Welcome to Iraq

I haven't been good about writing in my blog, but I'm going to start with a post on my time in Iraq. Lebanon and Oman will follow eventually, but I think my visit to Iraq is the most interesting of the countries I've visited.

I arrived in Erbil late in the night on June 13. Erbil International Airport was a massive, abandoned stone tomb. Every footstep of my fellow travelers echoed through the hallways. It was quite different than what I had expected, but then again I wasn't sure what I was expecting. I was more nervous than anything arriving there, I mean, I was in Iraq. I've grown up with Iraq on the TV... and not for good reasons; Iraq is a war zone. Customs was the quickest I've ever been through. Other people in lines around me were grilled with questions, but as soon as the customs official saw my blue passport with it's embossed golden eagle he smiled, entered my information into the computer, took my picture, put two stamps on page 19, and I was on my way. I was in Iraq.

I was greeted with that now familiar blast of warm air which never fails to meet me upon arrival in any Middle Eastern country. Exiting the airport I was looking out upon a vast plain of dead grass. Not much of a welcome.

There's a free bus from the airport to the taxi station which I took advantage of. My taxi driver tried to take me to a few hotels he had brochures for, but a particular hotel near the Citadel had been recommended to me, so I just went there. I was given room 103 in the Kotri Salaam Hotel for $50 a night. The pillow was rock hard, but overall the hotel was clean and had free internet which was a big plus.
After unloading my bags I set off in search of food. Food would be scarce over my next few days in Iraq--finding something that looked appealing was rather difficult for me. I ended up with two chicken sandwiches that consisted of Lebanese bread filled with pieces of chicken and tomato, a small bucket of popcorn, and a glass bottle of Coke. Iraqis love their Coke; Pepsi not so much.

Needless to say, my first day in Iraq wasn't very exciting. The image of Iraq built in my head from nearly ten years of media exposure did not match the reality of the Iraq I was seeing--however that is not the case throughout all of Iraq. The Kurdistan Region is relatively safe

versus the rest of Iraq. Just because the Kurdistan Region is

statistically safer than London with regards to terrorist attacks is no reason to become complacent and let your guard down.

The first distinct feeling I got from being in Erbil was that I was a center of interest for everyone. Besides one US Soldier at a checkpoint in Kirkuk, I saw no other Westerners in the four days I was there.

Stares followed my footsteps, but not in a menacing way. Everyone was curious about me and why I was here. When I told them I was an American they always beamed with pride and replied "America good!" The Kurds suffered a lot under Saddam and while the US mission in Iraq was not to liberate the Kurds, they certainly are happy for what did happen. Regardless of your stance on the motives for the Iraq War, you cannot deny the good it has done for the people of Iraqi Kurdistan. Their eyes reflect how truly grateful they are to the United States for their incidental freedom.