When I got up, I met Dibya’s dad, who insisted to wake him up, and he had to take me and put me on a CNG to the bus station 😉 I first took the bus towards Khulna, until Katakhali. My backpack was in the overhead space.. and kept moving more and more out, threatening to fall down, thanks to the bumpy road,… the bus employee just told me to sit down and ignore it.. but I was afraid it would fall on someone else’s head – so, that was not the most relaxing bus ride.
In Katakhali, I asked for the bus to Mongla, and ended up in a rather shitty old bus where I couldn’t actually fit straight in one seat – not enough legroom 😀 also, there was no overhead space, and nobody suggested to put my backpack in the storage space under the bus.. so, my backpack and me shared two seats. I sat near the front, and ended up with some people looking and/or talking to me. One even gave me his phone number on paper. haha. I guess he’ll be disappointed 🙂 They told me where to get off for the boat/ferry to the other side of the river.. and I just stood around there, at the pier, as everyone else, until the little boat came. On the other side, lots of men just stood around, and I wasn’t quite sure if they’re waiting for some kind of transport, or what’s going on. Rossi had told me what kind of vehicle to take.. there was one.. so I asked him if he’d go to Gol Kanon.. he told me no.. and suddenly everyone was surrounding us, discussing.. someone knew Gold Kanon… and I was asked if a motorbike is ok… the guy with the motorbike said 250, I said ok, and that was it! He had scary red gums from whatever he was chewing,.. and drove like crazy.. but we made it! First we passed by the resort, without recognizing it.. then he asked someone, and we were told to go back a bit.
A man who spoke hardly any English said Welcome, and put a flower necklace around my neck. And then another one came running, who told me I should first have a welcome drink – a coconut! – and then come to his house with them. He showed me the harvested rice, the fields, and then we went to the kitchen where he was going to make a coconut cake snack. There were 3 other Bangladeshi guests, who had been there before. I was suggested to have dinner at 8 – and just said ok. After dinner, I joined the others who were singing and playing music next to the river.. and smoking weed 😀 One of them was from Khulna.. He didn’t want to invite me to stay at his place,.. but he actually booked a hotel room for me, for 500 taka! It got quite cold and I sat outside, wrapped in one of my launch blankets.. My phone said the lowest temperature at night was around 14.
The place has 3 rooms – two were on either side of the bathroom, while mine was a little hut on stilts in the lake, made from wood and palm leaves or so! With my own balcony! So much more fun than actual concrete walls,.. 😉
After breakfast (a lot!) I had a bit of time, then got some tea.. and after 11, we left to explore the Sundarbans. It was a short distance upriver, then we stopped to pick some water spinach for dinner.. and then went further into the Mangrove forest. We saw a Kingfisher, an eagle, lots of monkeys, and tiger footprints! No tiger – luckily, I guess – but footprints on both sides of the river. I was told it was a female tiger, the male’s footprints would be bigger! At the end, when we couldn’t get further in, with our long-ish boat, we had a break, ate some guava, and watched the monkeys quarrel.
In the afternoon I was told to come, and he showed me a little temple in the village.. then we had tea at the local grocery shop/cinema (maybe the only TV there!?), saw the advanced version of the rice processing using a machine, and then had another snack. This time it was ‘khoi’ – homemade puffed rice!
The Bangladeshi guys left, I had dinner, and talked to the ‘owner’ – he said his wife has a headache since a few months and will go to the doctor tomorrow.. A homeopathic doctor… I suggested I would go to a ‘normal’ doctor.. but he was very sure that’s a great doctor.. he also said German homeopathic medicine is very good, but very expensive,… well, let’s hope the headache is nothing too bad 😛
The next morning, I had my breakfast – and saw two new people! Bangladeshi guys.. they got their welcome coconut water and filled it in a container and then went to the river.. When I was cleaning my teeth, they came to ask if I drink alcohol.. and said I should join them 😀 So I got to try some kind of homemade spirit.. and an officially bought Bangladeshi vodka. Each with coconut water! They said that plastic bottle of vodka costs around 20 USD.. I think I won’t take one as souvenir then.
And then it was time to leave – my motorbike was waiting. It took me to the southern ferry port. From conversations, I had learnt that ‘local’ is the keyword to not take a private boat.. and so I ended up on the (rather large) local boat. It was cold!
In Mongla, google maps said the bus terminal is right next to the ferry.. I started walking.. a man walked with me.. asking me if I am going to Sundarbans.. then asking me where I stayed.. and then he gave me his business cards. He organizes boat trips into the forest. He put me in the right bus towards Khulna. And it was equally uncomfortable as the one I came in. So I went to the back – hoping I’d be able to, again, have two seats for myself and my backpack.