Travel Journal

Saad Adnan Khan
Photos: Saad Adnan Khan

Students need breaks from time to time, from everything, to figure things out. Young people stay busy and involved with so many things nowadays other than just classes. They do jobs, act, sing and dance and they commit themselves to work for society. And then there is Dhaka that can be tiring and infuriating. Sometimes it is just necessary that they run away from Dhaka.

	Durga Nodi (River), home of many migrant birds during winter.

It's not the hardest thing to fix a trip, especially if you have friends who get hyper and excited very easily. You can do magic with such enthusiasm. And it does not necessarily need to be somewhere far off and expensive whenever you decide to go out of Dhaka. Just last week, I took my friends to Barisal, my dada bari. We all needed to clear our heads from worries. My best friend and I went to Shadarghat (a little clueless) to buy the ticket for the steamer Rocket, because the whole point of going to Barisal was that we wanted a fun ride. We got a second class cabin for taka 800, which got divided into four shares later. Of course a water ride in this winter was not the safest thing to go for, but sometimes I think we all need to go a little crazy. The ride was 10 hours long, and we spent most of the time outside on the deck and side porch, indulging in marathon antaksharis. Of course when the cold, chilly wind got too much to handle, we went inside to the warmth of our cabin to delve into more addas and game of uno. The only difference in this case was the setting far away from the usual dirt and chaos of Dhaka, gliding over the dark river, under the light of a full moon that did not get blocked by a high rise building; we could not be more overwhelmed and thrilled.

A question that we all asked ourselves from the very beginning of the journey was that “What's there to do in Barisal?” Turned out there was a lot to experience- the quietness and serenity of Durga Nodi (river), the royal and beautiful Ghuthea Baitul Aman mosque, the fresh sweets and the town itself was a treat for the eyes- clean streets, elfin alpha rickshaws, petite looking apartments, rickety old houses and 100 year old desolated mansions in middle of jungles. Since Kuakata was 6 hours away from us, we did not want to miss the warmth of the sea-beach either. We hired a private car to go and return to Barisal for taka 5000. The road was not as bad as we thought it would be, and there were only 4 short ferry rides. One can hire motorbikes (taka 700 for 2 hours) to explore the sandy beach and other beautiful areas near it. Needless to say that one should also try out the delicious sea food at the restaurants that line the beach.

So escape, whenever you get the chance, do not over think. Get the right people, equipment and a little bit of money. Dhaka, work and classes can be tiring, we all need breaks.

DID YOU KNOW?

Johann Sebastian Bach

German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21st l685, the son of Johann Ambrosius, court trumpeter for the Duke of Eisenach and director of the musicians of the town of Eisenach in Thuringia. When he was eight years old he went to the old Latin Grammar School, where Martin Luther had once been a pupil; he was taught reading and writing, Latin grammar, and a great deal of scripture, both in Latin and German. The boys of the school formed the choir of the St. Georgenkirche, which gave Johann Sebastian an opportunity to sing in the regular services, as well as in the nearby villages. He was described as having 'an uncommonly fine treble voice'. At an early age Johann Sebastian lost a sister and later a brother. When he was only nine years old his mother died. Barely nine months later, his father also died. Johann Sebastian and one of his brothers, Johann Jakob, were taken into the home of their eldest brother, Johann Christoph who had recently married and settled down at Ohrdruf. Johann Christoph was an excellent teacher - all of his five sons were to reach positions of some eminence in music, and he was a keen student of the latest keyboard compositions. Johann Sebastian at once settled down happily in this household studying the organ and harpsichord with great interest under his brother, and he quickly mastered all the pieces he had been given. During this period Johann Sebastian attended the Gymnasium (grammar school) of Ohrdruf, once a monastic foundation, which had become one of the most progressive schools in Germany. The scholars of the Gymnasium, as at Eisenach, were also employed as choir-boys, and their Cantor, Elias Herda, had a high opinion of Johann Sebastian's voice and musical capabilities!

Information source: Internet

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