What’s Better Than Elephants in the Wild?

For $100, we got our own jeep, mud and all, for four hours of elephant spotting on safari in Sri Lanka. While we got tossed and whiplashed through the eco-park near Sigiriya (the rock one must climb in Sri Lanka), and hung on for dear life in the flatbed part of the safari jeep, I enjoyed every minute of the roller coaster ride. The five or six jeeps all talk to each other to guarantee that we will see elephants. Ironically, we saw the first two groups right next to the highway. Later we saw a small herd munching away as the sun set.

And what is better than seeing elephants with friends? Baby elephants!

20130224-183913.jpg

20130224-184146.jpg

Clothing for Men in Bangladesh

The most popular search topic on my blog, other than weddings, seems to be what men wear in Bangladesh. So I thought I would blog some more about it. On a typical day in Dhaka, men still wear the “lungi” which I wrote about before. For a more formal event, men can wear a long tunic called a “punjabi” over tight white leggings. Or men can wear a “dhuti” which is sort of the men’s version of the sari. You can even use a sari. It’s tied and wrapped around to look like pants. Very elegant.

20130213-210159.jpg

Day Boat Trip Out of Dhaka

Our proud prow.
Our proud prow.

It is possible to take a one day boat trip out of Dhaka. We used a company that charged around 2,500 Taka per adult if there there at least 20 adults. The boat is spacious (and shaped like a peacock!) and we had it all to ourselves. Lunch and several touristy stops were included: we had a quick walk to an old estate, a stop for a swim (dolphins were also promised but alas), and a visit to a village where the laborers make “jamdani” saris. The “jamdani” clothe is a woven gauze and very expensive due to the labor involved in weaving it.

The country estate.
The country estate.
Jamdani weavers working on saris.
Jamdani weavers working on saris.

I enjoyed sitting on the rooftop deck, in a comfy chair, watching the river float by. Plus, there is a toilet on the boat. So the day out included two hours in traffic, six hours on the boat, and an hour back to Dhaka.

Grab a chair in the shade and enjoy the breeze.
Grab a chair in the shade and enjoy the breeze.