unfortunately, still haven't ridden on one (we travel in a pack of 12, at least, so it'd be a bit hard to coordinate taking rickshaws anywhere...especially since our bangla is still minimal and pathetic at best and we don't really know the names of places. we're getting there, however), BUT as a perk to our orientation we were taken to see rickshaw artists hard at work.
The first thing you need to know about rickshaws is that there are about a gazillion in chittagong alone. maybe not a gazillion, but the streets are packed. The traffic is topic for another day...suffice it to say traffic laws couldn't be followed even if they were in place. Apparently, in Dhaka, one in every five people depend on a rickshaw for their daily income. Chittagong can't be much different.
(http://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/climate-migration/ --> really interesting oped in the NYTimes about bangladesh, where i got that 1 in 5 statistic)
Rickshaws are one of the most public, and widespread, art forms. Each one is decorated with bengali designs, made out of pieces of plastic sewn together - the hood of the vehicle, as well as where you put your feet, are hand-painted. Designs vary between cities, whereas Dhaka's rickshaws are commonly seen with scenes from movies or popular pop culture figures, Chittagong rickshaw art tends to be a bit more conservative and traditional.
One example of a rickshaw
A common street scene
We were able to travel with a local art teacher who'd worked with one of the local artists on a project recently, so we were also able to get a close up view of the hand-painting, in addition to seeing the shops where rickshaw owners can go and buy parts and pieces to assemble and decorate their rickshaws. It was fascinating to walk into an alleyway and see all these sewing machines set up with men stitching together pieces of plastic with SUCH precision and grace --- really impressive.
granted, the highlight of the day was turning around after listening to the shop owners for a full 2 minutes and realizing that a crowd of about 30-40 people had amassed watching us and trying to figure out what we were up to. we're not necessarily the most inconspicuous bunch with 12 white girls and one huge white van...
enjoy the pictures - i'll keep y'all updated on whether we actually ride a rickshaw soon...
the inside of a local rickshaw parts stall
one of the shop owners showing off rickshaw art for us
local artist who handpaints rickshaw art. absolutely gorgeous stuff.
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