I love traveling but I miss my family! It gets pretty crazy when traveling this much. Good thing we have FaceTime so I can see those beautiful faces!
This trip started with a jaunt to Denver, then over to Japan for about 6 1/2 hours, then on to Thailand for a day, then a skip up to Dhaka, and final arrival in Chittagong, Bangladesh. I have never been in Bangladesh so it was all a new experience for me.
Here are some photos from the current trip! I'm a huge fan of ariel views and land vs. water. It's amazing to see an ariel view of where you live!
Heading towards the Rockies
That is a 4WD trail……nice!
Rockies….almost in Denver
Welcome to the plains of Denver - I remember when we moved here thinking Denver was close to the mountains…..yea not true
I chose this route so I could get on the new Dreamliner plane. I LOVED IT!!!! Plus I really didn't want to spend a day in Dubai. Maybe some other time.
Love this plane!
These map things are so fun. You can see exactly where you are in the world. Here you can see where the sun is and where it's night time. I was just flying over Alaska at this point.
Another view - this shows where I started (Denver) and am now at Alaska with a final destination of Tokyo, Japan. You can't really read it but it says it's -43 degrees outside. Our speed was 575 mph. Only 3,400 something miles left to go!!!!
YEAH!!! Finally arrived after 15 hours of flying so far! I have to say I couldn't walk. It took a long time to be able to walk after sitting that long. I had the largest knot in my back.
Flying over Japan
Shoreline of Japan - you can see a large water park below
Not sure….could be Godzilla's drinking water….I love the teeth though
I love seeing the different landscapes!
Arrival….66 degrees and it's only 4:30 pm!
So I was back on a plane AGAIN! This is my arrival in to Thailand. I wasn't sure about the hotel. My friend from work recommended it - I was nervous because it was $30 a night with free hotel shuttle. BUT ---- I wasn't sold in to slavery and the hotel was very nice. They upgraded me to a suite for free. The guys were very very nice.
Had a living room in there that could fit about 20 people - I wasn't planning a party. :)
Bathroom from the bedroom. I love that all these hotels love to have the bath with a glass wall. You could pull the curtain on this one but it's pretty cool. I was going to take a bubble bath but it didn't work out so well. I like to have scalding hot water - Thailand likes luke warm water. So a quick shower it was.
Morning sun coming up in Thailand.
View out Vismaya Hotel window. Happy to be staying there again next week.
Not my preferred way of travel in another country. BUT --- this was the road to the hotel.
Thailand is voted my favorite for the art and care to details in the decor. This is in the airport.
Other side of the tug-o-war
Center piece
I love Thailand because everything here is ELEPHANTS! I just need money to buy them. I'd have my house decorated in Thailand elephants!
Heading to Dhaka, Bangladesh….met up with my co-worker in Thailand. Was good to see a familiar face. I love taking pics of the Coke cans.
Bangladesh landscape
Have to say I was a bit shocked at how much of this country is under water
Almost all water here
This village has practically sunk in to the ocean. It's all salt water so nothing can grow any more
Again more villages under water
My co-worker read that Bangladesh could continue to sink itself out of existence
Once we arrived in Dhaka we were quickly picked up by our escorts. They took our bags and helped us get through customs. We were able to go through the Diplomat line - it's all in who you know! :)
This is the private jet we took to Chittagong from Dhaka. Everyone is so amazingly nice. New perspective in some ways. The pilot was super cool and that is my co-worker meeting him.
Miss Rachel on the jet. It's been great to travel with her.
Driving from the airport to the boat…yep a boat to get to the Korean dorms. There are massive strikes going on in Bangladesh and especially Chittagong for our entire visit. So we have to take the boat to not get stuck in the protests.
Hoping these are NOT the boats we are taking!
Still hoping…..
Village under water
Restaurant……..
Shopping area and restaurants
Little chit chat
Fruit market and the cage for the chickens
Grocery store
Sure this is not our boat either…..
Here is our boat….not my preferred method of travel once again. Just hoping we don't sink. Rachel and Bonnie enjoying getting splashed by the very muddy water
Our little boat passing up the big boats
Shipyard - they are building boats over there
Korean area of Bangladesh --- Cows roam free everywhere here. You walk outside and you are guaranteed to be greeted by a cow
funky animal down there
The dorms. We chose to stay at the Korean dorms because it's much safer and nicer than the hotels. There are armed guards outside and the view is so nice - all forest. You still get woken up by the call to prayer but I hear it's much less than in the main city. The foxes are insanely loud and sound like monkeys. I have video to share!
front yard at the dorms
View from my room
Another view from my room down to the yard
I believe this is a house. I haven't gotten to close to look. We have to have an escort and I just go in and eat and sleep.
Guard tower
random buildings
Not sure…..
House
Off to work. It's Sunday here in Bangladesh but everyone works. This is our mode of transportation at this moment due to all the protests.
Bonnie and Jake - very cool to hang out with them. Need to visit their Korean offices someday.
Boat ride
It was very foggy on the waters…I was hoping our driver could see. He was a very small old man.
Time to get off the boat and take a ride to the factory.
These are kiosks so to say. People getting off the boats can buy stuff here.
A house
We had to have a police escort in to the city due to the protests.
Waiting for everyone in the chain of vans to head out. Ambulance was at the end and Police at the front.
The streets were INSANELY crowded.
I've never seen so many people in the streets and they don't care if your car is there or not.
Women off to work at the factories
Just running to get to work.
We arrive and get to work
Here we are working on patterns and grading
Rachel and Jake
Tour of the factory -- they employ over 40,000 and feed them all!
Production line
Reviewing our production for Spring 14
Sample lines
Another review of our production
Heat press machines
Down here to see the process and how they are doing the heat transfers
Other factory buildings
Random factories
Another factory
Zipper manufacturer
Lunch --- this is another factory - they do the Nike shoes here
Of course the coke can. No diet in Bangladesh --- but I had such a massive migraine from no caffeine I had to drink it.
Lunch --- the soups near killed me they were so spicy. The one on the left is a Bangladesh lentil soup and the other is an extremely spicy vegetable soup that made me cry. Then we have bulgogi, "green" vegetables, cauliflower, noodles with red hot Korean spice, rice and ochre.
Art as you enter in to the factory.
Our ride home from the factory to the boat was in an Ambulance. We had to use the sirens to get through the crowds of people.
Not an ambulance you would think it to be like…..There was a bed and a sink……..
Next up - pink toilet paper!
The people are so amazingly nice and very talkative. They are proud of their factory, employees, and quality of goods. I am amazed and shocked at the same time. It's a great experience. Everyone here is so genuine and they never let you carry your bags! Lots of stairs though….whew….no one takes elevators because the power fails constantly.
Well……I have 1 1/2 hours before I have to be on the boat and back to work at the factory. Another adventure!
