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Khorsabad, Iraq June 19, 2023 I had met Lynne in the transit lounge at the airport, waiting on my flight to Baghdad almost a month ago. We jabbered the entire flight and stayed in touch. Lynne lives and works in Mosul and was a willing partner-in-crime to my odd notions of places to visit. It … More Dar Sharrukin
Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan June 18,2023 Leaving Erbil, soon the road winds through the hills as I approach Sulaymaniyah. On either side of the road are fields. Some have been harvested and some are lush with crop. The Saray Square, probably an old caravanserai, both from its name and the typical layout is locked as I peer … More In Sulaymaniyah
Erbil, Kurdistan June 16, 2023 The distance from Baghdad may not be all that much but this feels like a different country. There are broad streets with multiple lanes of fast traffic. Tall buildings line the roads, slick and modern with its glass and chrome. Glitzy shops and malls crowd the pavements. Erbil is new, … More Arrival in Kurdistan
Baghdad, Iraq June 14, 2023 Having traveled in the neighboring countries before, I knew well the hospitality of the people in this part of the world. I have tales aplenty in Iran, in Turkey and in Central Asia where I have been befriended, helped and invited home. In Iraq it was the degree of … More Kindness of Strangers
The foods in restaurants and on the streets
Nasiriya, Iraq June 10, 2023 Iraq has no buses between its cities, nor bus routes within its cities. Between cities the options are shared vans seating seven passengers or shared taxis taking four. They all leave from a station(s) called “garage” and have no fixed departure times, but leave when full. I had been traveling … More Train Travel in Iraq
LAGASH Nasiriyah, Iraq June 9, 2023 This was yet another site I wanted to visit but one obscure enough that not even the locals knew about it. I went to the Department of Antiquities housed in the museum in Nasiriya and was greeted by the Head with welcome. My genuine interest in the ancient sites … More Cradle of Civilization IV
UR Nasiriyah, Iraq June 8, 2023 Of all the sites, Ur was the simplest to access. Ali, who is from Nasiriyah has never been there and he had rounded up yet another friend, Mohammed who also had never been. A short 10 kms from Nasiriyah, this was simple to get to and being firmly on … More Cradle of Civilization III
Chibayish, Iraq June 6, 2023 In the south of Iraq, between Nasiriya and Basra are marshlands, home of the Marsh Arabs. They have traditionally made their homes here relying on the rushes and reeds for shelter and fish and waterfowl for food. I wanted to see this place that is so different from the rest … More In the Marshes
I usually write these tales in chronological order of travel but this story is presented a little differently. The sites I saw are more fittingly presented as came to prominence in history. Apart from the much-visited sites of Ur and Babylon, it is not easy to visit others. I had to request permission from the … More Cradle of Civilization I
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 