Trent and I were able to borrow a couple motor bikes and do a really amazing bike trip up through the back roads of the Chittagong Hill Tracts to Lama, Chimbuk, Nilgiri then Bandarban. We were on the bikes over 6 hours the first day as we did a few extra side trips then back again the next day in an easy 4 hours. All these hill roads are at best single lane roads with constant tight bends and turns. The country roads also run mainly on the ridges of the hills to make for fewer landslides with the unstable soil during the rainy season (vs cutting into the side of a hill), which makes for an especially scenic journey. A horn and good breaks are a must on this trip. Trent took his new GoPro video camera on the trip and we got some fun videos he will work on posting to youtube.
Holly and Natasha took the landcruiser and met us at Bandarban town.
Trent on the Honda XL185 just outside of Lama
We encountered a rolled truck on this same hill both days we passed through. The men flipping them back up again seemed to know what they were doing as they had an effective system of winching the trucks back up by hand.
View of the river just past Lama. Tobacco plants seen growing on both sides of the river as a winter cash crop
Nilgiri Military reststop. This is one of the highest points in Bangladesh -which is along the highest road in Bangladesh. The road runs along the ridge of a chain of mountains (really big hills).
Along the Bandarban - Nilgiri road
Holly and Natasha took the landcruiser and met us at Bandarban town.
Just outside of Bandarban
Hiking down to the river at first light
Natasha making her way down to the river through some banana groves
River boat ride to Bandarban town
Jon
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