I can't remember the last time when I was so motivated to do stuff.
This is NOT the sentence I wanted to start with, but it has to be said, though. Homage needs to be given.
I have been a failure at almost everything throughout my life. I wanted to be a doctor, a cinematographer nothing to laugh at here (--__--), and so many other things. But, fate has deemed me to be a criminologist.
This might sound cheesy but, before hive, I was a pathetic sob story. I was a depressed, chain-smoking loser who feared even doing the simplest of chores, thinking I might mess that up too. I was just a lazy bum TBH, LOL.
But then, something almost miraculous happened. Like a present sent from heavens served on wings of angels, I found some of the most amazing people on earth, at least for me, that is. Who kinda gave me a purpose, an ambition and a chance. A chance to fly. Like that majestic bird in the images below. I'm always in their debt for dragging out of the gates of a self-created hell.
That being said, here is what I supposed to start with,
Today was most probably the hottest day ever. Not because the bar was too high at 33 degrees centigrade, but It's so very humid. Along with this heat, there came a wicked wave of news, as usual. Another COVID 19 victim, and this time it hit a little too close to home.
When the news broke that one of my friend's father who lives just two blocks away has gotten himself infected somehow, a bad omen shaded my small friend circle like a big, evil black hawk. The thing is, most of my friends, including me, are generic idiots. Even in this horrifying pandemic, we've been hanging out. Once or twice a week. Cause we have motorbikes, agile blood fueled by energy drinks and remote places to explore. So, there's that.
Now, the infected father has been sick for at least 8 days. Mild symptoms so everyone was kinda okay and not so worried. And in that duration, the seven of us have met three times. We were using masks and plenty of hand sanitizers, but as I said, we are idiots. So no social distancing, until now. Sigh!.
Now, we are paying for our mistake by doing what we were supposed to do all along. Being stuck in a self solitaire confinement.
And now all of a sudden, I have all the time in the world to self reflect. All the good and bad, eventful memories crept crawling back in. Like that cardboard box everybody has up in the attic which holds precious memorabilia and photo albums, I have this old hard drive that has been in usage for at least half a decade till now. In it, I have thousands of photos of countless short and long travels here and there.
And below, you'll see eight different photos of eight different trips taken around this time of 2018 and 2019. Ah, what the world has turned into. A morphed unending nightmare that somehow people are getting used to. A dystopia perhaps.
Let's start with this one. This was a random winter morning in a more random train station. Its called Shitakundo Station. You, Non-Bengali peeps, can pronounce the name by saying it like this. Shee-Taa-Kun-Do. Most of the other places you'll get to see below have similar hard to pronounce names. Don't worry, ill break up the title in more manageable portions as above.
A beautiful road named Marine Drive cutting through the tree lines of the longest sea beach in the world. Cox's Bazar.
This is one of the largest man-made lakes in our country named Kaptai. Ka-aap-taa-e is the pronunciation. I was sitting on the roof of a small diesel engine boat when I took it. The guy running the engines took us to this portion of the lake just before dusk, turned off the engine and slowly started to row the boat. Just so we could peacefully see one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in my life.
Being on a small boat in Kar-no-fool-e in heavy rain was kinda scary. Despite being an inland river, it's quite broad around its belly and has some viciously turbulent currents.
The most peculiar beach I've ever been to. Its named Gu-lee-aa-khaa-lee and the green grasses you see above get a meter and half, submerged underwater during the tide.
Another sunset in a beach named Patenga. That's a coast guards patrol ship you see there.
This is the only coral island we have and its named Saint Martins island. We were supposed to watch the sunrise, but I was so tired I missed it—couldn't wake up from sleep.
Arial Bill. A small lake near capital which is meh as a travel spot but the experience was great. Had some delicious Hilsha Fry there.
Lets end this trip down the memory lane in a place whoose whereabouts, I'm not allowed to disclose. Well, i can but out of the sheer respect towards the pretty girl in this photo, i choose not to. :(