Day 120 - What a great day to join others in this public space! We saw online that the Lalbagh Fort was something tourists should do.
As this is a Moslem country, today was the beginning of the weekend. In my initial days in the Middle East, schools were always closed on Thursdays and Fridays. That now seems to have changed for the majority of Islamic countries. The religious day is, of course, still Friday but nowadays Saturdays are off too.
Today, we joined many others out in the morning to see the garden area and the incomplete 17th-century Mughal fort complex.
The area is closer to Old Dhaka and we arrived in the relative ease of an Uber car. At the gate, we paid ৳200 (about US $2.35); however, the locals are charged one-tenth of that. I was happy to contribute a little extra to help with the maintenance and care of the grounds. It really was a calm location in the bustle of the nearby city. We could see that it is currently dry in Dhaka, a situation which is often not the case.
There were a few museum-type exhibits in one building. The objects were all at least four hundred-years-old. The biggest memory I'll take away is the people though. As it was Friday, many Bangladeshis were enjoying the day. Many came in the equivalent of their 'Sunday clothes'. Families came. Young couples and groups of friends were enjoying themselves too.
Dhaka is not on a well-trod tourist trail as are many global cities. As a white foreigner, I had to cope with a great deal of friendly attention. I lost count of how many selfies and group photographs I was in. All the young kids wanted to try out their English and I must have mentioned I was fine dozens of times. The environment felt very warm and welcoming.
It was truly a special day.
