Our first full day was Friday, August 1. Friday is the Muslim day of prayer so the city is far less crowded especially in the morning. We took this opportunity to visit Old Dhaka and do a tour of some historic sites. Although Old Dhaka is only five miles away, it can take up to 2 hours to get there on a normal day. We were lucky, it only took us about 40 minutes. I took about 14o pictures, the best of which are posted here. Highlights include: the river dock, the old Armenian church, the Star Mosque, the Red Fort (which was built around the same time as the Taj Mahal). This was also my first major encounter with the Bangladeshi people. Unlike cities in India and most of the region, many of these people in Old Dhaka may see a tourist only a few times a year. The slogan in Bangladesh is "get here before the tourists do" and it's been that way for 30 years.
As a result we were received with stares, and many children would request that I took their picture. We were definitely the main attraction in the area, but I never felt threatened by the giant amount of people in the streets. The people of Bangladesh are extremely inquisitive, asking "what is your country" if they have the English, and very eager to please. Characteristically I would say that the Bangladesh people are docile, inquisitive, hospitible and gentle.