This Soot is Black Not

So today we had our first real chance to explore the city outside of the little corner we call home. There are thirteen of us here in all, and seven of us went uptown to the "ritzy" part of the city to do some shopping and walk around. I say walk, but it's more like dodge, or maybe zigzag around. You see, sidewalks are optional. Even when they do exist, there are several ways that you could die (or at least be seriously grossed out) at any moment. 1) You could step in a pile of trash/human feces 2) you could run into a man bending down to pee 3) you could fall into a pit about 8-10 feet deep (most likely with sewage at the bottom) 4) you could be run over by a motorcycle, many of which decide to avoid traffic by driving precisely where people are supposed to walk. And this is all assuming you don't have to cross any streets. All the while you're breathing in soot and smog. So much so that every time you blow your nose, it comes out black as night.

Now, I love my bride to be more than anything in the world, but most of you know her inability to cross a street unless it is absolutely clear for approximately 3 miles in either direction. I am convinced that if brought here, she would stand in one spot for the entirety of her stay. There are no crosswalks, so little flashing white men to guide you across, and it's every man for himself. Our Bangla teacher said that a good rule of thumb is to assume that everyone behind the wheel of a car is both deaf and blind. On a serious note, road traffic accidents are one of the major problems here, and approximately 30 people de per day in this city due to collisions with pedestrians or other cars.

So on we continued past the Westin, The Sheraton, and the Radisson to the malls and towers that populate this part of town. One thing that struck me was that the shops in these towers wouldn't be out of place in much more developed cities. The prices, service, facilities, and technology could be substituted for anywhere in Latin America or even parts of Europe. Yet, outside there is poop running freely in the streets. Lots of poop.

It just highlights the incredible wealth disparity that befalls much of the developing world. The middle class is growing, yes, but it's mostly the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. Instead of building more luxury apartment buildings and malls (which there are literally hundreds of construction sites for in our small area alone), tens of thousands of affordable housing units could be built for those that live in squalor.

Still, this city has a charm all its own. Taking the rickshaw back on this unusually cool night (about 55 degrees), the sounds stopped. I was the only one on the street. For those 15 seconds, all I could hear were crickets; and I think I started to fall in love with this place.