Well I'm in the far south today about a mile inland from the Bay of Bengal. We flew down on the MAF float plane this morning. What struck me as we flew over the Bangladeshi countryside is not just how flat it is but even though its not the rainy season just how wet everything is.
But this is what makes MAF unique in Bangladesh is the ability to use that network of waterways to help those who would otherwise be completely isolated. And landing on the water was so smooth!
From the plane we were taken a short distance along the river by a very rickety boat [not sure what was holding the boat together?!] to the jetty and then by motorbike to the first project.
I feel that I'm fast becoming an experienced motorbike rider [but only side-saddle though!]
In fact that was very much the pattern of today visiting one project after another by motorbike. The idea was to show us just how hard it is to travel overland. It worked! The 'roads are pot-holed dirt tracks and in one place the road disappeared so we had to carry the bikes across the gap!
By the end of today I was hot, tired, dirty, and had the obligatory headache! So just in case anyone was in any doubt, MAF is much quicker and less tiring and stressful - definately a 'must' way to travel for our partners.
But today has been amazing. There's so much going on all around all the time, that its very difficult to take in and describe - all the different sights and sounds, the bright colours - oh and smells too, a heady mixture of rotting rubbish and smoke from fires and cooking!
The poverty is extreme - think I only saw one properly constructed home in the whole day. The 'houses' were mainly tin shacks with blue and white plastic sheeting for windows.
I've seen and experienced a whole raft of emotions today - but much of it laughter. From the joy of those waiting on the river bank to see the MAF plane land, to school children who'd prepared a special song for us - I've seen so many smiling faces today - its truely humbling.
