Boating in Bangladesh

This Saturday the staff and board members at Dad’s school were all invited to go on a boat trip by the very helpful doctors who helped Dad get all better from dengue, answer Mom’s questions about my growth, and run a three hospitals in Bangladesh.  (They’re pretty cool people!) 

We met at what I thought was a riverbank, and later found out is actually just a flooded area where rice grows during the non-monsoon seasons of the year.  I was pretty excited and loved looking cool in my hat like dad.

Aside: Go Twins!  Please win the playoff game!

As we boarded, the other kids were yelling about being pirates and walking the plank.  Someday I’ll be able to yell and run all around like them, too!

 Our boat was all decked out with huge cushions and a nice shady roof so we just relaxed for the three-hour ride.  We also got to learn a little bit about life outside of Dhaka.  For instance, this is one way that many of the fish in Bangladesh are caught: fishermen drop these contraptions made of five bamboo poles and fitted with a net into the water and then pull them back up with a see-saw type motion.  We didn’t see them catching anything, but it must work sometimes because I see fresh fish in the street markets all the time!

 We also learned that a lot of Dhaka is built over the water.  I guess it is sort of like that place Venice that Mom and Dad visited when they were dating, but without the charm and romance.  So, ships like the one in my next picture go to the rivers and dredge up sand. When they’re so full that water is coming over the sides, they go back upriver and dump the sand wherever they are thinking about building the next part of Dhaka.  Pretty creative and resourceful!

This ship is being filled with sand. It is surrounded by non-native water hyacinth that's in so much of the water here.

 I had a great time with my friends and family!