At the crossing from where I had taken the bus to Mongla last time, I heard my bus guy shout something with Sona… I googled and saw that’s the name of a bus terminal in Khulna.. And that is about 10 minutes walking from Hotel Citizen. So I stayed on the bus till the end and then just walked to the hotel.
They had expected me later, because Mr. Saif had said I’d show up at 6 or so, but they very quickly ‘cleaned’ my room (or not..), then the reception guy brought me there, sprayed some air freshener stuff into the room.. turned on the fan, and left. I have a couch! And a TV! And kind of a clean floor (as long as the furniture stays exactly where it is now haha). I washed a set of clothes, then had a break… and then turned on the fan, and went looking for ‘New Market’. The google location was a market and shops sold scarves (or saris), but all was from Kashmir.. nothing from Bangladesh. Because it’s better quality as they told me. I didn’t really want to buy a 20 EUR Kashmir scarf here,.. so I left. Outside, a little further down the street, was another market, smaller, and this time selling Bangladeshi stuff. I bought a sari (well.. I’d call it fabric..), and two of those ‘skirt’ thingies. The grocery part of the market was, well, a market.. and I didn’t really need any fish or anything..
Around the corner, I found an empty ‘real cow milk’ tea stall, ordered, and was told to sit down.. then came a whole show of heating up the milk/tea, and pouring it.. And because I said I like his little clay cups, I got one as a present 😉
Then more customers came, and I got to see the tea preparation once more 🙂 Just next to there, the ‘food market’ started.. and next to that, there was a building full of phone shops! I remembered that I wanted a sticker for the (broken) back of my phone.. they offered me a new glass.. but I didn’t think so far that that might be a good idea.. And after my phone looked better, I tried some street food. A couple started talking to me.. and the girl insisted that I try their food, too, which was a different version of mine 😉
The girl in the eco camp had told me I must eat Chui Jhal in Khulna, so I googled that. One restaurant near the hotel had lots of reviews complaining that it wasn’t as good as it used to be, and that it wasn’t clean enough.. Another one was a bit further.. just next to the bus station. I went, had my food – and refused to spoon haha – and when paying, the guy asked me from money from my country! Finally! That’s why I took a few cent coins from home 😉