The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Searching through the Dreamscape
The Sundarbans, Satkhira, Bangladesh

13-17 November 2008

Two in a row!! If someone asked me whether a back-to-back journey to the Sundarbans was boring or not, I would tell him/her one thing, "you must be joking!!". I just came back from the Sundarbans on 25 October. Why did I take another journey there in less than 3 weeks of the first one? Simple; I wasn't satisfied. The place had too many things for me, and I could quench the thirst only for a few. The rest just continued to beckon at me, until I got the invitation for this tour. It took me just several hours to confirm my availability. I couldn't possibly miss that.

Last time we were 17 people from our Flickr group TTL. This time we were only eight. I was mostly with the pro's. Out of those eight, five were professional photographers, giving enough of a reason to consider this as a learning process too. Tushar Bhai was there, who accompanied us during the last journey as well. He's the reason behind making the journey to the same place one more; Satkhira. We avoided the typical Khulna route because of the chaos of too many people, and lack of focus. The Khulna route is for the tourists; on the other hand, the Satkhira route is for the adventurers.

Our guide was again Mr. Salahuddin Bappy, the experienced journalist from Satkhira. The route plan up to the Burigoalini Forest Range Office was the same; but the rest of the tour had a lot more variance from the earlier one. Zubair Bhai was the main organiser, the contact point. Tushar Bhai and his business partner Zulias Bhai was there; they're both professionals. Shantu Bhai in an established photojournalist and Mamun Bhai is in advertising media, specialising in graphic designing. Royel Bhai, a businessman, and Lozens Bhai, an artist, are like me; non-pro's. And Zubair Bhai is another established professional photographer, mainly in commercial photography. My sincere thanks to them for offering me to go with them.

Last time it was a weekend tour only. This time, I utilised my annual leave to spend some worthy time over there. At least, there would less to complaint about the available time. The plan was to start on the evening on the 13th (Thursday) and come back on the 17th morning (Monday). A lot of others missed the tour because of the extra day's requirement. We missed them too.

Anyway, the journey began as planned; no surprises. We started at around 8:50PM. By around 11:00PM, we were on board a ferry at Paturia. It was full-moon. And the river looked beautiful. There were big shoals forming right in the middle of the river, as the dry seasons loomed. Those shoals were glowing under the moon. Anyway, the journey just continued from Daulatdia on the other end. We actually reached Satkhira a little earlier than we had expected; by around 3:20AM. We were supposed to board another bus from the same service provider. That bus took us to Shyamnagar after an hour's journey. It was still dark. Bappy Bhai was supposed to pick us from there in a microbus. But until he could come, we took a little time off at Shyamnagar, inside the empty, idle bus. Once Bappy Bhai arrived, we squeezed into the microbus and started. Breakfast was waiting for us on the boat.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Through the veil of morning mist.........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Shyamnagar Palace lies in ruins..........01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Shyamnagar Palace lies in ruins..........02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Shyamnagar Palace lies in ruins..........03

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Life in the past.......01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Life in the past.......02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dreaming from the past..........


At around 6:50AM, , we stopped at an unusual place. Finding an archaeological relic on the safari was the last thing in my mind; but thats what we got there. We stopped at Shyamnagar Palace (Shyamnagar Zamindar Bari). The building was made by a Zamindar named Haricharan Ray Chowdhury some 150 years back. Now it lies in complete ruin. There are people living within parts of those buildings too. We had a pretty short opportunity to have a look at those ruins and shoot some photos. But it was well worth the pause. Then we moved on.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Morning mirror..........


It wasn't too long before we stopped the car once again. We were leaving just too much beauty behind us. The morning mist on the paddy fields and shrimp farms were dreamy. Infant houses among the huge watery expanses of the shrimp farms, with their foggy backgrounds and perfect reflections on the water were hard to ignore. We were biting our teeth, and only sacrificed them for the sake of the overall journey. Still, by around 7:15AM, Zulias Bhai forced the car to stop. The reflections of those palm trees on the still water were too much to pass by unphotographed!

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Fishing at Burigoalini.........01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Fishing at Burigoalini.........02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Fishing at Burigoalini.........03

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Fishing at Burigoalini.........04

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Fishing festival, well almost......


By around 7:45AM we were at the gateway to the Sundarbans, the Burigoalini Forest Range Office. We boarded the boat and our dreams slowly began to turn into reality. Lots of fishing were going on around us. We could also see innumerable small fishing boats in the distant background. It almost looked like a festive season as far as fishing is concerned. But to my knowledge, commercial fishing in the Sundarbans is not allowed. Those boats were most probably engaged in crab fishing.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Small Minivet, male........ at Kalagachia Forest Station.....

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Old horse........ the wooden bridge behind the forest station at Kalagachia...

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

In symphony....... fishing boats on the River Kalagachia....


We left Burigoalini by around 9:00AM and reached Kalagachia Forest Station within 25 minutes. This is the place where we stayed the night last time. The place wasn't as green as it was while it was raining, but it still looked beautiful. We had our breakfast there on the boat and roamed around the nice woody areas behind the station. The mangroves looked great, even though they were unable to match their own beauty under rain. Birds were not too frequent this time round; even though we were able to hear quite a few of them.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Lonely journey......... boat on the Dobeki River......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Man-made contrasts..........01......... boat on the Dobeki River......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Man-made contrasts..........02........ on the Dobeki River......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Man-made contrasts..........03...... at Firingir Char......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Hardened faces..........01....... crab fishermen at Firingir Char

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Crab fishermen at Firingir Char.......


We left Kalagachia before 11:00AM; destination was a place called Firingir Char, where we were supposed to set foot among the mangroves. On the way, we stopped for a brief period at the Dobeki Forest Station. It was already around 1:20PM. But it wasn't until around 3:10PM when we reached Firingir Char. Everyone set foot among the mangroves, while I waited on the boat. I wasn't particularly fascinated by the thrill of the mud under my bare foot. While on the boat, I had a glimpse of the lives of the crab fishermen of the Sundarbans. These people stay away from home until their boat is filled up with crabs, which takes around 5/6 days. Each day yields around 35-45 crabs, which they sell to the market at Tk 20 per kg. Each kg yields only 10-12 crabs, making each crab worth less than Tk 2 on an average! For these 5/6 days, they live in their boat and stay away from their families. What a return at the end of such sacrifice! Moreover, there's the threat of pirates. If these fishermen fail to pay at least Tk 300, they are severely beaten up. This is a story to tell; a story to learn. You can see the hardship on their faces. This story alone was worth for me to stay on the boat.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Afternoon waves.......01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Afternoon waves.......02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Fishermen working with their nets at Notabeki Baon, on the Maamdo River.....

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Sunset at Notabeki Baon, on the Maamdo River.....


We had a pretty late lunch that day. And at the end of the lunch, we reached another place, named Notabeki Baon, on the River Maamdo. It was around 4:30PM. We could see fishermen engaged in a very interesting practice. They were planting fishing nets in the mud. High tide would inundate the mud and thats then they would raise the nets. This should capture a lot of aquatic creatures along the coast. Its an age-old trick, but effective. I again watched everyone being ferried to the muds. They spent a while there, until the sun went down by around 5:15PM. The sunset was spectacular. An eventful Friday went by with all the hopes for the next day.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Relaxing during the sunset....... Notabeki Canal.....

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Photographers at work.......01........Notabeki Canal.....

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Photographers at work.......02........Notabeki Canal.....


We reached Notabeki Forest Station before 6:00PM. But we decided to stay on the boat. Facilities on the ground weren't too tempting, actually. We didn't mind spending the night on the boat. The boat had enough room for eight of us and under a moonlit night, it was almost too romantic! We still managed to catch some sleep; we were really tired.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dawn at Notabeki Station.......01......... Notabeki Canal.......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dawn at Notabeki Station.......02......... Notabeki Canal.......


The dawn on Saturday at Notabeki broke out with fantastic colours! It was hard for us to wake up at around 6:00AM, but was it worth the pain!! It was a spectacular sunrise. We clicked to our heart's content.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

"Golpata" plants at Ashashuni Canal........01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Black-capped Kingfisher......... at Ashashuni Canal........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

"Golpata" plants at Ashashuni Canal........02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Colours at Jalghata..........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

The King of Jalghata........... White-bellied Sea Eagle.........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Nature's playhouse...... Terns flying in groups at Jalghata.....


The day's plan was finalised the night before. We were aiming for an exclusive place called Kalir Char. The place is quite far, but its unique nature should attract any adventurer. We started off by around 7:20AM. A long journey ensued. But it was in no way boring. We spotted some deer at a place called Dingimari, but they all flew noticing us. Some nice "golpata" plants were seen on the way at Ashashuni Canal. The real surprise waited for us near Jalghata. The trees were under high tide and there were many birds playing among those trees. It was spectacular. And the eagle commanding the trees was unmistakable. The huge white thing graced the trees like a king. The terns flying under those trees were paying homage to the eagle's kingship!

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Utter ignorance!!....... Terns showing their back!!

We paused for a while at Jalghata and again left for Kalir Char. Vast expanses of water had to be crossed to reach that remote place. The place lies around 2 hours' from the Bay of Bengal. Some terns were showing their back at us with utter ignorance! But we could not move on without taking some snaps of them.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Idle morning........ Sandpiper at Kalir Char......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Graceful in flight........ Brahminy Kite at Kalir Char....

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Group flights......... Common Terns at Kalir Char.......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Whimbrels in flight......... at Kalir Char

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Landscape at Kalir Char.......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

"Modontak" (Lesser Adjutant Stork) in flight..........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

For the control of the skies......... Brahminy Kite and "Modontak" flying over Kalir Char......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

A supersonic flypast........ Barn Swallow in flight........


It wasn't until 12:00 noon, when we were able to see the spectacular scenes on Kalir Char. Straightaway we knew that we had hit the jackpot! This place was teeming with life. The biodiversity here wasn't difficult to pick within the first few moments. Egrets and herons spotted the green grass along the canal. Sandpipers adorned the muddy canal banks. Terns and Whimbrels were wheezing past from this side to the other. Occasional "Modontak" (Lesser Adjutant Stork) was gracing the green grassland displaying their massive wings. A couple of Brahminy Kites were dominating the skies around that place, sitting only on the top of the tallest trees. And how could I forget to mention the Band Swallows? These tiny little things were darting along the canal east-west, every minute; restless. They were the hardest to capture in the camera, but I tried my best. A kite all on a sudden swooped on an egret on the other bank, just to claim his/her own territory. The sky wasn't actually in total control of the kites. A huge "Modontak" was dividing the skies above between him and a kite. The trees on land were full of birds of many kinds; but I had to leave them there as I had once more decided to remain on the boat.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Territorial Mud Skippers........ at Kalir Char......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Relaxed, but attentive....... deer at Kalir Char.....


The mud of the mangroves was as vibrant as I've seen during the previous visit. Mud Skippers and a myriad of crabs and snails brought the bland mud to life. The distant woods kept the biggest surprises. Spotted deers were relaxing among the trees and were paying a lot of attention to our movements. They remained until our team decided to land. Everyone went ashore even though Bappy Bhai was recommending a stay on the boat for at least half-an-hour more. He said that the deers would've come extremely close to the boat if we just kept quiet. But the patience of the photographers were pushed to the limit. They wanted to go ashore immediately. This pushed the deers further and further away. From then on, we could only see them from far away.

The rest of the day was spent at the canal, waiting for our friends to come back. Some of them came back rather late, deciding to ignore the advice of Bappy Bhai. Bappy Bhai was particularly concerned about their security. Kalir Char is notoriously known for its tigers. He was also concerned about the tide. Ebb tide would make it very difficult to get the boat out of the canal. A third worry was the boat's gearbox. The machine was giving trouble since last night. And there was a serious concern about the fitness of the boat.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

The day's proceeds....... Boatmen returning with "keora" fruits....

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Footmarks......... the leaning sun at Kalir Char.........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Anchor aweigh!!....... Abdul Wahab casting anchor....... the boat got stuck in the mud!!

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Until the next tide......... waiting it out for the high tide.......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Last colours at Kalir Char........


Bappy Bhai wanted to get the boat out of the canal before 3:00PM. But when everyone boarded the boat, it was already 4:30PM. Water level dropped and there was mud all around. The boat got stuck. All tried with anchor and poles failed. Abdul Wahab, a staff of Bappy Bhai, even went as far as to push the boat from the back in chest high water and knee deep mud! It was still not working. We decided to wait until the next high tide, which was not supposed to start before couple of hours' time. We rather enjoyed the sunset, which was again quite spectacular.

Our engine started again by around 6:40PM. The moon was struggling to come out through the clouds. But we could experience a marvel that was totally unexpected. Pack of deers at night! We couldn't see anything in the dark, but once we focused our torchlights on the shore, we were surprised to see lights being bounced back! Those were the eyes of the deers. No one; many! They all turned into statues seeing our lights. We couldn't see anything other than the eyes on the far bank, but the bank near us was fantastic. We focused 4/5 torches at the same time and could see many deers roaming around with their eyes popping out! For a moment, they were stuck with awe. But soon they woke uk from their dreams and started to run. Some were making huge leaps. It was a brilliant sight! I could see a far-away eye moving upwards! It was flying! Bappy Bhai said that it was an owl.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

A moon-lit Dobeki Forest Station......


Our awe came to an end once we were out of the canal. We were on our way to Dobeki Forest Station. Thats where we were supposed to stay the night. It was a long journey. We couldn't reach there before 11:00PM. When we reached there, we could see the canal beside the pier completely inundated in high tide. We could see everything in bright moonlight. It was eerie, but romantic. We finished our dinner quickly and spent some time gossiping on the pier. The moonlit night was almost too romantic for an early bed. We were awake until the day's toil forced us to bed by around 1:00AM.

We had an early morning plan for Sunday. I woke Bappy Bhai up at around 5:10AM. I was surprised to find our boat out in the open. When we went to sleep, the boat was inside the narrow canal, among the trees. And now, in ebb tide, I found the boat some distance from the pier. Bappy Bhai and his staff positioned the boat there overnight to avoid any danger from wild animals.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dawn at Dobeki Station..... seen from the watch tower..........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Brahminy Kite in flight........ Dobeki Station........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Breakfast!!...... a White-throated Kingfisher swallowing fish....... Dobeki Station........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Guarding the branches....... Eurasian Collared Dove...... Dobeki Station....


Anyway, we started off for the watch tower at the station. I could see none behind me, so, I followed the guard. Some others followed a bit later. It was dawn; around 6:00AM. I sat at the second floor of the tower with the guard. He told me exactly where I would be able to find deers if I was patient enough. But patience was a bit lacking among us; as a lot of talking and movement soon ensued. Such movement at the top floor of the tower could be seen and hear from far away. Langurs climbed a tree and came down. The guard told me that its the sign that the deers would be moving away from that direction. Usually deers always follow the langurs. They give each other warnings of impending danger from tigers. The langurs were making a lot of sound and they climbed other trees nearby, indicating that they were diverting the deers from the place where I wanted them to be. They come to the big pond beside the tower everyday to have a drink. These ponds are few sources of freshwater in this usually saline area.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Mother and child......... deer at Dobeki Station........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Too attentive....... deer at Dobeki Station........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Looking for a prey...... Dobeki Station...... [any help with ID??]

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

No breakfast yet........ Common Kingfisher......... Dobeki Station......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Shikra.......... Dobeki Station......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Bronzed Drongo....... Dobeki Station......


Most others left the scene soon enough. There were other bathing on the other end of the pond. I became pessimistic with all that chaos. The guard took off, but he still gave me assurance that I might still see something provided that I remained patient. And reward I did get. As light began to improve, so, improved my luck. A few deers came in the exact place where the guard pointed. Kingfishers were catching fishes and having a breakfast in the trees. Big birds of prey were awake. Brahminy Kites and Shikras were claiming their territories and gracefully flying near the tower. Doves and drongos were also jumping in the nearby trees.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Northern Pintails in flight....... Dobeki River......

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

The silense inside Dobeki Bharani........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Common Sandpier at work......... Dobeki Bharani........


I finally came down from the tower at around 8:45AM. I wasn't tired. We were yet to have our breakfast. With that arranged, we were supposed to move off once again. Bappy Bhai arranged a small motor boat for us, which would allow us to go inside a narrow canal. We started off by around 10:20AM. Destination was a nearby canal named Dobeki Bharani. A very narrow canal, which can't be entered in low tide. We changed boat and entered the canal. Bappy Bhai was reluctant to arrange such a tour from the start. But he had to give in to our persistence. He was always very very apprehensive about going inside such confined spaces. We figured out that a tiger swam across the canal not too far ago. There were fresh footmarks on either side of the canal. It looked scary! Bappy Bhai and other guards remained extremely vigilant and were not in favour of a very long ride. Water depth was declining rapidly. We had a hard time turning the boat 180 degrees. The canal was extremely narrow. We could see sandpipers working on the mud inside. Some "dhundal" trees were displaying their big fruits. We boarded the mother boat by around 11:00AM.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Great Egret at Badurjhuli Canal.......01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Great Egret at Badurjhuli Canal.......02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Great Egret at Badurjhuli Canal.......03

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Great Egret at Badurjhuli Canal.......04

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Black-capped Kingfisher at Badurjhuli Canal.......01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Black-capped Kingfisher at Badurjhuli Canal.......02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Young fisherman (or boy??)....... the Kholpetua River

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

All female team......... the Kholpetua River

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

The family........... the Kholpetua River


We were now on our way out of the Sundarbans. We had some more things to enjoy yet, but it would be during this outward journey. We saw Great Egrets and kingfishers in the Badurjhuli Canal. Saw many fishing boats too. We crossed Kalagachia Forest Station on the way; paused a little bit for getting refreshed. We were aiming to land at the fishing village of Gabura. It was around 1:20PM. The landscape of Gabura was unique. It was unlike anything I've seen so far. Long dikes encircled the village and lines of mangrove trees were guarding those dikes from the outside. We found it to be a pretty long strip of land over there, as we traveled to find a place to land.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

A green welcome........ entrance to Gabura Village.........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

All at a time!!........ fishing at Gabura Village........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

A typical fisherman's house.........


The moment we landed, we attracted a lot of onlookers. We could see a big pool of water directly linked to the river, where there were a lot of fishing going on. Almost too many fishermen were throwing their nets in the water. Great sight it was. I talked to some of the villagers over there. They told me that the village had 3,500 voters. They mostly do fishing and the main market for their produce is a place called Munshiganj, some 3km away.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Snakes for crabs??......... Mohammad Idris is a crab fisherman..... he buys these snake-like fishes from a nearby hatchery and dries them in the sun...... after one day's drying, these fishes turn into dried skeletons...... they are used as baits to catch crabs....

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Monira's home...... 3 month-old monira is yet to know her world..... right now, only living under the loving care of her family..... soon, she would learn to call this her home........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

colours..........01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

colours..........02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Home of the ancient mariner........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Children of Gabura........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dreams behind bars........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Patterns of uniqueness.........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Fishing house..........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Old school, new students..........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Basking in the sun..........

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dreamscape..............01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dreamscape..............02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dreamscape..............03

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dreamscape..............04

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Dreamscape..............05


We walked fast, keeping in mind that we had a tight schedule ahead of us. But we could hardly miss the uniqueness of the place. Its true that attracting that much attention was not helping us too much, yet, it also wasn't difficult for us to find that every house over there was a photographic gold-mine! We walked and snapped. It was a hard walk in warm conditions, but never tiring. We boarded the boat once more from another point on the village by around 3:10PM. We were not at all happy that we had to complete the walk within such a short time. One can spend days over there, yet, feel unfulfilled. This was one of the best part of our whole tour.

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Sunset at Burigoalini Forest Range Station..........01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Sunset at Burigoalini Forest Range Station..........02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Evening mirror.........01

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Evening mirror.........02

From The Sundarbans, Satkhira, November 2008

Evening mirror.........03


We completed our late lunch and proceeded towards the last location in the Sundarbans, Burigoalini Forest Range Station, where the tour started. We left our boat and boarded a microbus by around 4:45PM. The sun was already producing captivating colours, so, couldn't help taking some shots. As we ran through the road, we could see the setting sun beckoning. Egrets were taking off from the green paddy fields against a setting sun. Perfect reflections of the houses on the water were almost too much. But we couldn't waste time on the road. We were after the same coconut trees that we had snapped on the inward journey. The earlier snaps were with the sun on the east, now its with the setting sun. When we reached the place by around 5:25PM, by which time the sky had lost most of its colours. The brilliant red glow was no longer there. But the reflections still stole our hearts.

We bade Bappy Bhai goodbye on the way and reached Shyamnagar. But we had bad news for us. We didn't have a bus for us for Satkhira. So, We had to take the same microbus to Satkhira to catch the bus for Dhaka.

It was already around 7:30PM when we reached Satkhira. We booked tickets for Dhaka on an 8:45 bus. Completed our dinner at a local restaurant and had some nice local tea made from fresh milk. The last part of the journey didn't have a lot to offer. We had some gossip on the way before the effects of the hard journey showed on our eyes. Don't know when I fell asleep. It was pretty early in the morning when we set foot in Dhaka. It was 3:30AM and a little too early in the morning to be of any convenice.

Looking back at the tour, I just wonder I saw so much, yet there was so much I missed. I would surely go there once again with the next opportune moment!

P.S.
Special thanks to Zamiruddin Faisal Bhai for the ID of the birds.
This blog page contains only a few images; please have a look at the whole gallery here to get a complete picture.