the rocket boat trip will be on the oldest vessel,they have a new non paddle boat in the fleet which was fire bombed last week,some swapping around and it looks as if we have changed to the between which martin has travelled on before. no tummy troubles at all yet but my throat is very sore must be dust,pollution and shouting on the noisey train. Mandy is at at clonter opera prize competition tonight meeting up with sue mensforth there,I usually manage to pick the winner. perhaps I'll send message of support via their web site.
I lost all internet connection last night so I wasn't sure if the posting had gone live it looks like it has. an amusing incident in Chittagong was on our brtc depot visit ,the place took some finding,they have fifteen active deckers in the current ashok Leyland CNG powered fleet and in the depot was just one plus some oldies which he wasn't keen on us filming as they were near burnt out buses. martin asked the big boss if they had ticketing on their local services,he hadn't a clue and asked his number two,this then makes you wonder what happens to the money they take. a lot of the fleet were just parked up demand seemed low,possibly the blocade scars people from using thevdeckers which are a frequent and large target firbthe bombers.
the rocket boat trip will be on the oldest vessel,they have a new non paddle boat in the fleet which was fire bombed last week,some swapping around and it looks as if we have changed to the between which martin has travelled on before. no tummy troubles at all yet but my throat is very sore must be dust,pollution and shouting on the noisey train. Mandy is at at clonter opera prize competition tonight meeting up with sue mensforth there,I usually manage to pick the winner. perhaps I'll send message of support via their web site. well what a day,we had a lovely evening last night at the peninsula hotel in Chittagong even had beer with thrbmeal which here is a treat. the transport blockade goes on with the hartal just relaxed for Friday and Saturday which is the weekend here. the violence continues with several more deaths. we were due to leave from Chittagong at seven sm but didn't actually leave until gone two pm and the train although filthy and full of cockroaches actually seemed to roll along better and we arrived back at Dhaka airport station and then had to get a tuk tuk to hotel as we were too late for the planned hotel transport. I realised that the main trunk road out of town is that on which we are next to other than the large security wall and the turn off direct to our hotel has been blocked so it would have been a long trip around to go to eat but in the event it is far too late and bed beckons.our suitcases and laundry were waiting for us in the room,they've given me a suit but it I'd next to a kitchen or something and I've taken s sleeping pill othewise I'll never get a minutes sleep and after the novel in Chittagong we need a rest. tomorrow evening we get the rocket to near Khulna I doubt if the eighty year old paddle steamer has wi fi so I expect I'll try to blog in two nights from Khulna where we,all be planning our trip to Kolkata in India,good night for now .
this is our second day in Dhaka and the soldiers and police are pretty well everywhere but no hassle to us and positively friendly even helping us to find a place for the car.there were even worse atrocities yesterday with a large number if people killed on a fire bombed bus they be lengthened the barrel tight through to Thursday so we hope that militant Chittagong is as normal as Dhaka although we have to be back in the hotel by five pm and going a few hundred yards to a nice restaurant means a taxi ride to remain safe as mist violence is in the dark, the terrorists only seem to emerge in the darkness in daytime I think 99% would attack them after all the trouble they have caused they are thinking of charging Zia the opposition woman with murder encouraging her mob to create havoc nationwide yet nine of this even seems to hit the news at home
today we went to the only booze sales outlet for eight million people and scored a couple of bottles of oz wine taking the rrmainer of airplane supply to restaurant they don't mind at all and preload with some Bacardi and coke with martin and dome sainsburys Nubbles. not sure how the internet situation will be in Chittagong for next two nights, I've put essential in rucksack for the trip hopefully it won't be wteucjed can't help being a bit nervous two have been derailed on this route in last week. we got lots of good shots today about eighty minutes very atmospheric to say the least. must fadh,both doing well and no tummy probs and looking forward to a meal out again but early start in morning,also got our permits to leave the country by land for the border got them at central bank in city its really wired and wouldn't be able to do without a guide. I am just listening to a play on radio four from home,its regime here and our guide wanted to get us back to the hotel by dark as the violence usually starts after sunset. the flight from Dubai to Dhaka was a bit of an experience I've never seem the stewardesses so freaked out as nobsbdy but martin and I seemed to have any idea what to do no belts buckled etc etc. the girls took a bit of s shine to us and we were pretty drunk by the time er landed plus we had several more of their bottles of wine stashed together with the four half litre bottles of spirit we got for very little at duty free in Dubai I don't think I'd ever want to wander further than the airport after this visit.
so how is it in Bangladesh I'd what you all really want to know,I must admit we were s little concerned but in the event the pick up at the airport was dpoy on and we were quickly through the formalities and heading to our hotel,the rooms were large and comfortable in a middle range dort of way ,we actually had dinner at the hotak last night I eventually got rid of the indigestion and next meal we are going to try to get to a better hotel to eat although they are a taxi ride away. I've got nibbles if we decide to stick to our booze stocks. the countrywide transport blockade is continuing plus a nationwide hartal or in forced strike in its second day but for all this the city is quite normal with bus services running plus the trains although the Chittagong express was derailed yet again yesterday and we make that trip on Wednesday fingers crossed. there are masses of double deckers around although the new deckers from past three years look ablouy fifty years old already and the older ones are sparse especially the half cabs running for the university service we have only seem two of these,everything in brtc livery. we have heard that some of the withdrawn volvos are elsewhere and will have a look for them tomorrow. its all very friendly, the ate policevamd military everywhere bit like everyone else just want to get in on the picture and see the video etc. martin has had a good haul of tickitsvsonfar,I got my right toes run over this morning but no damage done. time for a shower and so myself out. the hotel will let us leave our main lugguage here on Wednesday when we go to Chittagong and I'll let them do my lsundrty while I'm away we have two nights at Chittagong where I'm hoping to get dime trucks filmed perhaps more in Khulna later. we picked up the rocket paddle steamer tickets today they have fancy glossy brochure I think it is now getting aimed more for tourists. hunting Volvo buses and outer bus station tomorrow plus may get a chance to find some trucks locations,lots of Bedford tj and older as well as Indian modern stuff. we are in the lounge at Dubai airport with the sun high in the sky,thankfully the lounge here is somewhat better equipped than the aspire at Manchester which may aspire but fails miserably.the flight out on Friday was fine as far as the service and aircraft were concerned but it was nearly two hours late in part a knock on from Thursday snow in the UK and then we lost our slots and ended up stacked above the gulf in the early hours.I nearly got led to a pirate taxi ,quickly realised something was wrong and found the proper rank and queue the traffic into town was heavy for the middle of the night and it was three am when I got to bed with aircraft movements through the night,ear plugs were worn.
martin arrived in the morning pretty jaded from the overnight flight we met up at the monorail metro stop. the monorail is a tourist thing which is at the back of an empty car park well hidden the tourists get dropped off at the doors which I missed and hobbled around the place twice following the poor sign posting. the SRT up is a lot of investment and carries you over the famous palm leaf development which in reality is a building site and ugly. the monorail tuns to a hotel and fun fair you were meant to get off there,we got out and changed ends so I could get a better video on the way back,its expensive more than a day ticket to travel by all other modes around the country. when we came out they demanded the souvenir tickets back for recycling so why the bothered putting pictures on them who knows,they aren't going to budge on it so martin had to buy another one way ticket to add one to his collection. the metro system is automated and gets around fairly swiftly with windows either end and with a bit of polite squeezing in you can get to a great video position and as the day drew on I got some very good footage. the Dubai tram goes nowhere in particular to another nowhere in particular partly coveted by metro and interchanges are hard work on stairs etc when maintenance or indeed building still seems to be in progress. some stations on the tram have over zealous jobs worth's over filming but none as bad as the deira palm bus station where tourists are I was informed allowed just one souvenir photo of a but because it is public transport. the are neoplan and Chinese deckers lots with all over contra vision adverts plus artics. we had dinner in a local Arab restaurant iyr hotel being far from the tourist get to area and much else but it was cheapish. we got a taxi to the airport which was cheaper than buying a bus ticket how strange. they have gold tickets to access better seats on the trams,the ordinary ones are very comfortable and the possible journey white short how strange once again. a rather nasty little fascist state which will probably fall to the Isis state one DAT,we noticed that Emirates noe have their name large on the aircraft underbelly. waiting for the flight to Dhaka,a three day nationwide hartal is underway at present which ends early Wednesday morning which means we have just one day I. Dhaka with normal segues plus a full day in both Chittagong and Khulna the rest being travelling days with a little time for other things.the nationwide blockade continued and there have been more buses fire bombs and islamist fundamentalists shot in a fire fight with the police,all sounds good fun what ho! |
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