The Dhaka Cityscape; A Residential Area...Dhaka is one of the more beautiful cities I have ever had the chance to visit. Consisting of the dense population of New York, the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, and the never ending buildings of Paris, Dhaka is truly one of a kind. For being a poor city, Dhaka thrives on achieving goals set out by their people and the government to become a developed country.
The weather here is very different from California. Being a tropical country, you can expect very humid days, 10 quick minutes of rain, then humid, sunny, weather all in the matter of an hour.
Dhaka, and more specifically Bangladesh, is an under-developed country. The social class consists of a very wealthy upper-class, an almost non-existent middle class, and a very large poor class.
The markets here are like nothing I’ve ever witnessed(other than in Vietnam). They have fishermen who sell the fish, craftsmen that sell the wood, blacksmiths that sell iron, and farmers that sell produce. Nothing like the vast Wal-Marts and Albertsons we see in the States. When you shop through these people, you feel a connection to what you eat and who you’re buying from. Too often we lose sight on where our food comes from, and we lose true connection with the very earth that our produce comes from. I find it to be saddening to know that as time passes, we slowly lose control of being closer to the earth and the people that bring us food. Instead, we eat chemically enhanced food that is more probably detrimental to our health. Saying this, I know that the food has a fresher taste to it here. The carrots crisp, the fish fresh, the bananas sweet, and the rice soft. 
A Farmer Selling Produce...
Bangladesh, being a Muslim country, serves no alcohol in stores. The only place you find a drink would be in a hotel, and even then, they only serve to foreigners with passports. The kids out here don’t depend on drinks to have a good time, or to socialize with friends. Instead they go to parks with girlfriends, eat great local food with family, or even catch a Bollywood flick as a group. Suffice to say I do enjoy the occasional beverage, I find it very interesting to know that people my age going out without alcohol having a good time exists. 
A CNG Powered Mini-Taxi (You can hire them to take you anywhere around the city)...
The streets in Dhaka are porous and unpaved. Occasionally (near the airport), you find beautiful roads like we see in the States. The worst thing about Bangladesh is the traffic. You must remember that the population here is very dense; half the U.S. population in the area of Maine. In a one half-mile stretch you can see endless cars, buses, vans, mini-taxis, and Rickshaws huddled together muscling for every inch available on the road. This leads to traffic jams that take over an hour to travel 15 miles. Headaches follow.
Dhaka is beautiful, and although has its problems like every other metropolis, I love visiting here. The people are more than friendly, the food is terrific, and the city has a certain charm to it that every great city has. You can get the vibe of a western city in some areas, or become fully enchanted in the culture of Bengali's to become influenced to write poetry. All aspects of life can be experienced here; and that is the mark of a truly great place to visit.
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