Up in the air

 The capital of a nation is often very different from the rest of the country. 

In Dhaka's case this is very true. Dhaka is a hyperactive, polluted and noisy megacity. Most Dhaka people travel back "to the village" whenever they have the chance.

I was fortunate (yes, once again) to join a helicopter tour from Dhaka to Chittagong and clearly see the difference between the 20 million inhabitants' capital and "the village". 

From the air the capital looks like an unorganized nest of buildings after buildings after buildings, the countryside a vast plain. 

At two hundred meters we were low enough to see all the wonderful colors, small villages, cows, river boats and bridges but high enough not to see the rural misery, hear the noises and feel the smells.

There were many rivers, man made ponds, natural lakes, shrimp and fish farms. Finally, the sea side with long beaches, closer to Chittagong also the ship wrecking yards.

The largest part of the tour was, however, an unending chess board of green, yellow, brown, grey and black fields. Wet fields, dry fields, blooming and barren fields. 

Food, in other words.

Bangladeshis think of food a lot, eating is a national sport. 

For the tens of millions poor Bangladeshis earning a meal is a daily struggle while rich people fight against obesity.

Rich or poor, people are unbelievably hospitable. 

A dinner invitation by an affluent host can be a challenge. As a newcomer I made several times the mistake of believing that the starters were the main dish. After many rounds of salads, pies, vegetables, small and big other dishes, the table was suddenly loaded with the main courses: fish, mutton, beef, chicken, vegetables and rice. More is not enough is the principle.

Rice is inevitable. There is no meal without rice. You can eat a whole pizza and then go to dinner. Why? Because there was no rice with the pizza.

After a while, I have learnt to eat slowly. If your plate shows the smallest signs of an empty spot, it will be heaped up with all and everything.

When you feel that you are about to explode, it's time for the dessert: sweet cakes, sweet ice cream, sweeter than sweet yoghurt. 

The pictures are hazy, it was slightly foggy, and there is a lot of pollution in Dhaka. Plus I am an amateur photographer.