Jaflong (Bangladesh)
Jaflong Lake at the Bangladeshi-Indian Border.
Visiting Jaflong was the first nature adventure of my RTW trip. I headed out with my friend Sohan to one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Located on the Bangladesh-Indian border, we spent the night on a bus riding from Dhaka to the majestic Sylhet division, a region where Bangladesh's natural beauty abounds. We slept on the bus, arriving in Sylhet around 6 in the morning. After spending some time in Sylhet city, the capital of the Sylhet division, we hopped on public transit which took us out to Jaflong.
Searching for a boat to take us down river.
So...who wants to take us?
Still tired from the night on the bus (it was a really exhilarating ride, kinda freaked me out how fast the bus was going!), I napped on the way to Jaflong. I awoke to the beauty of Jaflong lake. We passed many stone collecting workers in the area while searching for a boat to take us downstream. They collect the stones to be crushed to different sizes and shipped primarily to the major cities to be used for construction. Although it provides an income for the area and was one of the primary industries to bring jobs to Jaflong, many are worried about the environmental impact the stone collecting is having as the river shrinks and the land that's left is only infertile sand. Some also are concerned that the place isn't as beautiful as it used to be, but still to my eyes is was wondrous.
After finding a boat, we floated down the lake enjoying the beautiful scenery. Taking in the clear blue sky against the lust, verdant forests was like taking a breath of fresh air, a break from the fast pace, hustle and bustle of city life in Dhaka, the countries capital.
Finally afloat!
"I'm just paddling man."
And we're off!
We enjoyed the serene environment, floating along, until we alighted at this particular spot (the name escapes me at the moment) where many local tourist were thoroughly taking in the beauty of the area through all the senses. Sohan and I joined the others wading in the shallow pool.
Apparently the dark boulder there among the trees of the forest may be religiously significant to Hindus, primarily on the Indian side of the border.
After a while in the water, we made our way back whence we came and walked around a bit more, observing the other products made from local stones.
Jaflong was an amazing way to start my trip in Bangladesh.