Getting around Dhaka

Glad I don't have to drive in this city!

 On our way into town from the aiport as soon as I arrived I saw THIS!!! This alerted me to the fact that things were going to be VERY different in this country. Perhaps I already knew that but I was pretty surprised. I thought that riding on train rooves was only for the movies these days. Wrong!

 And riding on the roof of a bus is also very common. I guess

 if you want to go somewhere and there isn't room inside the bus it makes sense (in some cultures!) to climb on top.

 Or on top of the main load. Whatever will get you there, I guess.

How cute is this little number! These look like little beetles cutting in and out of the traffic. This is called an auto ricksha (no spelling mistake, grammar snobs)

And this, of course, is a manual ricksha.

It was fun going for my first Ricksha ride. Not sure that I would attempt it on the main roads, but down the back street on the way to the girls' home was safe enough. 

Because the roads are super busy

 and the drivers drive too close and don't use indicators,

 it can be pretty hairy on the main roads

and the scars on the public transport vehicles tell a pretty descriptive story.

Rather than use indicators to let drivers of other vehicles know when they're intending to move lanes, the drivers here use horns to say 'I'm moving over, don't get in my way'. It makes for lots of scrapes and knocks and damaged paintwork.