On our last day we went for a walk through some (Christian) tribal villages in the area - where betel (nut) trees are cultivated, pork is eaten, and toddy drunk
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LWwuQpO0d6qGt5_jeiwSTLDjizJRP-zvTW9bmJbGrcHJSMkGyz4KtKybGzdDDrRnJ3NvfoC49cG59HIx6hi697F5fgxMVEJ1Frjaz93GoKsY9BWxLNyNtkyiUU2CS1CXpvQExADbCP01/s1600/P1090437.JPG) |
pig acting as a goat bed |
It was kind of odd. A village which had received a lot of external help, and where the majority of people are out at work feels quite strange.
More tea gardens, this time in a CNG
To get to a very popular tourist spot lake
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT-bQo0Trzya_iN31T4qiUtcCMN4aRnWTyqbePNm_omSeCmeux46RDVOEU34BUWWk2n8oma7o2E-303GFaIp-2-eTxsUip8iIoxcvz5qIzRBagiQOi4Vp-gDuAAGFerfzHuQwjLEtty62G/s1600/P1090537.JPG) |
honeycombs |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4k2OlAqxfd6zLI5RSFbJPnVDHgsszYQC4ATo5H2277Ojil5ABj2vQ7icEpc1PLdSVL9wRzaMH3lDcY3PKrRMVVOL1bE1fgfhNV5_yxvGIO-oDClRHD7xU2gtPlSwB9M04C78a9oO5rdx/s1600/P1090572.JPG) |
delicious pineapple expertly peeled using a foot-knife |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ_fkGH6-qBlDrXpmFmrQbaFrssNEojG1XxJghLGPEF2VnjAEugHEQjKvgKtUbmgiUpAsm6TLnsv2m6TlHmkiJzgfBEncvAg2a2IzlfO0pIz3KlbKHTwgbkdQEczbjzldrVrCzg1wWwnhm/s1600/P1090576.JPG) |
milkman |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JkSHQa_dvEwk15z8I6qh7asfbabj-4XdmrDW0ipOdUGWbnl3EsUYJtjOtKgNyypXIvaDm3a8rxBF6L8d2tlePK1QpmJm4r4v0jbEvIlRtU9Im98tNfPDJTBZgpXSoD13mGtAiT5dVWIL/s1600/IMG_7550.JPG) |
'our' local restaurant - recommended |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-b9zokPrf3mSW1m3n_dCfNe-Gj0NVjBe3XL63PldNvLo-8LfzDzeGk8f0chofc8Z8tc9h3mRo1PR0iIxqI0zIrenJmqX0t6bhl1_U3q7J-VHbDy7HqZu2-ut0-KFAXVzVR82dHZ-eMoD/s1600/P1090598.JPG) |
Pineapple hills |
A rest and wash and back to Sri Mongal for lunch (we also visited what our guide called
a meany jew (mini zoo) which was heartbreaking - the less said the better.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_NLgkwDSUQLW_h9PsETKnqjkjHB1myXEW-CrtpSQkQSX_u4mZQdLOqFd2pTNre1ySL3U6xSBsj0O3VNNwnt_KexGseibzagTBGSSAeKcrILOKBJgK0ixeA6M28oCJJ9WOfPYuHe33x7y/s1600/P1090665.JPG) |
This man demanded this photo |
Transport
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij05RRRGaVRiaab5fcvn8CLEpVyfXlRUeUZhfAPIv5ZQN03WraT3m95doKtMSHNl23swf9w6DQndIYhcqSRvQFidGia2iOdEpQBU4cWO596q-XuSSBjXleXEJ840hOPPepUUPifFn3qC1Y/s1600/IMG_7547.JPG) |
rickshaw art |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaVeKvpsdETMvA4gKpy4Qk9aloNHBgDAPoXx1Fej-QIRQydGgJvHmV9OPJ4at1uPAVacmiLVa-ef0twr5dyNTPryUNIQKx-4xH1Djx9HVzOkZsNrAmxFGgbLSwwg7P6sKLeqNIOXvBv7BF/s1600/P1090685.JPG) |
Just waiting for my train |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1TUaMvq1b2rfZ06jOhYc0Bw37FXSZ3Sx0SmfnM2atY8NOnQ6j5NFWnJfTrtjh28-sW1E3nB4zt5L3vAmIAH8HjKG6cSjiHEIDQ69PkqkA3yr4fTAgA5QPjtacCTFV3PoMDohFUUzv-nA/s1600/P1090692.JPG) |
Inventive way of carrying bottles |
We had a great visit to Srimongal, if hot and tiring. We particularly liked using rickshaws and CNGs instead of being in a car all the time, which allowed the smells to wash over us, and as we were not stationary in traffic the heat was not an issue. The trains were also a great way to travel.
The green lushness of the tea gardens seemed to be a balm against the heat, and against Dhaka life. We could see that the tea pickers had a tough job, and had expressed our admiration for that.
Later in Dhaka at a presentation by SEHD http://www.sehd.org/ - I found out some very startling information - Bangladeshi tea workers are paid 60 taka per day. Not per hour, per day (about 65 eurocents or fifty pence), 6 days per week. You can't call it bonded labour, as they are free to go, but they are landless and illiterate and from originally from 30+ Indian tribal groups, there is nowhere else for them, so they remain bound to their lives in the tea gardens.
http://www.sehd.org/news/sehd-news/81-the-eu-ambassador-visited-tea-communities-in-their-labour-line-in-srimongol
1 comment:
More lovely pics, really sad about tea pickers:( thanks for no pics of zoo....
Glad you had a great time x
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