Where Am I?

January 29, 2008

Although it is winter in Bangladesh, I expected relatively warm temperatures. The weather during the first part of my trip did not disappoint with temperatures hovering near 80 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. However, a cold front has hit Bangladesh and the past few days have been down right chilly. As one can imagine, the cold weather is hard on the locals who are used to the tropical climate and do not have insulated homes.

At first, Sarah Jane and I thought that the Bangladeshis were over reacting a bit to the cold weather. We are from Boston after all and we are used to snowy winters. However, after working a whole day outside in the cold, drizzling weather, we decided it was time to pull out our winter hats.

Working in the cold and rain was not easy. Since I did not bring very many warm clothes to Bangladesh, I was thoroughly chilled by the end of each day. In addition, the ground became very slippery and inches of mud collected on the bottom of our shoes. Collecting water samples became a treacherous process. At one point I slipped off of the bamboo bridge right into the rice field. Fortunately, we had a tent which protected us a bit from the inclement weather.