Hill Country (Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh)

Feb 4^th, 2010 - A autorickshaw ride from hell and an overnight bus on Bangladesh's sketchiest highway left me in Chittagong at 6 am. For some reason if you pay for an aircon coach you get it no matter what...even if it is cold outside. It is almost as if the engine and the aircon are inextricably linked. They do hand out blankets so I am not sure what my problem is. 

At 3:30 am we made a rest stop at a restaurant for a snack and potty brake. I stood in the bathroom at this early hour awestruck at what I saw, a man at every sink primping himself like he was a contestant on the dating game. Not a hair could be out of place and the efforts being put forth were almost surgical in nature. Did I mention it was 3:30 am? I am pretty much a scumbag in this country with my single pair of black pants, dusty hiking shoes, and a complete refusal to comb my hair…..ever. Folks sometimes stare me up and down as if I am wearing a spacesuit. I can never tell if it is curiosity, mild contempt, or both. 

As I stood in the restaurant a barefoot waiter offered to bring me something. I went with a coffee. It soon followed with my receipt. You get a receipt for everything here, even a 15 cent Nescafe.