"If no one comes to hear your call, go alone....."
I am not a big fan of Rabindranath, but this particular line has been my favorite since childhood. There is only one life. It is not a waste of time to keep pace with others. So I started ‘solo traveling’ last year. It took a lot of courage, and it was scary at first. Still does. But now this has become my biggest hobby. And to maintain that trend, this time the destination was Vijaypur and Birishiri areas of Susang Durgapur in Netrokona district.
First of all, I would like to say something about preparation and security. Solo traveling is dangerous for girls all over the world. And in our country there is no question. On top of that, being a border and tribal area, there is some hesitation among everyone about the security of this area. But if you want to taste adventure, you have to take risks, but you have to keep in mind the difference between courage and adventure.
So before going anywhere alone I try to gather as much information as possible. We start the journey only after collecting information on which type of vehicle has more facilities, where and how much the fare can be, food and washroom arrangements, information required for tickets, etc. And I'm sure that no matter how much we prepare, the plan will change a lot. So without paying too much attention to the plan, I try to safely meet the main goal.
I will not call the Birishiri region 'safe' for a girl alone. The whole tourist area of the region is built for social and geographical reasons in such a way that even if I myself come back with a good enough experience, no one else will get in trouble - that's for sure. But I have found quite a few friendly people in these so-called 'dangerous' areas, with a combination of confidence and character and some tactics. In terms of strategy, I would say that on social media, girls traveling from different countries of the world share their good and bad experiences.
For example, most of the girls are unmarried but wear a ring in Anamika, so that they do not have to face any objectionable questions about traveling alone. At the same time, for some unknown reason, married girls are at a lower risk. On this trip I also resorted to some similar tactics.
Let's come to the main trip this time. The bus was scheduled to leave at 12 midnight on the scheduled day. Even after gathering the necessary information about this night bus journey in multiple ways from morning, I was quite hesitant, as I had very limited time to travel. I was hesitant to even reserve a bus in the afternoon. When I finally got on the bus, I swallowed the familiar feeling mixed with joy and fear at the same time. There are direct buses from Dhaka to Durgapur and even to the border area of Lengura. I went to Durgapur by Nishita transport. Rent 350 rupees.
It took about 4-5 hours to reach, but it took a full 6 hours due to the road work. Although I was praying for it to be late. Because the bus stops at Durgapur Bazar, which is not an established bus stand. Apart from the night guard, not a single person stays in the area between four and five in the morning. And I was the only passenger of Durgapur in that bus. It is to be noted that the road is currently undergoing renovation and construction work, which will reduce the travel time a lot. I was very anxious throughout the journey, because it would not be safe to wait for the lights to come on in the market alone in the dark of night - that was for sure.
I was talking to nearby passengers in an effort to gather more information to ward off anxiety. I wanted to know if anyone was available to accompany me. Even though everyone is unfamiliar there, such journeys often create some kind of relationship, which builds a kind of confidence even if it is not lasting. But the opposite can also happen. Speaking of which, I learned that one brother would go down to Durgapur, although his family destination was Lengura. That's right, he got off the bus and stayed with me until the first stop. But after getting off the bus, he was not seen again.
When I reached Durgapur Bazaar at six in the morning, it was a bone-chilling winter in the village at the end of January. The only tea shop with a restaurant was open. I am fortunate to have a family running this restaurant, and a woman making tea. I was sitting by the stove in the tea shop for a while, drinking tea and trying to mobilize myself. And I saw a second shop opening. It was also a small restaurant. Breakfast was arranged in this second one. At that time, the acquaintance with the ‘biker’ group of the area started.
Needless to say, if you want to go around Birishiri, you have to rent a bike or auto. You can also reserve it if you want. But you have to bargain very firmly. I decided from the beginning that I would not take the bike. I wanted to walk around. But that too would be foolish. The bike took 1,000 rupees to cover all the spots and reach Netrokona all day, which was more than double! Usually the cost of the whole inspection is within 300 rupees. If you want to go to Netrokona, it will cost a little more. And if you go in a group than a person, the rent will be less.
Suppressing the bikers' enthusiasm, I had breakfast at the second restaurant with rasgolla, fried eggs, vegetables and two hot fried parathas for only 50 rupees. Then we walk to the ghat with directions to the restaurant owner. This road is not very short, you can take a rickshaw if you want. This walking path to the ghat for crossing a dying branch of the Someshwari river on a fog-covered winter morning removes all the hesitations I still have. From this time onwards, I forgot all my worries and proceeded with confidence and started enjoying the journey to the fullest. The cost of crossing the river is the same at every wharf in the region - 5 rupees per person. Cows, bicycles and motorbikes also cross with people in the same boat. It takes about 5 minutes.
After crossing the river, it was time to select vehicles for the next journey. I decided in advance - Chinese Mountain and Someshwari River - just to visit these two places. Accordingly, without reserving, I rented an auto as a 'local' and sat down. But after more than half an hour, no other passengers were found so early in the morning. So I was forced to change my decision. And I reserve the auto. This change later became my best decision on this journey. Surprisingly, I was alone, so the driver, Md. Afzal Mama, asked me for only Rs. 400 for the whole day.
These costs usually range from Rs 600 to Rs 800. I paid only 200 rupees to visit only two places and paid the rent till 10 am. I did not visit Ranikhong Church, Orange Garden (winter is not the time for orange harvest) and BGB camp.
The porcelain hill is located in the Vijaypur area, about 10 km from the auto stand. The road to Vijaypur is very beautiful, ideal for driving. On either side of the smooth road were fields with remnants of freshly cut paddy. Occasionally light jungles and houses. But in the extreme cold and in the air, I could see the surroundings, but my eyes were burning. In the meanwhile they asked for permission in a local house to respond to the call of nature and they helped like hospitality.
Apart from these houses, there are no washrooms in this area. As soon as I reached the mountain, two children of the decade joined me as 'guides'. It was completely unnecessary for me. But this ‘guiding’ was their way of earning ‘extra’ to fully enjoy the annual fair called ‘Rashimani’ which is going to start from the first day of February. And for this they were also earning school money.
This limestone region is known by various names like porcelain hills, plain hills, pink stone hills, green lake hills etc. Besides, this region consists of 3-4 hills and 2-3 lakes. I will not even try to express the beauty of the mountains with language. And the artificial lens of the camera can never hold it. The hills on one side of the lake and the vast area on the other. The joy of being in that place can only be realized through real experience. So I was just trying to remember that moment, excluding other attempts. But the joy of my travels has always been doubled through conversations with the locals. As far as I know, the lake is not so innocuous with its natural beauty. There have also been fatalities due to failure to accurately predict its depth.
Sitting on the shores of Sabuj Panir Lake, Afzal Mama said that he was the one who started rickshaw and auto movement in the area along with his elder brother. I will not dwell on the history of many years ago. But in the middle of the conversation, I noticed that he did not only take some beautiful pictures while taking one or two pictures at my request, but it would not be wrong to say that he is a very skilled photographer. Without raising my nose, I continue to enjoy my travels and stories with my hobby mobile phone in my hand. I only occasionally took the phone back from him for framing and some photography as per my need. And the rest of the time I was going with ‘pose’ as per his instructions. The father of one son and one daughter was very kind to me all the time.
With 20 rupees in the hands of the two children, Afzal Mama and I set off for our second and final destination, the Someshwari river. The scene I saw when I arrived is heavenly, but it will not be exaggerated. In the distance, the palms of the mountains of Jaflong and the golden sand dunes in the middle of the river combined to create an unprecedented scene. At the place where I came to the very bank of the river, two Hindu women from Kamarkhali village in Kullagarh area were washing their clothes in the river water. The water was so clear and clear that I went down into the water without thinking about the clothes I was wearing or the cold.
The light currents of icy water evoked a different feeling of well-being. My aunt, who was washing clothes, was as excited as I was. I also had to take some pictures of him swimming at his request.
The beauty of the Someshwari river is so captivating that it is possible to spend hours here effortlessly. But the clock was ticking. So I had to change my position. I came back to the auto stand with my uncle. At the beginning of the journey, I asked my uncle if he could get date juice. Disappointed at his saying "no", I gave up and forgot. Arriving at the auto stand, I saw a man carrying two large plastic drums cut in the middle on his shoulder. Although in doubt, I did not anticipate that date juice could be sold in this way. But Afzal Mama not only noticed, he also kept my needs in mind. So the hobby of drinking date juice was fulfilled in this journey.
According to the agreement, Mama dropped me off at Birishiri Ghat after taking a detour for my convenience without landing at Durgapur Ghat. Crossing the river again for 5 rupees. However, I had a lot of trouble determining the vehicle for the next destination. Confidence came in handy again. Explaining the time constraint to a middle-aged local uncle who had crossed the boat with me, he explained very nicely that he had to cross the road from the ghat, cross the road, get on the bridge and take the auto to the Zaria railway station. In the time I had, it was not possible to go to Netrokona and taste Gayanath's famous 'Balish' sweets. My uncle was with me as I crossed the road through the bushes. Only after reaching the base of the bridge did he set off for his destination.
After much dust, four landings of old passengers and the passage of new passengers and unexpected traffic jams, crossing some of the worst roads in the world for about an hour, my companions and I finally reached Zaria Zanjail railway station at 12:30 pm. The train leaves at 2 pm. I knew in advance that I would have to go to Mymensingh by 'mail train'. Worry again- how long will the train stop? Can I get up? Understood, this anxiety increases the joy.
So I did not try to get rid of him. When I tried to use the tubewell in front of the mosque next to the station to clean the dust from my body, a maintainer at the mosque told me that it was broken. And told me to use the place to do aju. I had no hijab on my head, I was wearing full western clothes. But without hesitation, he allowed me to enter the mosque so much! I don't know the right words to express the feeling.
Surprised, the train arrived at the right time and left. After about five years, the excitement of the train journey was so great that I did not sit in the allotted seat on the Rs. Occupying two seats, I sat comfortably and talked to my fellow passengers, crossed a total of 6 stations and finally reached Mymensingh Junction. There is no ticket obligation in this room. The railway postman wanted some bounty. From the beginning to the end of this journey a total of three times had to fall in light rain. And throughout the journey, several good people helped me in every way. It is not possible to talk about all of them here.
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