Curry in a Hurry

Driving through small villages on our way to Faridpur we decided to stop for lunch.  At a roadside restaurant in Manikganji we enjoyed spicy curries, dhal and basmati rice - all quite delicious.  Finishing lunch I was getting anxious to get to our final destination and learned that we needed to cross the Brahmaputra River on a ferry.

We drove up to the banks of the river and waited patiently in the heat of the day for the ferry to arrive.  Slowly the massive vessel chugged towards the dock and unloaded its cargo.  We drove onto the main auto deck and were soon on our way. 

At first glance, Faridpur appeared to be a busy little town with a thriving street market located right near our hotel. We checked into the River Inn Hotel, a family-run establishment, and were greeted warmly.  The accommodations were very simple; the musky rooms were "cooled" with a slow-moving ceiling fan. The location was ideal as a base for our field operations.  

We settled in and met up with Pitu and Gafur, both former bat hunters who now work as field technicians.  Over the past couple of years, Jon has worked with both men and helped train them in our disease ecology work.  It was great to finally meet them as Jon has spoken very highly of their dedication to EcoHealth Alliance's mission.  Both Pitu and Gafur are wonderful ambassadors of the organization giving us the opportunity to gain local awareness through training, education and support.  Our grassroots involvement is at the core of our mission, and it's truly amazing to see it in action.  

Pictured, Pitu on the left and Gafur on the right.

Reporting from Bangladesh, EcoHealth Alliance scientist Kevin Olival is working on the ecology of Nipah virus and the discovery of pathogens in bats.