Traffic in Dhaka

Traffic in Dhaka is renown by anyone who has visited or knows about Bangladesh. The word Traffic always has a capital T. Sometimes it is referred to as 'the Traffic'.

A short journey of a few kilometres can take two hours depending on Traffic. What time will you pick me up tomorrow? We'll leave early because of Traffic. See that pile of cars on the other side of the road? Traffic. We're an hour late for a meeting because of the Traffic. Tomorrow (Friday) is the weekend, so no Traffic. I should easily make it to my flight on Saturday night, because no Traffic.

Dhaka is a city of 12 million people, including 7 million who commute into the city every day. Think about it. Traffic. Traffic intensifies during thunderstorms, but also seemingly when it's fine and sunny. Rush hour is complete mayhem, but sometimes there is also Traffic at other times of the day. The roads and footpaths are full of potholes that fill up with rain, making for a bumpy ride. It's all part of the Bengali experience.

Today, the city of Dhaka is officially closed for the mayoral elections. No motorised vehicles are allowed on the roads, although I've seen one or two. That means there is very little Traffic. Vehicles are not vying for open spaces, regardless of whether or not they're allowed to perform a U-turn at a busy intersection or drive on the other side of the road. The car horns and rickshaw bells are mostly quiet and it feels safer to walk around.

Here are some of the vehicles you will see on the road. I've been for a short rickshaw ride and hopefully will have an opportunity to ride in a CNG. Unfortunately I'm unable to take an aerial photo of a really good traffic jam in action, but the gif above almost captures it. (It's a bit more orderly than yesterday's spectacular traffic jam that our Uber was somehow in the middle of.)

An elaborate rickshaw

Rickshaw taxi stand

CNG
because it runs on ... CNG

Pedestrians, rickshaws, CNGs and motorised vehicles
all vie for space on busy roads

A commuter train at dusk
Zoom in to see children hitching a ride on the roof

Downtown Dhaka

After a very short visit to Malaysia, I have now arrived in Bangladesh. Yesterday, I took a stroll around the streets of downtown Dhaka. After arriving in the middle of the night then teaching a full day workshop, it was my first opportunity to actually go outside and experience the capital city. I'd been warned about the traffic, which areas were safe to walk and how to get back to the hotel. I was ready.

First impression: it's mayhem out there. Road rules, including lanes, speed limits and which side of the road to drive on all appear optional. People walk in and among the traffic, barely flinching as vehicles vie for space on the road. You must lock your doors while in the car as you'll be approached for money every time you stop. So far I've had a small child smile and press two bunches of roses into my window and an elderly man put his prosthetic leg onto the car bonnet. Neither left until the car started moving again.

Car horns and bicycle bells toot constantly, even at 3am. I think I've worked out why. They seem to be using horns in place of indicators and as a warning that they're approaching something – anything. A car, a person, a corner, a bicycle ... anything. It makes for a very loud city.

Downtown Dhaka

And then there are the buildings. We may bemoan the rigor of our workplace health and safety rules in New Zealand. However, they're there to protect us. The construction site across the road from my hotel and the cabling I've seen on every power pole would be enough to scare even the toughest tradies!

Construction site

Power cables
This is not an internet meme!

I'm also a huge novelty. Everyone stares at the 'white' woman walking alone down the street. A few call out "hello!" and "you're pretty!", some offer rides on dubious forms of transport, but the staring and endless requests for selfies is sometime I'm not used to. This taxi driver was happy to pose for a photo but quickly lost interest once he realised I didn't require his services.

Taxi stand

Oh, Dhaka. You're like nothing else I've experienced.

The lights of Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, is described as the city of contrast and diversity. When an opportunity came up to visit this incredible city, I grabbed it with both hands. Although I only managed to have a tiny taste of this hot, humid city in three short days, KL easily captivated me.

It's hot here. Very hot. 34°C and humid during the day, or 28°C at midnight. Even though there is a lot of activity happening during the day, the area where I stayed came alive at night. Bukit Bintang, is a lively and vibrant shopping and entertainment district. The streets are buzzing with people well after midnight and lit up with stylised Chinese lanterns and modern digital billboards. There is so much to see and take in.

Bukit Bintang at night

Stunning architecture
Sephora shop

Just a few minutes away is Jalan Alor, the famous night food market that is open every evening from 5 pm. The atmosphere is electric as restaurants boasting giant picture menus compete with hawkers for customers. Here is what this busy street looks like at 9.30 pm on a Thursday night.

Jalan Alor

Jalan Alor

Dumplings!

A highlight was visiting the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers. These identical towers are a major feat of architecture and engineering. A light and fountain show starts on the hour every evening from 6-9 pm and is beautiful to watch. My photos cannot possibly capture the grandeur of these mighty buildings.

Gong Xi Fa Cai
Chinese New Year

Light show

Petronas Twin Towers

My tiny taste of Kuala Lumpur during my whirlwind visit has left this #TravellingWeka hungry for more.

I would not, could not in the shower

We had an interesting conversation in the office last week. I have no idea how it started but clearly remember the moment it changed tack. Someone (it might have been me) stopped and asked a colleague for clarification: "you drink tea in the shower??" 

A quick office poll revealed most of my team were as surprised as me. How does it work? Don't you get soap and shampoo and other stuff in it? What if you spill it? Doesn't it taste awful? The simple answer was "no", but no further information was provided.

My curiosity couldn't let it go. This now called for a Twitter poll. The results mostly confirmed what I knew already and also furthered the conversation.

But seriously, how does it work? Several people offered suggestions. Many shared that they take cups of tea or glasses of wine to drink while relaxing in the bath. (A friend takes it one step further and pops her Kindle into a zip-lock bag to complement her bath wine experience.) That makes perfect sense. The surfaces are relatively flat, the floor is not too far away and water or other substances are not potentially falling from above into an open vessel. It's the 7% who frequently shower with hot drinks and the 9% who have tried it that intrigue me.

This is not me

How do they do it? Splash-proof lids? Children's sippy cups? Or do they have gigantic walk-in showers with separate shelves away from the shower head that means they can quickly take a sip before stepping back under the water?

I'm reminded of a couplet from my favourite Dr Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham - slightly revised for this new context.

I would not, could not, in the shower
I would not, could not, at any hour

I still don't understand how it works.