I am staying at the Grand Prince Hotel on a busy street in the shopping district of Dhaka. From the street, the hotel blends in with the surroundings perfectly – a bland dirt color with a vertical sign marking its presence. Once inside however, the hotel takes on a whole new attitude. The lobby is clean, well lit and fully equipped with wireless internet that is always being used by guests from all over the world. There are 2 restaurants with enormous menus boasting Chinese, Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine.
Our room is small with two twin beds and a small bathroom attached. The room has an air conditioner that works periodically and is comfortable except for the 20+ cockroaches we have killed so far. We considered switching rooms but quickly realized that if our room has bugs, so does everyone else’s. Instead we went downstairs to the local bazar and bought some bug spray. We used the whole can on the room so hopefully they will stay out for awhile!
There is a mosque right outside the window of our room and we can hear the call to prayer several times a day. Today I walked into the hall to find a hotel employee on his prayer mat in the hallway. I spoke with someone about visiting a mosque and she said that they would most likely let me in if I found a mosque that allowed women to enter. I hope to find one in the coming days and check it out.
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