North to Khagrachari - Bangladesh + India x 2 - CycleBlaze

November 11, 2010

North to Khagrachari

more undulating kilometres

From my window, the sky looks overcast with a haze lingering over the distant horizon, but there's a bit of sunshine out there, making the treetops look extra verdant.

My sleep wasn't great due to the overhead fan whizzing round like mad and the AC blowing across my face - the fan is to keep those nasty mozzies away, as this area is a high-risk malaria zone. 

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Although my legs ache from yesterday's exertions, I wake up feeling I should move on and hopefully I'll be able to go further north, otherwise it'll be back to Chittagong on the direct route, which may be a bit busy.

There's a different man on reception, also middle-aged but a better English speaker and his geography is also good. When I ask how far it is to Bandaban, he replies 85 km. Spot on. 

I ask about going north, if there were places to stay, and whether the police will stop me. All his answers are positive in the sense that it's doable - there's a hotel in Khargachari and that it's OK to go there by bicyle. I just a matter of riding 8 km up the road towards Chittagong - then turn right - which is what my plan is after breakfast of two rotis and nans with some dhal and chicken curry.

The eight kilometeres are ones I rode in on yesterday but don't realise it at first. As the man had said, I reach the turnoff, which happens to be the place where I'd ask directions yesterday to be told it was 20 km to go to Rangamati. Twerp.

After buying a big bottle of cold water and topping up my bidons, I venture down the small road which is quiet. After a kilometre or so the tarmac ends and it's a dusty dirt road stretching ahead, with a herringbone brick shoulder. A short while later there's one on the left side too. It was what I rode on - very bumpy, but better than the alternative. 

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How i sit possible to do 70 km on this, I ponder, but then the rough stuff ends and there's tarmac again. It's going to be alright.

The surface is fairly potholed, with ruts that would destroy a front wheel or worse, so I have to pay attention, especially downhill at speed. There are some buses along the way and the odd truck, but most of the time it's just me, surrounded by tranquility and looking at paddies of rice that seem to have been jigsawed into place among the adjacent jungly slopes.

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After around 30 km there's a village in full swing of banana trading. It's clearly market day and this place is heaving - just one narrow street, either side of it stacked with bananas. I treat myself to some grapes at the market, and a couple of sweet oranges. That's lunch.

I pull out my camera to take a snap and a crowd gathers - inquisitive and slightly baffled, but good humored and polite, as always. 

There are indigenous people and a variety of facial features, with some looking more Chinese than Bengali, their high cheekbones and smaller eyes marking them out.

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The temperature is up in the 30s again and there doesn't appear to be one flat metre along the entire route and the final quarter of the 80 kilometres leaves me wondering if I'm going to make it before dusk. I don't stop to take any more snaps - just pressed on, up and then down and back up again. With all the weight I've got, it's tough. It is, though, a wonderful ride.

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It's around 4:30 when my wheels finally roll into Khargachari, a place active and full of CNGs and rickshaws and four-wheeled motor vehicles and people. I soon find a hotel, get myself into a 600-taka room and shower to get rid of the day's grime.

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Once I've eaten at a local restaurant and returned to my simple room, there's a knock on the door. It's a shock to see a foreign face when I open it, with and an English accent telling me he's a VSO worker, recently arrived and curious to see another non-native in town. 

Richard and I chat for a while and agree to breakfast together at eight in the morning.

Today's ride: 76 km (47 miles)
Total: 415 km (258 miles)

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