dhaka: where chaos meets the river

so, here i am in dhaka. the capital of bangladesh. don't really know what i expected, but it's... a lot. like, really a lot. the map above? that's where i am. somewhere in that mess of buildings and rivers. it's right on the buriganga river, which i'm told is pretty important. but right now, the river is just... there.

i just checked the weather and it's... like 19°C? feels like 19 too. not too bad, i guess. hope you like that kind of thing. the pressure is 1016 and humidity is 82%, so it's a bit damp. not too hot yet, but i hear that changes.

this place is called the "city of mosques"? not sure why, but i saw a few. they're everywhere, so maybe that's why. but honestly, i'm too busy dodging traffic to really look. it's one of the most densely populated cities in the world, you know. over 18 million people in the district alone. that's a lot of people. like, the population of a small country in one city. you can feel the density when you walk around. it's like being in a human forest. and the noise? constant. always something happening.

if you get bored, gazipur, tangail, munshiganj, rajbari, narayanganj, and manikganj are just a short drive away. short drive? maybe. in theory. in practice? probably not. but hey, if you're desperate, you can try.

that brown building above? yeah, that's dhaka. brown, dusty, and probably full of stories. or maybe just dust. i tried to take a picture of one of the mosques, but it was too crowded. so i just took a picture of that brown building instead. it's got character, i guess.

someone told me that during the monsoon season, the city gets so flooded that they use boats to get around. not sure if that's true, but wouldn't surprise me. they also said that the air is pretty bad. and the water? don't even get me started. and the heat? they hit 40.6°C in april 2023. that's 105°F. that's hot. but right now, it's only 19°C. so that's nice. for now.

that river? yeah, that's the buriganga. it's the one everyone talks about. from above, it looks kind of cool, but up close? let's just say it's not for swimming. the river is important. it's the main waterway, and it's also where they do a lot of the business. but it's also polluted. like, really polluted. not sure how they do it. and the city is only 4 meters above sea level. so when the rains come, everything gets wet. and the cyclones? oh boy.

that beige structure? no idea what that is. looks like a park? or a building? who knows. it's just there. like everything else. existing. in the chaos.

so, yeah. dhaka. it's a lot. chaotic, crowded, and hot. but it's got a certain... something. i can't put my finger on it. maybe it's the energy. or maybe it's just the exhaustion. either way, it's an experience. and that's what i came for, right? right?

the traffic is insane. like, you can sit in a car for hours and not move an inch. and the honking? oh my god. it's like a symphony of horns. and the exhaust fumes? not great for the lungs. but hey, you get used to it? i don't know. maybe you do. maybe you don't.

the food? well, i haven't really tried any specific famous dishes yet. the search results didn't say much about the food. but i'm sure it's out there somewhere. maybe next time.

the people here? they seem nice. in a hurry, but nice. and they're used to this chaos. they just go about their day. i don't know how they do it. i'm already tired.

someone told me that the city is so dense that you can actually feel the heat radiating off the buildings at night. or maybe that was the pollution? either way, it's not pleasant. and the air? it's bad. really bad. from traffic and industry. and the water? don't even drink it. unless you want to spend the rest of your trip in the bathroom. not that i speak from experience. yet.

apparently, this place has been around for a while. it was important during the mughal era. you can see the old mosques and forts. but again, i'm too busy dodging traffic to really see them. maybe next time.

so, that's dhaka. in a nutshell. it's a lot. but it's also... something. you just have to be ready for it. and for the heat. and the traffic. and the noise. and the pollution. and the flooding. and the cyclones. and the... well, you get the picture. it's a lot. but maybe that's the point. right? right?

You might also be interested in:

• https://topiclo.com/post/mexico-city-where-the-air-is-thin-and-the-tacos-are-thick
• https://topiclo.com/post/surabaya-where-the-tropics-swat-at-your-nose-and-history-stares-back
• https://topiclo.com/post/jining-where-confucius-meets-my-exhaustion
• https://topiclo.com/post/toluca-its-complicated
• https://topiclo.com/post/just-another-day-in-paradise