Travelling home for Eid: Tips and Tricks
Dhaka is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, except during Eid holidays. Most of us travel to our home town/villages to celebrate the festival with family and friends.
Dhaka will be empty and quiet, and peaceful for a few days. As much as we would like to cherish these few days spent with our family, travelling back can be quite difficult for countless reasons.
Here are few helpful tips that might come handy when you are travelling back home this festive season.
PACKING
Travel gurus will suggest that you pack at least a day, or two, before your journey.
The human mind is an interesting machine and as you pack, you will notice the small things you were missing. If you pack in a rush, you might miss something, but if you pack with a few hours ahead, it is very likely that you will remember something that you were forgetting.
Remember. Books and cooked food are the heavyweight objects, so consider what kind of baggage you want. Always try to pack your charger the night before. Earphone, keys, battery pack, data cable — it’s best if you have a small pouch for these accessories.
That way you are less likely to miss them.
CAREFUL WITH CASH
It is a good idea to keep cash with you while you are travelling, just in case. We must be ready for everything, but remember — pickpockets are very active during this time.
The commotion of Eid is just what they need for easy cover. The trick with cash is to always split up your money. Never keep all your money in one place.
Split it as much as you can and then keep them in several pockets. That way, even if you are an unfortunate victim of pickpocketing, you will not lose all of your money.
Let’s face it. You don’t want to be stranded on the road with no money.
FASTING OR NOT?
While travelling during Ramadan, the big question will be whether you are fasting or not?
If you decide to fast, consider these things — travelling time, arrangements of sehri and iftar, and your own physical condition.
Nobody knows your body like you do, and you know best how your body reacts to long travels.
If you are one of those people who throw up in a moving vehicle, then consider your options carefully.
WATER
After travelling, the most common side effects are leg pain, headache, and insomnia. Remember — most of the muscle/calf pain and headaches happen because your body is not hydrated.
Drinking plenty of water can save you from 2/3 days’ worth of uncomfortable train vertigo (if that’s a thing).
GETTING TO YOUR SEAT
Getting to your seat on a bus is nothing, but if you are travelling on train, then surely you know how challenging it can be to get to your own seat. The trick is knowing when and where to board the compartment.
Always reach the station earlier.
After the train stops, it will wait to refuel. During this time, always board on your own compartment. A lot of people think of boarding on an earlier compartment and then finding their seat. This is a bad idea cause the crowd will be a bigger issue than you imagine.
Another mistake passengers often make is that they board on the wrong side. There are two sides of each compartment. The 1 side and 100 side. Stand by the window and check first which side you are on. Then board according to your seat number. This will save you a lot of pushing and trotting which is very annoying.
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed
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