A TR dedicated to many SQTalkers: SQFG goes to Dhaka! (KUL-DAC-KUL on MH J)

[jhm]

The MH satay looks much better than the one on SQ. How about in the taste department SQFG?

It's certainly my experience and others (e.g. UMD) that MH satay beats SQ satay hands down.

[Nick C]

Great TR SQFG!

[SQflyergirl]

The MH satay looks much better than the one on SQ. How about in the taste department SQFG?

It's certainly my experience and others (e.g. UMD) that MH satay beats SQ satay hands down.

MH satay skewers are slightly more massive than the SQ ones, which might explain the reason they taste better, IMHO.

Malaysian varieties tend to have a 3 distinct chunks of meat on the skewer arranged like this: Lean-fat-lean

So there's a layer of fat that's either intentionally or unintentionally inserted between the two segments of lean meat.

The SQ version from memory tends to be just one homogenous chunk of lean meat and also a tad smaller.

[leo]

I got another recommendation: Not just sealed bottled water, but sealed IMPORTED bottled water. The local ones are pretty dodgy also. My minibar's Perrier and Evian are very welcome indeed. Also of note: The Coke Light/Diet Cokes I've been ordering are from Singapore. Apparently Bangladesh domestic market doesn't have it.

That bad huh? Well I hope you packed your lomotil and didn't have to use it! LOL

[Kiwi]

The pictures of the city sure looks very much like Pakistan.

I guess that is where you compare it with. Lahore, for example, much drier and dustier than Dhaka.

SQFG does Dhaka airport still have the collection of "aircraft" scattered around?

[SQflyergirl]

SQFG does Dhaka airport still have the collection of "aircraft" scattered around?

Dunno. Kinda hard to see through the fogged up windows in the dark. Will try to look tonight on the way out

[SQflyergirl]

A word of warning:
These pics were taken from a moving vehicle. We were told not to go wandering off by ourselves and also not to take too many pics as they don't like cameras shoved in their faces, so I probably didn't get a representative experience of this place.

Tricycles are the most common way to get around.


Their seatbacks are quite ornately decorated, and have the NW new J shell shape.


Moving slightly upmarket - we have the motorized version


Why go to England, when England can come to you?


Headquarters of Biman of Bangladesh. Could an appearance in One World be being plotted behind those doors? Star Alliance perhaps?


Typical intersection: Busy, and full of motorist and pedestrians who know not the meaning of "splat against the side of a bus"


A jeepney (that's not what they call it here, i'm just used to the term)


One thing i DO notice is an abundance of fresh fruit. Not sure I'd like to partake of it, but they do look kinda yummy.

[SQflyergirl]

Off the main road, it's not tarred or even gravel. You can imagine what it's like when it rains here. And erm.... it rains here every day.


I guess that's why people prefer sticking to the railroad tracks then


Oh Look! A sari sari store (no, again, that's not what they call it here, I've just spent too much time in the philippines )

[jjpb3]

Moving slightly upmarket - we have the motorized version

Looks like their version of Suites.

Love the translation to Pinoy terms, SQFG.

[HUGE AL]

Looks like their version of Suites.

[SQflyergirl]

A few more pics I got:

Roads like these are common. Bone jarring. Here's a business opportunity for y'all - open a shop selling shock absorbers for cars, bikes, trucks and trikes. A guaranteed success


Let's go to the movies! Bollywood is big in bangladesh. I hear they're dubbed from Hindi to Bangla.


The one thing they spare no expense on: mosques. A rather attractive minaret.


FFC anyone? It's a fried chicken chain. From Fentucky no doubt.


He who knows not the meaning of "splat against the side of a bus" part II


He who "prays the bus driver doesn't brake too hard" part II


The oasis in the madness


So as you can see, I didn't see a whole lot, but to be honest, I'm not sure I wanted to. Everywhere one goes, one gets stared at. It unnerved my colleagues far more than it did me, though.

Next: To wrap things up: some brief thoughts about the flight back.

[SQflyergirl]

As per Kyo+'s request:

This is the balaka lounge in DAC. I have to say, forget the decor - the service is excellent. They'll cook up a tandoori for you if you so choose. Drinks are served and they go around asking if you need anything all the time. Not had that in any other lounge before, so reasonably impressed.
P/S - no other pics because there was a VVIP (and his wife) who unceremoniously bumped me out of 1A into 2K. This chap had 8 bodyguards who didn't sit (they stood around him). Needless to say I got the glare from them as this shutter went off. Bodyguards flew in Y.


Load is light, so I move to 5K so that I disturb no one and vice versa. Legroom in the intermediate rows are as you can see, nowhere near as good as row 1.




A little ancient. And they operate this as far afield as ICN.


A Biman DC-10 being readied to go somewhere.


I kid you not: Fly the friendly skies! Of........... United.



Spotted this on taxi out - and a quick check on wikipedia reveals this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Airways_(Bangladesh)
No, it's not a member of Star, nor can you accrue on your Mileage Plus account..... yet.

Didn't notice this before, but the overhead bins abruptly at row 4. Rows 1/2 and 3 don't have center bins. Dunno if it's an A330-300 design, or because MH used to have 2 rows of F that didn't need the center bins and when they reconfigured the a/c, didn't do the bins as well.


Red, red and more red anyone? Not a particular favourite amongst MH regulars or so I'm told.


We push back and take off about 20 minutes late, but the sector time's only 3:30, so that'll put us into KUL on time. Bye bye Dhaka!


Unfortunately, it's at this juncture that I fell asleep and didn't wake up till this:


Ahh factory belching smoke. You know you're close to home then!


Wheels on the ground at 7.10am and we're home! I think the crew were quite grateful the load was light as it was a turnaround flight from MH196 so they'd been on duty a LONG time - still, 10 out of 10 for trying.

and that folks - is what we call: The end.

Thanks for reading!

[Kyo]

Superb! Even more superb is the fact you made it back in one piece!

No food piccies? (/me wonders what they eat in Bangladesh apart from tandoori)

[milehighj]

He who "prays the bus driver doesn't brake too hard" part II

only if they're going fast enough...

[Kiwi]

That lounge is a haven at DAC, and incongruous with the state of the rest of the terminal.