drone in while I get ready to grab it. With it's obstacle avoiding sensors it didn't want to land and when the battery got critically low it automatically tried to fly itself back to the lanuching point, which was a kilometer back over the water! Luckily Nick was able to quickly cancel it and I then snatched it from the air as it hovered over the boat. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/137-XL.jpg The bright yellow hull of a small Chinese container ship. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...XL/138A-XL.jpg The last remaining chunk of a once mighty vessel. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/139-XL.jpg The Ostrov Beringa, originally built in 1986 as the Banyon Maru in Shimonoseki, Japan. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/141-XL.jpg Another skeletal remains of a ship half-way through scrapping. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...XL/141A-XL.jpg Workers shovelling foam insulation into the sea. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/142-XL.jpg Making our way back along the coast. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/143-XL.jpg The pier for the ferry to Sandwip Island. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/144-XL.jpg A man harvesting with the breached oil tanker Diddi in the background. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/145-XL.jpg And making our way back onshore after the very interesting excursion. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/146-XL.jpg A quick cup of tea at a café in the town of Kumira. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/147-XL.jpg And some lunch on the go in the van as we headed to our next stop. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/148-XL.jpg On our way back to the city we stopped at some marine salvage shops. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/149-XL.jpg Several ship speed control dials available for purchase. Unfortunately a little too big for my carry-on backpack! http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/150-XL.jpg Binoculars and lanterns. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/151-XL.jpg And a flag of the UAE I managed to find in a dusty backroom. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/152-XL.jpg Back in the city we went for a visit to a local clothing factory. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/153-XL.jpg We were each given a fire action plan in case of evacuation. The Bangladesh garment industry has suffered numerous tragedies including fires and building collapses and it was good seeing some effort to mitigate and prevent them. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/154-XL.jpg Rolls of fabric ready to be cut. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/155-XL.jpg It was my first time visiting a garment factory and it was surprisingly interesting seeing all the different stages of manufacture. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/156-XL.jpg The different sizes of garment sketched out on a paper template. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/157-XL.jpg The textile industry is Bangladesh's largest manufacturing sector and its size is second to only China. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/158-XL.jpg Clothing labels with the different sizes of garments for the companies Chaps, Macy's and H&M. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/159-XL.jpg On the main sewing floor with was filled wth the buzz from countless sewing machines in seemingly perpetual motion. Each row of machines was separated into a designated team, with a set of performance charts of garments made, rate of rejects etc. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/160-XL.jpg And the finishing floor where the shirts were sorted, ironed and packed. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/161-XL.jpg Back in the city centre we visited a Aarong department store, a non-profit that employs thousands of rural artisans across Bangladesh. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/162-XL.jpg Although they didn't have any fridge magnets I couldn't resist buying a traditional Bangladeshi outfit for my daughter Hannelie to take home. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/163-XL.jpg It was almost time to start heading to the airport for our flight home so we had one last stop at the railway tracks. A man walking along the tracks, carrying multiple sacks perched on top of his head. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/164-XL.jpg And a lady more sensibly walking between the tracks. Just to the right was a slum with people living on the small strip of railway-owned land beside the tracks. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/165-XL.jpg A lady feeding her 18-month old daughter in the slums. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/166-XL.jpg Hitching a ride on a passing train. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/167-XL.jpg After the brief stop at the railway tracks we headed south to the Chittagong Boat Club, situated next to Shah Amanat International Airport, for some dinner. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/168-XL.jpg A plaque on the wall showing a list of club life members with number one being Sheikh Hasina, the current and longest serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG...XL/168A-XL.jpg A small container ship heading down the Karnaphuli River in the background as a middle-class Bangladeshi sits down for dinner. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/169-XL.jpg Sharing some naan, chicken and fried rice with Maher for a last tasty meal in Chittagong. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/170-XL.jpg And a scoop of Mövenpick ice cream for dessert for a pricey 500 taka ($6). http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/171-XL.jpg Saying farewell at the airport and thanking our guide Mustafa and driver Mohamed after a very interesting and enjoyable two days. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/172-XL.jpg Looking up at the colourful mural as we queued up to check-in for our Air Arabia back to Sharjah. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/173-XL.jpg Airside with my Air Arabia boarding pass. http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/174-XL.jpg And about to board the A320 for the flight back home after an amazing and very photogenic weekend in Chittagong! http://www.dsw-photo.com/Photos/CHTG.../XL/175-XL.jpg |
The ship breaking yard was very interesting. I further read a more generic ship breaking Wikipedia entry to learn more about the subject. Terrible about the environmental damage, although just abandoning a ship in the middle of a ocean is likely no better. A bit surprised you were allowed to take photos inside the garment factory just because of the fire safety record in so many of those factories. An enjoyable read for those of us unable to travel at the moment. Thanks!
|
Very interesting read, great photos and looks a unique trip for a weekend. I do like a bit of industrial wasteland - makes me feel like I'm living in the movie Blade Runner.
|
Thank you very much Daniel, it is indeed a great trip report. Stay safe and healthy to you and your family!
|
Quite surreal to see those dirty shipyards that we read about on the news. Must have been an interesting adventure!
|
Great TR as always. I import lcl from Asia and it was great to see closeups of the cargo ships. Amazing about these ship breaking places... the drone pictures are stellar. Glad the drone helicopter blades didn’t hurt your fingers!
amazing that the garment factory didn’t try to hide/encode the global shop brands although I assume there are still multiple layers inbetween factory and brand’s point of entry. |
I never thought about what happens to a ship when it’s outlived its purpose. Thank you for this trip report!
|
Thanks for your report, and I scrolled through some of your old ones. Are you a photographer? The photos are excellent. Loved the black & whites from Paris.
|
My birthplace - it is so poor and there are so many things wrong with it. But the one redeeming quality are the common folks - the 95+% of the population that struggle every day to put food on the table. They are absolutely the kindest and nicest people!
|
You have a unique gift of capturing the everyday look of the country you are visiting. One of the best TR writers on FT for sure. Now post a picture of Hannelie in her new little outfit you got her.
|
Really enjoyed. Thank you. I wondered, though, what camera you used for day one. You have a gift.
|
Love all the portraits. Bangladeshis are indeed very friendly people.
Do you feel that there is any difference between Dhaka and Chittagong? |
Originally Posted by lamphs
(Post 32401973)
The ship breaking yard was very interesting. I further read a more generic ship breaking Wikipedia entry to learn more about the subject. Terrible about the environmental damage, although just abandoning a ship in the middle of a ocean is likely no better. A bit surprised you were allowed to take photos inside the garment factory just because of the fire safety record in so many of those factories. An enjoyable read for those of us unable to travel at the moment. Thanks!
Originally Posted by GregWTravels
(Post 32402006)
Very interesting read, great photos and looks a unique trip for a weekend. I do like a bit of industrial wasteland - makes me feel like I'm living in the movie Blade Runner.
Originally Posted by Redmax
(Post 32402143)
Thank you very much Daniel, it is indeed a great trip report. Stay safe and healthy to you and your family!
Originally Posted by hkskyline
(Post 32402330)
Quite surreal to see those dirty shipyards that we read about on the news. Must have been an interesting adventure!
Originally Posted by gaobest
(Post 32402466)
Great TR as always. I import lcl from Asia and it was great to see closeups of the cargo ships. Amazing about these ship breaking places... the drone pictures are stellar. Glad the drone helicopter blades didn’t hurt your fingers!
amazing that the garment factory didn’t try to hide/encode the global shop brands although I assume there are still multiple layers inbetween factory and brand’s point of entry.
Originally Posted by wrldwide1
(Post 32402474)
I never thought about what happens to a ship when it’s outlived its purpose. Thank you for this trip report!
Originally Posted by MsEllie
(Post 32402487)
Thanks for your report, and I scrolled through some of your old ones. Are you a photographer? The photos are excellent. Loved the black & whites from Paris.
Originally Posted by canuckshark
(Post 32402668)
My birthplace - it is so poor and there are so many things wrong with it. But the one redeeming quality are the common folks - the 95+% of the population that struggle every day to put food on the table. They are absolutely the kindest and nicest people!
Originally Posted by HawaiiTrvlr
(Post 32402880)
You have a unique gift of capturing the everyday look of the country you are visiting. One of the best TR writers on FT for sure. Now post a picture of Hannelie in her new little outfit you got her.
Originally Posted by Darren
(Post 32403461)
Really enjoyed. Thank you. I wondered, though, what camera you used for day one. You have a gift.
Originally Posted by chongsss
(Post 32403752)
Love all the portraits. Bangladeshis are indeed very friendly people.
Do you feel that there is any difference between Dhaka and Chittagong? |
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:10 am. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.