Off the boat a trek to a village , what delights lie in store; the tobacco fields growing tall and strong
It was interesting to see a big welcoming sign, written in both Burmese and Bangla. If I wrote it down correctly as our guide said it (though I can't find it on any map! It is called, Baraitali Para)
Interesting to see a log being chopped
Soon found out what was being created
Being so close to the riverbanks which in the monsoon season can see the levels rise significantly, the houses are all built on stilts.
If of course you are an affluent tamarind farmer, one can afford some proper stairs
If you are really really well off as well as stairs you also have a Sky dish
Village People
(There ain't no YMCA here)
Young
Old
I couldn't resist sticking the lens through the opening in the tarp. I got this feeling if I hung around, stayed focussed that moment would come
It did and I am happy with the results.
Always look for a happy face.
The local, where the villagers might gather to chew that fat, watch Tv or just have a few beers
The kids were enjoying being there.
"I'm a little teapot short and stout"
"Here's my, ah fuck , Ive only got a spout"
Prized possessions
A skilled chopper upper, still got all her toes
The local Member of Parliament, got his own facebook page too! A study I read online told me that 97% of Bangladesh MP's were corrupt in one form or another, and here is me thinking that it was just the members of the EU parliament that are pigs with their noses in the trough.
Tamarind
What I learned was that Tamarind grows on trees! I just thought it grew on a plant like a chilli Duh. The Hill tracts are an ideal place to grow the trees as they are efficient and live quite happily in drought conditions. Apart from its vital role in Subcontinent cuisine, I'm talking seriously tasty curry here, where the Tamarind adds a sweetness and acidity to any dish of note.
It is also used widely and effectively as a medicinal plant for treating various diseases and ailments in the region by the tribal people over generations. Anything from constipation to wound healing.
During the harvest season the ripe pods are peeled and dried and can be to ensure a year-round supply. The product is often sold to traders wholesale bringing in wealth to the indigenous communities directly or through the production of necessary tools of the trade.
such as the basket makers
They also do christianity
So that was it, faretheewell people of a distant forest, it is time to return to the metropolis. Next stop Dhaka, then home.
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