Beautiful Nilphamari

Nilphamari is a district in the very north of Bangladesh and we have been trying to get up there for a few weeks now. The first planned trip had to be cancelled because we were both sick but we finally managed to board the train for the 8 hour journey last Wednesday. We chose the train because the buses aren't that safe out here, they go quite fast down really narrow roads and I wasn't really up for that kind of adventure! The trains are a lot slower but safer so that's what we went for. They are cheap as well, i think our tickets cost £10 return each and we had AC first class seats and a cabin for sleeping in on the way back.

Example of some craziness at the station, just feel free to walk all over the rails!

The purpose for our trip was to visit the factory where the bamboo coffins are made and for Chris to have a meeting with some other NGOs who are part of an anti-trafficking network. The location of the factory was chosen because the area is particularly vulnerable to human trafficking as it's a really poor area with some seasons where there is no work to be found at all and it's close to the border with India.

The journey didn't start as smoothly as we'd have liked but it's all part of the adventure! The trains are always late, and ours was 2 hours behind schedule. So after having arrived at the station at 8am we had to stand and wait for the train in the sun, while being constantly approached by beggars or with just big crowds of people slowly assembling around us staring silently at us!

Once on the train and a little way out of Dhaka we started to see some of the beautiful countryside. It was nearly all agricultural land with small villages dotted around here and there. Mainly rice but there are other crops grown like tobacco and jute. When the sun came out it was a really breathtaking sight to see fields of golden green crops and tiny people (they were far away) in brightly coloured clothes working on the land. It was like a post card.

Colourful washing hanging out to dry

(Side Point: Unfortunately after about half of the journey gone, i started to feel a bit rotten and had to start frequenting the pit toilet on the train quite often! I gradually deteriorated and had to have the doctor out the next morning who gave me something to cheer me up so that was good, anyway, that's a different story!)

We arrived at Saidpur town at about 6pm just as the sun was going down and it was a massive relief to get off the train, the AC cabin was FREEZING!!! We got a golf buggy type vehicle to drive us the half hour to our lodgings and it was (even though i was ill) one of the most magical half hours it think i've ever spent!

Chris in our golf buggy

We meandered through little streets generally just one main street in a village, all lined with little stalls selling everything you could need. They were all lit up with oil lamps, some with electricity and candles and the sun sinking in the background gave everything a really magical light. Everything was just so relaxed, maybe it was the contrast coming from Dhaka but here the pace was slow, the air was clean and people were chilled out and going about their business, some sitting on the grass verges and chatting , most gathered around different shops chatting to shopkeepers. As I've come to expect there was colour everywhere in adverts painted on the walls to the things people are selling, It felt kind of like a holiday village! everything was green around and the air felt fresh, now i know there are lots of problems in the rural areas of Bangladesh, poverty and trafficking and the oppression of women are a few of these things but the impression i got in that first half was, wow! Wouldn't it be amazing if we could all live like this?! It felt so simple and peaceful. We stopped half way to the guesthouse to get some coke for my deteriorating stomach and a couple of smiley children approached the buggy, they were just so friendly and understood my basic Bangla and were teaching me how to say things, and just so smiley! I love they way people here have the time to stop and chat and just wander around!

Again i have lots more i could say about this place and hopefully will do blog about the business in a few days but for now here are some pictures to tell the story again....

Chloe

James, the factory manager and his wife Happy's place, this is where we stayed

Pretty shutters on our room, credit to Chris for all nice photos he took things he thought i would like as i was lying poorly in my bed!

The factory where the bamboo coffins are made

More coffins

Random shot from the side of the buggy that I thought was really good?!

Possibly the funniest photo yet, the guy on the left is taking a photo of us taking a photo of him, but the whole picture is just brilliant and so typical of here!

Little local shops that stay open till 10pm at night

This is Bindu, he works at the pre-processing site for the bamboo, Chris hadn't noticed he didn't have any teeth and kept asking him to smile! Awkward!

I love this ladies sari combo! We took photos of all the staff for the website

The pre-processing site staff leaving for the day, what an amazing place to work! Some might have a cycle or a walk home in the evening sun

We went for snacks at Farid and Bonna's house, they rent a room off this courtyard where the people who live there share a kitchen and a bathroom. It was tiny but idyllic, a group of little ducklings wandered in while we were there and they picked fresh fruit from the tree for us

James, Happy, Sicky and Chris