{"id":5789,"date":"2014-03-18T19:57:00","date_gmt":"2014-03-18T13:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onmytodd.org\/?p=5789"},"modified":"2015-11-17T14:15:40","modified_gmt":"2015-11-17T13:15:40","slug":"agartala-brahmanbaria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onmytodd.org\/?p=5789","title":{"rendered":"Agartala – Brahmanbaria"},"content":{"rendered":"

I had a late start but finally, finally! left Agartala and went back to Bangladesh. Not that Agartala or India were a bad experience in any way. But staying in the same place for so long, just waiting for some future date, without any intermediate plans, is not good for me.<\/p>\n

I had been out of Agartala on short day trips to the surrounding countryside a couple of times. At one occasion I bought a heavy chopping knife, almost a machete. Officially, import of any kind of knives to Bangladesh is forbidden. I was also carrying a smaller sickle-like knife with me which I had bought directly from a blacksmith at his road-side forge between Natore and Bogra<\/a> a few weeks ago. I did not, by the way, buy them because I feel unsafe on the road. They are souvenirs and ‘hidden’ at the very bottom of my bike’s frame bag.<\/p>\n

As usual, nobody cared about my luggage at the border, neither on the Indian nor on the Bangladeshi side. The Indian border guard, before letting me pass, with a stern look made a phone call and, from the little bits I understood, he seemed to ask for confirmation that I was indeed allowed to cross the border on my bicycle.<\/p>\n

Once in Bangladesh, I felt ‘at home’ instantly. People seemed even more friendly than in India, and certainly way more curious towards the lone western cyclist.<\/p>\n

The following ride was slow and short. Me, having left late in the day once more, only made it to Brahmanbaria, less than 30km from the border.<\/p>\n

Brahmanbaria, like every other Bangladeshi town, is buzzing and as everywhere in Bangladesh, people are friendly and tried to help me find a hotel. For some reason it was much more difficult today and I cycled around the town centre for quite a while before recognizing the hotel for what it was (having cycled past it at least twice). And then I was ripped off majorly (that’s where people’s friendliness ends ;). (That’s not correct – I was ripped off majorly with a friendly smile.)<\/p>\n

Cycled: 33km<\/p>\n