The Escapist's Journal

“Last stop!”, exclaimed Jamy, my best friend and fellow hiker as we entered Nifiu Para, a remote tribal village in the border region of Bangladesh and Myanmar. More importantly we were within two hours hiking distance from Saka Haphong - the highest peak in Bangladesh.

Three days had passed since we began our journey from Boga Lake. We had been hiking in scorching heat for 12 hours straight. Just when a potential respite was in sight, we spotted a pack of dogs. Running towards us. Fight or Flight?

Our bodies were weary from the journey and the walking sticks were our only means of self-defense. Certainly not enough to fend off the local guardians who were surrounding us by now. “Don’t do anything rash! I see people!”, I cried out to him. Indeed, several tribal men were seen rushing in. We were safe.

The men escorted us to the village head – a middle-aged man from the Tripura tribe. He seemed quite amazed at the recent influx of “visitors” but nevertheless, accepted us wholeheartedly. We were offered dinner and a place to crash – all for $2! Fair enough.
Hiking in this part of the country definitely felt like a more raw experience compared to the neighboring countries. Rumors of abduction also made things rather interesting. There were no pre-arrangements for strangers. Barely any living amenities. Nature calls were still answered out in the woods. We were in disbelief when we heard these people have to walk for two days to reach the nearest market.

It was dinner time and we already figured out what their primary protein source would be. We, chose to stick to rice and roselle plants as dog meat did not exactly seem appetizing. By no means Haute Cuisine but it was still infinitely better than what we had earlier in the day (raw instant noodles)! Far away from civilization though, something else turned out to be the only luxury for everyone that night. I had brought with me a jar of nutella and decided this was the perfect time to indulge. When our host asked what it was, I felt obliged to pass the jar. Sharing never felt this good.

We shared the cold floor with our host, his family, and pets. We were cramped for space and the barking dogs outside certainly did not help. However, my mind longed for the oblivion of sleep and my body soon gave up to the overwhelming stress.
We both woke up early in the morning – groggy and famished. In our minds, however, we knew that last night had been nothing short of spectacular. It was time to head to the top.