An adventure :: by mama

I have recently had a couple of opportunities through work to travel to Barisal, which is directly south of Dhaka, about 6 hours by car or 40 minutes by air. Going by car is interesting because you get to see a lot of the countryside and people going about their lives, but it is a long and occasionally nerve-wracking trip, given the state of the roads (and the drivers). Going by plane, on the other hand, is easy and convenient, albeit somewhat lacking in the charms of the Bangladeshi landscape. However, if you travel on the MAF flight, it does have the added bonus of the excitement of a water landing.

I think I was the only one in our group who had never been on a pontoon plane or experienced a water landing, so I felt like a little bit of a novice, but I went ahead and giddily took a zillion pictures anyway. It was a crazy feeling to be in a plane, in the middle of a river, and not be running for the emergency exit. And of course, this is Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world, so even the rivers are crowded with fishermen in canoes, ferries, boats carrying cargo, and all manner of people and debris. We created quite a spectacle and attracted crowds on both banks of the river. Of course, it takes absolutely nothing of interest whatsoever to attract a crowd of staring onlookers in Bangladesh, but for once I could actually understand and share in the people's excitement. A plane just landed in the river! It was pretty darn awesome.

Aside from that, it was nice to get out of Dhaka, to see some greenery and check out the villages. It's really beautiful and so refreshing.

Bangladesh is lucky to have MAF operating here. They deliver medical and other supplies to remote areas and conduct rescue and relief operations following floods and natural disasters. They also allow aid workers, medical personnel, and others to reach communities that would otherwise be nearly inaccessible. Thank you, MAF!