WE were booked in "Holy Side Hotel", just a 5 minutes walking distance from the "Shah Jalal Mosque" and facing the open field used for congregations, thus the name "Holy Side Hotel". But since Sylhet is the city of Saints, you will notice that there are lots of establishments here were "Holy" is attached to their establishment's name. The hotel is fine for people who aren't that much picky about amenities. It's quite old but it served its purpose, and that is for sleeping and bathing purposes only. As we were the only guests at that time, and it's eid holiday, food choices are limited. Breakfast was paratha, bajee and omelette only, the other choices are not available.
We are lucky that we have friends who are based in Sylhet, and their place is also a walking distance from our hotel, a good 20-30 minutes walk depending how fast you are. They were our host for this trip. They toured us around the city and also in nearby towns. And we celebrated the Qurbani Eid at their place also. This is my 2nd time to participate/celebrate qurbani eid.
On our official first day in Sylhet, we woke up early so that we have enough time to go and visit the "Shah Jalal Mosque" before our hosts will pick us up for the tour. Since, i'm the only one in our group who knows where Shah Jalal is, I'm the navigator and even convinced them to take the other side route on the way back to the hotel instead of going to the same route we took in going to the mosque. It's easy to memorize and navigate since the places are just around the same blocks.
Along the roads, you will see lots of tea gardens. The scenery is awesome, tea shrubs along the mountainside or the hill side creates a visual of greenery feast. I'm not that impress though as I see countryside scenery whenever I go home to our province also, but the view makes you feel and think, in that very moment, you were not in Bangladesh at all. Maybe, seeing the tea plantation at different seasons will give you a different beauty each time.
On the way to Jaflong, we passed by Tamabil, the Sylhet-Shillong border crossing between Bangladesh and India which is open between 6am - 5pm, it's 55km north from Sylhet town proper. It is primarily used for importing coal from India, thus the nearby vacant lots are full of coal business establisment.
Tamabil and Jaflong are both situated beside the outskirts of Meghalaya India. From here, you can see the mountain ranges of Meghalaya India and a glimpse of the waterfalls in the mountain. It's my first time to stand or even go near a border of two countries, and it feels weird.
Jaflong is one of the tourist spots in Sylhet.It is situated beside the Mari river in the lap of the Hill Khasia. The Mari river is coming from the great Himalayas of India, which brings tons of stone boulders with its tide. Thus, one industry along the river is the Stone collection/crashing/quarrying. But even with the scorching heat of the sun, the water in the river remains cold all the time. Jaflong is a hilly area with a vast greenery, it is the place of the Khasi Tribe and you can still see there lifestyle and culture here. We have to cross the river via a small boat going to the other side to see one of the oldest tea garden, betel leaf plantation and orange/lime orchard and to see the Khasi Tribe.
We rode the "moon bike" in going around the area. The small road entering the area is covered in a canopy of bamboo trees, betel nut trees and other tall trees. The breeze was chilly and a respite from the scorching heat of the sun.
The houses here are elevated or on stilts, mostly are made of wood & ply while there are some few houses that are made of concrete & cement. I wasn't able to take a picture of the house of the tribe's king, it's not a grand palace but it's bigger than the other's houses. After the tour, our licensed tourist guide who is just a little boy was so cunning. Prior to hiring his service, we already agreed on the rate, but after the tour, he demanded more money and keep on pestering us before we can ride on our van.
Another place that we checked was the Haripur Gas Field. Around 24 Km. east, just off the highway to sylhet jaflong is the haripur oil field. Spreaded over 10 km. length and 5 km. breadth, Horipure oil field is supposed to be 50000 feet deep. Nearby it , situated an abandoned gas field is still a sight, people come to see the burning of the gases.It was discovered in December 1986.
The week-long holiday due to Qurbani Eid is almost over. Two more days and it is back to work again. Before going back to work, I intend to blog about my Eid holiday in Sylhet and edit/post pictures too. Maybe will do it in several parts.
This trip is quite special as there are many “firsts” in this trip. First, it is the first vacation H’s family had after a long time. The last time they had a vacation was way back 1997. Second, this is the younger boy’s first trip out of Dhaka. Third, this is also my first time to go out on holiday with them.
It’s not my first time to Sylhet but it is my first time to tour around this city. Sylhet is the main city and capital of Sylhet District of the Sylhet Division (sylhet division is bounded by Meghalaya State of India on the north, Tripura State on the south, Assam State of India on the east and Dhaka division on the west and Chittagong division on the southwest) and one of the largest and one of the richest cities, if not the richest city, of Bangladesh mainly due to the investments and remittances of the expatriates living in UK. It is located on the banks of the Surma Valley and is surrounded by the Jaintia, Khasi and Tripura hills. It is well-known for its tea gardens (mostly were established during the British India Era), and tropical forest. The city is described as City Of Saints (Muslim Bengal Saints) as the mausoleum of the great saint Hazrat Shah Jalal, who brought Islam to Bengal, is located here.
Originally, we planned to go to Sylhet via train but tickets were scarce as this is the peak season, so we ended up going there via bus, the Shohagh Paribahan. We went there on Saturday as we don’t want to go during the most rush day of the week-long holiday which was last Thursday or Friday. The original 4-5 hours road trip took us almost 8 hours due to traffic. Other than that, the trip is ok, I’m used to long road journeys anyway, and I’m sitting beside H too.
Ako ay nagbabalik hindi mula sa kabilang buhay kundi dito sa Litratong Pinoy.
Ito ang aking lahok sa temang Sementeryo, ang huling himlayan. Ito ang pribadong sementeryo ng aking pamilya. Dito nakahimlay ang aking mga ninuno at mga iba pang mga mahal sa buhay at kamag-anakan na sumakabilang buhay na. Kaya tuwing todos-los-santos, nagmimistulang "reunion party" dito dahil lahat ng mga pinsan, tiya, tiyo, lolo at lola ay naririto upang magbigay respeto sa mga namayapang kamag-anak.
(I'm coming back not from the after life but here in Litratong Pinoy. This is my entry for this week's theme "Cemetery, the final resting place". This is my family's private cemetery. My great ancestors are all buried here and so with all the departed loved ones and relatives. That's why, every All Saint's and All Soul's Day, it's like a reunion party here because all the cousins, aunts, uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers are here to pay respect to the departed ones.)
Eid-ul-Adha or the "Feast of the Sacrifice" is just around the corner. It's one of the two most important holidays in the Islamic calendar, and Bangladesh being a Muslim populated country, is the subject of major festival. That means one week holiday for me again. I love long holidays especially if I can spend it somewhere else aside from Dhaka and some other ways aside from staying at home. It's fine with me if the trip is not out of the country or even if it is just inside Dhaka or the outskirts of Dhaka, as long as it's a road trip to some place I have never been to. Inside Dhaka, there are still some places I want to check and explore. These places are recommended for its historical, archaeological and architectural aspects. (The following images of the places I want to see are not mine, it's all from google images, kindly click the link for further reference.)
Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection. According to Lonely planet, it's an oasis of calm. While browsing the net, I chanced upon this blog Eye In the Sky, and surprised to know that it's a Philippine site. How I wish I can travel Asia far and wide like her/him and other parts of the world.
Sitara Mosque This mosque is also known as "Star Mosque" and it is in Old Dhaka, near the Armenian Church.
Shat Gombuj Masjid in Bagerhat. It's a 60 Domed Mosque, I want to see the interior in actual. From the images, it looks awesome.
Ahsan Manzil Also known as the Pink Palace, although from the picture it doesn't look like pink but more of a terracotta shade. Ahsan Manzil is one of the most significant architectural monuments and example of the nations rich cultural heritage. It was the home of the Nawab of Dhaka and a silent spectator to many events. Situated on the bank of the river Buriganga in Dhaka and built on a raised platform of 1 metre, the two-storied palace measures 125.4 m by 28.75 m. The height of the ground floor is 5 metres and that of the first floor 5.8 metres. It has been renovated and turned into a museum recently. It has 31 rooms with a huge dome atop which can be seen from miles around. It now has 23 galleries displaying portraits, furniture and household articles and utensils used by the Nawab.
Cristian Cemetery in Narinda: it sounds morbid that you want to check a cemetery but this is a very very old one. According to H, he went there before, and it gives him a creep.
National Martyrs Memorial or Jatiyo Sriti Soudho. A monument for the valour and sacrifice of those killed in the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, which brought the independence of Bangladesh from the Pakistan rule.
Outside Dhaka, the Sundarban and the hill tracts of Bandarban, Rangamati are still in my “to-go-list”. Aside from that, I want to go to Dhamrai to check the Brass and metal sculpture cottage industry. Srimangal is also in my list.
There is also Sonargaon, where you can find some ruins of old architecture. "Sonargaon's importance in the pre-Muslim period is borne out by its ancient name of Suvarnagrama (the golden village), from which it is obvious how the Muslim version of the name is derived, as well as by the existence of Langalbandh and Panchamighat, the two traditional holy bathing places of the Hindus, in this tract of land on the west bank of the old Brahmaputra. Sonargaon rose to be the seat of an independent ruler under Ghiyasuddin Bahadur Shah, and after his fall it was the headquarters of the eastern province of Bengal under the Tughlaqs till 1338. Sonargaon emerged as the capital of an independent Sultanate under Fakhruddin Mubarak Shah (1338-1349). In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Panam Nagar was developed in a part of medieval Sonargaon." Eye in the Sky has an extensive Sonargaon Tales.
Aside from my own list, there are still lots of things and places that Bangladesh can offer, both for local & foreign tourist. It’s just there for you to discover. You can check this site for more reference. As for me, I want to discover and explore each of them while I’m still here, although there’s a big probability that I will be spending most of my life in this country, I still want to explore the country ASAP.
In my almost 4 years here (I will be celebrating my 4 years this coming November 26th), I’ve been to some places, thanks to my work.
Foy's Lake It's an amusement park in a man-made lake.
Cox’s Bazar: Been here thrice, first because we held the company’s Team Building here. It’s nothing compared to Philippines’ beaches but it’s regarded as the longest sea beach in the world and nominated to be included in the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Second, when I went there during 2008’s Eid-il- Fitr holiday and 3rd, a short rush trip after a showroom set-up in chittagong.
view from Himchari
Himchari: Located about 18 km south of Cox’s Bazar along the sea beach, is a nice place for the picnic and film shooting. This picnic spot is famous for its waterfalls. The road to Himchari runs by the open sea on one side and hills on the other which makes the journey to Himchari very attractive. Its another attraction is the Christmas tree.
image grabbed from google Bogra It's not the typical tourist spot. Mahasthangarh is the oldest archaeological site of Bangladesh. 'Mahasthan' means a great place. Located at a distance of 18 km. north of Bogra town. I have to go back there because I wasn't able to explore the whole area.
Liberation War Museum: I went to checked this museum to fully understand the concept of our March Campaign
Lalbagh Fort
The fort of Aurangabad, popularly known as the Lalbagh Fort, was built in 1678 AD by the then Viceroy of Bengal Prince Mohammad Azam, son of the Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb. The fort has a three storied structure with slender minarets at the South Gate. It has many hidden passages and a mosque of massive structure. Outstanding among the monuments of the Lalbagh Fort are the Tomb of Pari Bibi (Fairy lady) and Audience room and Hummam Khana (bathing place) of Nawab Shaista Khan, now housing a museum. You can check my previous entry regarding Lal Bagh Fort.
Bongo Bazar: can you call it the shopping haven for all export overruns?
Nagori: I went to Nagori last 2009 to attend the St. Anthony’s Feast. It was here where i saw big black pigs. I think they are wild pigs, they look similar to the “Baboy ramo”. In 1695, the church of St. Nicholas of Tolentino was constructed at Nagori, 25 kilometres north-east of Dhaka. This is the new church though.
Patenga Beach is a sea beach located 14 kilometres south of the port city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River. Patenga is a popular tourist spot. The beach is very close to Bangladesh Naval Academy of Bangladesh Navy, and Shah Amanat International Airport. The beach width is narrow and swimming in the seas is not recommended. Part of the seashore is built-up with concrete walls. Also large blocks of stones have been laid out to prevent erosion. During 1990s a host of restaurants and kiosks have sprouted out around the beach area. Lighting of the beach area has enhanced the security aspect of visiting in the night. People rise up early in the morning to witness the beautiful sunrise. (From Wikipedia)
image grabbed from google
Jamuna Bridge
A milestone in the history of modern development of Bangladesh. It is the single largest project Bangladesh has ever implemented. The bridge was constructed on the river Jamuna connecting east and north-western region of the country. The 4.8 km. long bridge was constructed at a cost of US$ 950 million thus creating an uninterrupted surface transport facility from Teknaf, southernmost tip of Bangladesh to Tetulia, the northern tip of Bangladesh. Construction of this bridge ushered a new vista to national integration, economic rejuvenation of the northern region (http://www.parjatan.gov.bd) It's not allowed to stop in the bridge but well, we just have to stop and take a picture of us standing in the bridge.
The National Parliament Building or Jatiyo Sangshad Bhaban designed by the famous architect Louis I Kahn. According to Robert McCarter, author of the book Louis I. Kahn, it "is one of the twentieth century's greatest architectural monuments, and is without question Kahn's magnum opus."
Indeed, Bangladesh is a beautiful country. Even Lonely Planet has something good to say about Bangladesh. And I think they are really working on their tourism market, they even came up with this video and improving their airport.How I wish my own country is also working on improving it's Tourism and country branding, starting with the renovation of the international airport.
Now, as for the coming holiday, where am i going? See you next post :-)
Another addition to our growing family, my niece Sabina Isabelle. She was born on September 28, 2011, 6 days overdue from the original due date Sept 22. It was not an easy pregnancy for my 2nd sister. It was an experience full of emotions and one of them is fear as her 1st pregnancy was not successful, it was a baby girl too and we named her Angelica, our little angel who is now with our Lord.
For Sabina Isabelle, my sister labored for 23 hours and delivered through VBAC. But they were able to bring her home only last October 15th, due to some complications Sabina has to be confined in NICU. It was again another hurdle for my sister and her husband. WE asked for prayers and miracles. WE have our faith in God that HE will not let my sister suffer again the same faith. I prayed to all gods, of all religions that I know- Hindu, Islam, Christianity - please heal my niece. Now, the suffering is over, she is well and in good health.
WE are all happy and thankful that Sabina is finally home. I wish you all the best my chinese baby girl and pray that you will grow up to be a happy, pretty, God-fearing, strong and healthy lady.
I cooked my own food and i bring my own lunch to the office. What "baon" in the Philippines is Tiffin here in Bangladesh/India/Nepal. And just recently or maybe it was last year, i discovered "Bento Lunch Boxes"... and now, I always try to make "bento lunch box"...and even told H that I will make his tiffin box like a bento box :-)
I'm not perfect in making Bento lunch meal yet, but i'm doing it my own style. And everytime I go home in the Philippines, I always try to visit Saisen to buy more food separator, picks, and other bento making tools :-) So, here's my simple take-on for bento lunch meal.
I'm a little hoarder...thinking of buying another tiffin box....
Finally, my dream came true after so many years :-) I bought it recently when I went home for vacation and it was another adventure with my UST friend Mika to Hidalgo.
This means, I will seriously learn more photography tips and tricks. How i wish there are also photography class/session/seminar/trainings here. I named the camera "Derek" to poke H :-)
