 Tim Cox - Mingalaba | All Comments |
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| 25th August 2009 Ibo | - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Some websites to visit if planning a trip to South Kurdistan (KRG, Iraq): www.krg.org, www.kurdistanica.org, http://www.peyamner.com/default.aspx?l=4. The Kurds are very hospitable and welcoming to strangers and foreigners. They are extemely friendly to Americans and Westerners in general. The provinces of Duhok, Erbil and Suleimaniya are very safe and calm; it is as if it is not a part of Iraq the way it has bypassed all of the turbulence and violence. It is has its own president, prime minister, military and security forces. For Western visitors a VISA is not required. Do a lot of research before heading down there. It would be helpful to find a Kurd from the area to get more information from. |
| 25th August 2009 Ibo | - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Nice to see you made it home; long...long...journey. Very nice!! I hope you enjoyed spectecular Kurdistan (North Kurdistan occupied by Turkey pop. 30 Million, South Kurdistan...where you were..no longer occupied by Iraq pop. 7.5 milion, Eastern Kurdistan occupied by Iran pop. 13 million, Western Kurdistan occupied by Syria 2 million). If you ever in South Kurdistan (KRG), Duhok area....come by Gerdun Recreation and Fitness Center for some fun (good food, swimming, suana, steam room, jacuzzi, billiard tables, foosbal, air hockey, darts.... |
| 19th August 2009 Omar | No such a thing as kurdistan - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? I must say this! THERE IS NO SUCH A THING AS KURDISTAN. There never was and there will never be. The countries in which Kurds live are Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iraq. Period! |
| 7th August 2009 Dylan | Inspiring - From: Alleged Terrorist Organisations Make the Best Ice Cream Tim this is fantastic, you need to submit you writing to newspapers. Thanks so much for inspiring for my next trip I can't wait. |
| 11th July 2009 Hittler kill turksh dogs | turksh nation are Animal nation in earth - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? when I see donkys in street I see turksh in street and leder of this donkys who name is attaturk say im big donkys in earth like my people.turksh are Cancer virous in this planet. |
| 15th May 2009 rojvan | thank you - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? I ma kurdish guy from kurdistan of Iraq,I want to thank you to show other nation our culture ,to show every body that we want peace and we want live freely in or homeland,,,but unfortunately turkish people dont want to accept the reality of kurd and kurdistan even they deny 20 milions kurd in kurdistan of turkey. any way every body welcome to my homeland kurdistan of iraq. Rojvan from Erbil |
| 24th January 2009 Mingalaba | Rafik Hariri - From: Alleged Terrorist Organisations Make the Best Ice Cream Always good to get constructive feedback. Rafik Hariri was the Prime Minister of Lebanon, sorry to all those I offended by getting my fact so terribly wrong. |
| 24th January 2009 Nansy | - From: Alleged Terrorist Organisations Make the Best Ice Cream As i know, Rafik Hariri was never a president of Lebanon. |
| 11th November 2008 stephen | Good but ... - From: ¿Viva Fidel? ... a bit long for online reading. |
| 10th November 2008 Kelly Feng | It is amazing to read your blog again - From: ¿Viva Fidel? Hi guys Miss you since you left NZ. It is still amazing to read your blog, especially the pics, they really represent the locals, I love them. while reading your story of Cuba, it really changed my view about what cuba is like. It is more indeep and true than just a vacation desitination with white sand and romance. Will meet you guys again on the blog.xoxo |
| 9th November 2008 Ben | Axis of evil - From: ¿Viva Fidel? So you've now been to all the axis of evil countires then? Are you sure you don't work for the CIA? I notice you've never been anywhere is europe! Good to see you writing again. I really enjoyed reading that. |
| 9th November 2008 thecrashpacker | - From: ¿Viva Fidel? really enjoyed this article and your photos. This is what i love about travelblog - cheers! |
| 8th November 2008 walkabout | Cuba - From: ¿Viva Fidel? The reality for the average Cuban is a very hard life. Even doctors. which are sent all over the world (?) in Cuba find that bar tending allows them to provide better for their families. I call that a failure of the system and refuse to go back to support this regime as the average Cuban, does not benefit from tourist dollars. |
| 4th November 2008 Ronak | You are so lucky! - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Hello! Amazing blog. I stumbled upon this while doing research on Kurdish music for a term paper. You've written this really well, thanks for showing this other side of Iraq. Cheers |
| 12th October 2008 Ashok | Kurdistan. - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? I have had the pleasure to get to know many people in the UK based Iraqi Kurdish community. They are a wonderful people who deserve a homeland! I pray for ALL kurds in Iraq, Iran,Syria and beyond,but especially the 12million in Turkey. Those I know have a wonderful sense of humour, put great importance on the family and just can not stop dancing and singing!I urge people to find out about this forgotten people and support their struggle for true international recognition AT LAST!!! PLEASE!!!! |
| 24th June 2008 Patrick | Kurdistan! - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Thankyou for your blog here. I also visited Kurdistan and south Iraq this year and your comments and honest opinions were immensely helpful. Great photos! These days it's difficult to find unbiased information on this beautifu country. |
| 13th May 2008 Lindee | - From: We've moved the capital city, if you need us, send a fax & we'll get back to you when we have a spare moment..... What do you say to tourism funding the Military Junta? Being there funds their opperations. |
| 1st May 2008 Mingalaba | In reply to doctor38 - From: Alleged Terrorist Organisations Make the Best Ice Cream It's always intersting to provoke a reaction; I'm not sure if it's assumed that I'm American or that I'm only aware of the American media. Neither are true. I would like to think that simply by going to the Middle East, against the advice of many, I've proved that I am perhaps a little more open minded about the politics of the region than some. Although I've tried not to get too political I would go as far as to suggest that I've shown more signs of support for Palestine than for Israel. My comments about the 'self absorbed' in Beirut was quite specifically about a group of very young people we found ourselves spending time with. I know that their opinions aren't a reflection of the whole population; those teenagers, who have just recently known war, have every reason to want to be absorbed in their own world & concentrate on enjoying themselves... |
| 28th April 2008 doctor38 | - From: Alleged Terrorist Organisations Make the Best Ice Cream I found some of what you said is really interesting like "It's hard to have an open minded discussion with anyone here, it would certainly be interesting to hear the Israeli side of the story" and "they are too absorbed in their own worlds where they are always the centre of attention" I am sure people can refer to you with the same accusation like you are too absorbed into you own world. It would like to point out to you that the Arab and Palestinian view are seldom presented in American Media. only the isreali side have is heard often and load. The American Media is too biased and unbalanced Having an open mind is a 2 way street and I ask of you also to have an open mind. Look at the other side of the story and see these 2 web sites one is an American and the 2nd is an Isreali http://www.ifamericansknew.org/ http://www.btselem.org/English/ Thanks and good luck |
| 22nd April 2008 Farman | so pleased - From: Countdown in progress.... Hi Just wanted to thank u for this nice blog, I was so pleased reading ur journey to Kurdistan... Thank u |
| 14th April 2008 Nathan | Superb blog... - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran re. miss pamela's comments: 'Taking out all the people of Iran would make it a lovely place'. Are you sure? That's one of the reasons why Iran is so great because of all the wonderfully friendly, helpful people. Agreed, those who run the country are ruining things, but not all of those they control agree with their philosophy. The Iranian people don't want war and certainly aren't all racists. You've been watching too much western news, me thinks. Do some proper research, put a hejab on and go see for yourself what Iran is really all about. Maybe then you will lose your racist hatred. |
| 7th April 2008 AnnaAdventuring | Wonderful blog...... - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Thank you for sharing your travels. Your blog is insightful and interesting and your photos are simply gorgeous. Iran is a country I would love to visit one day. How long did you spend there in total? Was it easy to travel around? |
| 6th April 2008 miriam | Via Istanbul - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? I travelled alone to Kurdistan Iraq in February this year,f from London via istanbul. I didnt give it a thought but when I showed my British passport at the airport in Istanbul to go for the connecting flight I was questioned about why I was going to Sulaimani, and told that there was awar there.I took it all in good part, but the parting shot was "Next time you want to go for a holiday, go to Darfur". On the way back, a fortnight later, flights were delayed due to terrible weather and the Turks would not honour my ticket back to the UK although I called them in advance of the return flight (which I missed due to fog).After a night spent at the airport I had to buy a new ticketto london. Afterreading the paper at the airport waiting for the fog to clear, I was questioned and searched by security at Istanbul who selected me and two Kurdish men out for a search. I didnt know the men, and the reason for the search was because we had travelled from Sulaimani. However, there were other people at the airport who had also been on the delayed plane from Sulaimani who were waiting for a connection at Istanbul but security showed no interest in them. Just thought I would share this in case its not a isolated experience and people can be aware. Kurdistan was beautiful, the people friendly and very helpful. |
| 9th March 2008 sarbastI | - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? I was born as Kurdish, am alive Kurdish and I'll die as kurdish. I'll wake-up as Kurdish again. Long live KURDISTAN |
| 2nd March 2008 kardox | travel to kurdistan - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? You can have all the info u need from the following site; www.krg.com , alternativlly u can visit http://www.atroshair.com/ thank you |
| 2nd March 2008 kardox | Kurdistan - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? I leaved in eastern turkey and they are all kurds but the imported milltary to supress the kurdish nation. This map is very correct and even smaller than it should be. Kurds lived in kurdistan long before turkish mongols invaded our land. |
| 20th February 2008 Jordan | emma - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? I went there during the summer with my American passport. You can get your visa once you arrive in Kurdistan. Going through Turkey or flying there directly does not make a difference safety wise. Although, if you go through Turkey then you'll get to see northern Kurdistan as well, and that is what I did. God Bless. |
| 28th January 2008 Rebecca | nice blog - From: Men in knitted jumpers don't scare me... but kids with guns do Hey, I just stumbled upon your blog while I was looking for some extra info about the Paduang women. They're featured in one of the textbooks that I use for my ESL classes. Your photos are great, and your writing is really interesting! |
| 4th January 2008 emma | Fantastic - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Hi Just to let you know i found your information very useful. I am planning on travelling to kurdistan in the next year. Do you know of any websites or books i could get to get further information, also do you think it is ok to fly straight to kurdistan or would you not recommend it? |
| 14th December 2007 A Chowdhury | Thank you! - From: Hot Face Wax on The Axis of Evil A most wonderful read. Thank you for posting such a great well thought out narrative. |
| 7th December 2007 C.M. | Thanks! - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Hi, I live in Iraqi-Kurdistan and I am glad that you are playing the part to open other people's eyes. It has some truly beautiful places. But it still has a long way to go and many of the people have very little hope for the future. |
| 27th November 2007 Zana | How to go to Iraqi Kurdistan - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? easy Austrian Airlines have twice flight aweek Vienna-Erbil, and other flights from Stockholm, Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Munchen, Dusseldorf, Copenhagen, istanbul, Beirut, Amman, Cairo, Dubai with some othr Airlines including Kurdistan Air Lines |
| 19th November 2007 Jessica | Meat is meat? - From: Pots of Tea & Dog Barbecues I always try to think 'outside the box', but what a black and white statement! Pigs, dogs, (and monkeys) are DYNAMICALLY different from chickens, cows, and fish. They are SOCIALLY intelligent. They HAVE feelings. Pigs have the sensitivity of a human being! A fish or a chicken does not. And the idea of eating a dog, an animal so loyal (you could beat the sh*t out of it, and it would still beg for forgiveness) is horrid. You've never had a canine companion have you? Perhaps you've had a pet fish before. Furthermore, this is a culture which actually promotes treating these animals like sh*t before bloodshed (the more it suffers, the sweeter it tastes)? Atleast, western chicken factories try to hide the atrocities which take place. It must be a simple life, to think so black and white. |
| 29th October 2007 Beth and Craig | Eating Dogs and Cats - From: Pots of Tea & Dog Barbecues For the record, until I moved to China, I agreed with you about eating dogs and cats. Its meat, if we eat other meat, then we are being hypocritical to have a problem with it! Its not something I intended to try myself, but I wasn't going to judge. However, having lived here and learned more about the custom of eating cats and dogs I have in fact changed my mind. There is a wideheld belief that the meat tastes better the more the animal suffers while you are killing it. Check out the Animals Asia website to learn more. I think its akin to puppy mills in North America...lots of people who eat meat do still believe in the humane treatment of animals. Anyhow, cheers to adventures in China! |
| 3rd October 2007 beniblanco | curiosa - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Also recently I came across some new research concerning the patterns you saw on the wooden door or the tiles in the mosques. If you like to know more you can visit: http://www.physics.harvard.edu/~plu/publications/Science_315_1106_2007_SOM.pdf or a shorter article at: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7544360 |
| 3rd October 2007 beniblanco | comments - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Nice blog and I think you have caught some of the aspects that are possible to grasp as a visitor on a trip in a foreign country. Especially, don't you find the dualism interesting concering your section about rates and bargaining with taxi drivers? I find it very interesting that in Iran, random civilian people you meet are so concerned that you as a foreigners don't get ripped off. I mean in many countries the locals never oppose each other to help/protect a foreigner. This in itself is a cultural phenomena with consequences that would take to long to explain here and I leave the conclusions to yourself. But still interesting, i think! I would like to correct you on one detail: As you pointed out yourself, the Arabs invaded Persia in 637. Islam in itself started in 7th century (621-621 for the calendar) therefore the statement that "it was Arabs who brought Islam to Iran (then Persia) around 1500 years ago" is a bit miscalculated ;) |
| 2nd October 2007 miss pamela | Take out all the people and... - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran it would be a beautiful, lovely place to wander through, like a museum, it is the people that create religious wars, racial hatred and hysteria, sad but true. If I as a woman could walk through without being told what to wear, I would go, and see places where the origins of my English were born, but...no way with scarves and any other paraphernalia of religious oppression. As for nuclear facilities, Israel has them, so Iran needs them.... |
| 14th September 2007 Ahmet Karahan | KURDISTAN - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? KURDISTAN IS MY COUNTRY MY Heart ananizi sikim turkler Kürd irki Sagolsun |
| 8th September 2007 Mingalaba | Iraq - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Blake - getting into the Kurdish region of Iraq is surprisingly easy. You can cross from near the Turkish town of Silopi & you don't even need a visa. Many Kurdish people like George W Bush, so you may be surprised to find you are quite welcome. Crossing into Arab controlled Iraq is not so easy (or safe). Although there are plenty of taxi drivers who would gladly take you to Baghdad you are supposed to have a visa & you will most likely not live to tell the tale. Most people suggested that as westerners we would be beheaded...... |
| 7th September 2007 Tim | Nice - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Another captivating entry...like the others have written, hopefully this is not the end. I look forward to reading more of your entries |
| 7th September 2007 Charlotte | Fascinating reading. - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Will you be sampling the exotic delights of Camden road whilst you are over here?!! |
| 7th September 2007 blake | awesome! - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? how did you get into iraq???? i've been searching for ways to visit. i was in the mid east last year but never made it to kurdistan. i'm from the US so i'm guessing it would be really hard to get a tourist visa there... did you use an agency? how! do you have a virtualtourist.com account as well? |
| 6th September 2007 Mingalaba | I am ignorant - From: Alleged Terrorist Organisations Make the Best Ice Cream Anyone who has read anything I have written will know this to be true. |
| 6th September 2007 Paul | You are ingnorant - From: Alleged Terrorist Organisations Make the Best Ice Cream You go to Lebanon and critisize the Lebanese for not wanting to hear about your friend who married an Israeli? For that you say they are not interested in what you have to say and think they are the center of the Universe? Israel attacked Lebananon and killed over a thousand people, a great number of them innocent women and children. Get a grip. Read some news and get some facts before you make such ignorant statements. I give the kids credit for having restraint with you. |
| 4th September 2007 Chi | Nice - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Nice blog. I like your writing! :) |
| 4th September 2007 Nicola | wonderful pics and report - From: Welcome To Iraq, Are You Tourists or Terrorists? Thank you for sharing this wonderful report and these great pictures with the world :) I appreciated it and hope to visit these places too very soon. Happy travels Luv Nicola |
| 3rd September 2007 Jon Rowe | Excellent Reading - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Tim, Very interesting and well-written. confirmed a lot of what I suspected about Iran - the vast difference between the people and the state. I try explaining that the same applies to the US when people criticise them all the time - the people are nothing like the President! Hope you're settling into UK life again, are you in London? Cheers Jon |
| 3rd September 2007 Joel | Cheers! - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran thanks for this great blog on iran. i for one hope that your travelling does not end here and blogs like this one continue to grace travelblog's website! :P |
| 3rd September 2007 Patricia Cali Pipoca | Hi Tim - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Photos better than ever. Amazing accounts of your walks around this part of the world!!! Again, thanks for sharing. : ) Tchau, Patricia |
| 2nd September 2007 amber | pics - From: Heart Rending Departure of the Great Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran i really love the pictures...they are so beautiful, especially of the mosque...it really shows the colour and the detail |
