We're here in Dhaka...

We arrived in Dhaka to a welcome from four Design Bangladesh staffers who greeted Betsy and me with a bouquet of roses and night lilies. The airport was busy with much hussle and bussle. It took us about an hour to claim our baggage. We both noticed that there were few women traveling and those who were were dressed in burkas.

BEST NEWS YET - CHRIS IS HERE!!!

The traffic is worse than New York if you can picture cars, buses jammed packed with people, taxis, bicycles and rickshaws all decorated with flowers and pictures. The cars come at you in all directions. An old man came up to the car and we gave him a Caring CoinHe smiled and put it around his neck, but he was even happier when our driver gave him some takas. (money)

We met Mahmudul Karim Rubel, our host and the President of Design Bangladesh at the Hotel de Crystal Crown where Rubel had arranged for us to stay. It does not seem posssible that Rubel first contacted me last May when he first asked that we bring Caring Coins to Bangladesh as a reminder to the children and people of Bangladesh that they have not been forgotten by the world. And here Betsy, Chris and I are today, in Bngladesh.

Rubel and seven of his staffers, Chris, Betsy and I had dinner at the hotel last night. We were treated to a typical Bangladesh dinner. It was delicious. And can you imagine, we all ate with our hands! Bob, you wouldn't have believed it. Before we left the dining room at midnight, everyone there was wearing a Caring Coin. We discussed our schedule for our first day in Bangladesh which includes a press conference in the morning and then a meeting with students at the Badda High School in the afternoon. We expect that this will give us a bit more insight into the rest of our visit here in Bangladesh.

That's about it for now, we'll keep you posted.
Salley, Betsy and Chris