I dreamed today during a midday nap that we hadn’t started our trip through Bangladesh yet. In the dream, we were at the Richmond Hotel & Suites in Dhaka, the first hotel we went to after arriving at the airport 13 days ago. Everyone in the group was filled with excitement for the next two weeks. Yet we also felt uncertain about what was to … Continue reading A full circle moment
We have talked a lot about the value of “seeing it like it is” and “feeling it like it is,” but, in reality, these are very difficult hallmarks to meet. As a journalist, one of the first things you learn is that everybody wants to put their best face forward. Traveling in Bangladesh, this challenge was multiplied by our conspicuousness and reliance on others for … Continue reading Riding out a cyclone
Dark clouds rolled in over the choppy sea as I drank my Nescafe on the top deck of our boat on the morning of May 25. Despite the gloom, I was excited for our next big adventure. After 10 days of intense reporting, we were officially done with our work in the field and now had the chance to take in the beauty of the … Continue reading Monkeys, tigers and cobras, oh my!
In the Sundarbans, the largest Mangrove forest in the world, a tree called a sundari grows. Sundaris, one of the oldest types of tree in the southern regions of Bangladesh and India, is where the Sundarbans’ name is derived. In Bengali, it translates to beautiful. It’s the perfect word to describe this place. We have spent the last few days exploring this beautiful delta through … Continue reading Same moon, same stars, different places
Day Three in the Sundarbans met us with that now-familiar thick heat. But we had acclimated, or at least knew what we needed to keep going into the day. The section of river we had been on for the past two days was surprisingly industrial. Massive barges geared up for trips from or through the Suez, and dredging boats cleared the sand to extend the … Continue reading Slowing down, for now
The day kicked off with an early wake up around 6:30 a.m. My slumber at the City Inn that night was not the best of the trip, but not the worst. One thing I have come to learn about Bangladesh is that many of the beds are not soft, nothing like my queen-size memory foam mattress back in Missoula, Montana. The beds here feel like … Continue reading Not a care in the world
As our bus departed the chaotic city of Dhaka, Bangladesh, the traffic whizzing past resembled a real life simulation of GTA. We were headed to a drastically different scene. We would soon be entering the tide country, a land filled of villages inundated by tides, along the Rupsha River. I couldn’t believe we were already done with the first portion of our trip. We were … Continue reading The slums
The MJA Bangledesh team is anchored safely just outside the city of Khulna, safe from the large cyclone that has formed over the Bay of Bengal. Here’s a snapshot of their most recent trek: Continue reading Anchored Safely
The morning started as usual in Dhaka. I sipped from a small glass of milk tea from a local stand while a gaggle of stray dogs ran in front of me. As I wove my way through Dhaka University’s campus for the first time, I marveled at its beauty and uniqueness. The courtyard where I had drank my tea and where Rafia, one of our … Continue reading Dhaka University
UM Journalism Abroad students are off the grid touring the Sundarbans in Southern Bangladesh. They’ll update stories when they are able but for now you can track their progress here. Below is their most recent trek. Continue reading Off Grid in the Sundarbans
UM to Bangladesh 