September was nearing its end, and the midterms of my 7th Semester of university, scheduled for the first week of October, was approaching at breakneck speed. Stress from my academics and side hustles was piling up, and managing my time wisely was adding to that stress. I wasn’t feeling well being cooped up in my dormitory room, yearning to take a breath of fresh air.
9:15 a.m. Thursday, September 21, 2022. My friend Atiq Aziz Sadat and I headed to the first class of the day— Digital Signal Processing (DSP), taught by Professor Dr. Taslim Reza. DSP is notorious for being one of the most difficult courses of our Electrical and Electronic Engineering programme. Sir’s lecture was comprehensive and informative as usual, but I was unable to focus. I wasn’t in the mood to absorb the contents of his lecture, thanks to days of stress and fatigue.
Taking my phone out of my pocket, I discovered on my newsfeed that some of my friends were having a great time in the valleys close to Alpas, Switzerland. Seeing them have the time of their lives while I was stuck in class made me feel even worse.
An impulse took over me, and I went to Flight Experts. There, I searched for the cheapest possible flight from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar that is scheduled to depart at 11.15 a.m. I found a ticket price that was within my budget, and bought it immediately.
Taslim Reza sir’s call for attendance was over, which meant I was free to leave the classroom without any repercussions. I hurried to my room, packed my necessities, and requested a bike ride from IUT to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s Domestic Lounge. Along the way, I also booked a one night stay at Hotel Ocean Paradise, Cox’s Bazar, through GoZayan.
I was punctual as I arrived at the airport, completing final inspections and preparing myself for takeoff. I was to fly on the BS 147 of the US Bangla airlines. I remember there being some unavoidable aviation traffic, which set us back nearly 32 minutes.
Right before takeoff, I hopped on a video call with the friends who were currently touring Switzerland. The people who inspired my impulse solo trip were on the roads of Austria when they received my call. They poked fun at my humble little travel plans as they got the stellar opportunity to tour half of Europe, but for someone who was stuck in a tiring loop just a couple hours ago, this was more than enough.
After takeoff, I put on my headphones and pressed play on my playlist. The view of the aircraft leaving the crowded Dhaka from the window was a treat for the eyes. Within ten minutes of departure, I could see the rivers grow smaller and smaller from above, and the buildings seemed to resemble Lego models. I didn’t get much time to admire the view as we swiftly dove into the clouds. (Photo_1)
Within 55 minutes, we landed at the Cox’s Bazar Domestic Airport. I descended and got to taking photographs immediately to document every memory I made along the way. Boarding a shuttle, I traveled to the Hotel Ocean Paradise. Though the view from the apartment was not particularly appealing, the place did just fine for a one night accommodation.
After freshening up, I ordered an overpriced cream of mushroom soup and a green salad from the hotel’s restaurant. A match between Bangladesh vs New Zealand was airing on the television, which was eventually stopped due to rain. The weather at Cox’s Bazar, however, showed no sign of precipitation.
After a short nap, I made my way to the seashore. The hotel was already close to Kolatoli, but I managed to find the quickest route to the place. When I first visited Cox’s Bazar in 2017, I found the beach to be extremely crowded, which wasn’t the case this time around. I discovered some young locals playing volleyball on the shore, while others were flying kites or keeping themselves busy in some way. I once again took my phone out to capture photographs and videos, which I planned to use in creating travel content.
I took a short trip to a place called Dolfin Mor in hopes of renting a scooter to ride around the beach, but it had gotten so late that my efforts were disappointed. Once back on the beach, I spotted Aabrar Islam, an old friend from my school days. (Photo_2, Video_1)
Even though I generally preferred solo travel, Abrar and his friends proved to be pleasant company. Cox’s Bazar is one of those places that are best enjoyed in the company of others. I spent the remainder of the night walking along the shoreline with them and listening to the sound of the waves. The sky was exceptionally clear that day, and the moon was easily visible from the shore. (Photo_3, Photo_4)
I had a Lobster dinner at a nearby restaurant with Abrar. Asking my friend to join me for breakfast the next morning, I returned to my hotel. Getting out of my day clothes, I took a hot shower, and cozied up in my bed. I fell asleep while binging the final season of Sex Education. I was woken up by loud noises coming from the hotel bar around 1 AM, and left the hotel in order to explore the nightlife of Cox’s Bazar. The short late night walk was beyond refreshing, while also managing to wear me out enough to return to sleep.
I woke up very early in the morning to see the sun rise from the shore, but to my disappointment, I wasn’t quite early enough. After another short burst of sleep, I called Aabrar to come meet me within 10 minutes for breakfast. As we were indulged in a hearty conversation, it took us nearly an hour to finish our meal. An hour well spent, in my opinion.
Around 10 AM, we decided to hit the hotel pool. The shallow pool was mostly empty thanks to the early hours, and as Aabrar couldn’t swim, I did some pool dives by myself, filming them for future retrospections. We parted ways after nearly an hour, and I had to make arrangements for my journey back before I could enjoy the day.
I decided to go back to Dhaka by a bus from the Green Line sleeper coach for Dhaka, booking a ticket before checking out of the hotel. I attended my Jummah prayer at a mosque near Dolfin Mor. My intentions of taking a scooter ride around Cox’s Bazar was once again thwarted, thanks to the incredibly hot weather. Meeting up with Aabrar again at his place this time, I acquainted myself with some of his friends and had a grand time playing UNO with my newly made friends.
At approximately 3.30 PM, I headed out once again to find a scooter to ride on the famous Marine Drive. My bad luck with scooters seemed to continue, as I could only find bicycles. I’m not too experienced with motorcycles, but took the risk anyway and rented one. Upon refueling, I mounted the bike and headed straight for the Marine Drive.
It was, in all honesty, the best decision I’d taken during the tour. The journey felt like a scene from a movie, proving completely worth the money and risk. The roads were lined with trees, not to mention the wonderful mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. Even the warmth of the previously scalding sun seemed comforting.
I found a location where tourists could parasail, and decided to partake in the activity on my way back. My bike ride continued until I found myself at Mini-Bandarban, where I had to turn back. (Photo_5, Photo_9)
On the way back, I made sure to take a lot of photos as a keepsake. I intended to visit Inani Beach, another famous tourist destination, but also chanced upon more beaches where fishing vessels were moored. There were some local children playing football with much enthusiasm, which made for a perfect capture. (Photo_6, Photo_7, Photo_8)
By the time I reached the Parasailing Location, they had discontinued their services for the adventure-seeking tourists for the day. I was a tad disappointed but decided that the next time I return, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
I approached Kolatoli and called Aabrar, who was with his companions at a small restaurant. As my bus was scheduled to depart at 8.30 p.m., with him on the backseat of my bike, we went to the hotel to pack all of my possessions after returning the bike to its proprietor. At the locally popular Shalik Restaurant, I ordered seafood and fries, which was so delicious that I wanted to order another round, but time was running out.
Upon finishing my meal, I went to the bus station, finding my ride home to be quite punctual. Interestingly, this was my first ride in a sleeper coach, and I was assigned a seat on the upper deck. I expected the bus to vibrate quite a lot along its journey, but found out that wasn’t really the case.
Putting my headphones on again, I hit play on “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, a perfect theme for a returning journey. I wondered if my next trip to Cox’s could match up to this, or prove to be far more thrilling. I recalled all of a sudden that I had a machine learning quiz the next day, and I closed my eyes hoping to refresh my memory on the topics. As I closed my eyes, the exertion from such a wonderful trip got to me and any thoughts of the quiz went out the window.
When I opened my eyes again, I realized that I was already in Dhaka, its weather quite dismal. A light rain was pouring over the city, and the sounds of vehicles were all around me. Requesting a Pathao to take me back home, I drew the closing curtains on my Cox’s trip.