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Travel Blog Posts
It's a tough life, but someone has to do it
Published: December 6th 2011Asia » Uzbekistan » The Kingdom of Tatarwalistan
December 6th 2011
Imagine being the King of the Kingdom of Tatarwalistan! I can't, so I make do with being a drone where I am. But that's not completely horrible, and it has its compensations. I have come to the conclusion that the odder the place, the more interesting the people that it attracts. I have seen few of the corporate Geneva/New York types here, and those few have had delightful quirks that softened their ambition and corporate edge and made them great company. Dinners here are a treat. My cooking may be questionable, but the roads that have bought people here are unfailingly interesting. Dinners benefit from the first-hand retelling of remarkable adventures and the robust debate that comes from people confident in their experience and world view. Kulture is another treat. This is the place of our ... read more
November 14th 2011
Driving along the streets here on a sunny autumn afternoon, I am often reminded of the romance and beauty of Paris, with its tree-lined boulevards. This is especially so when the rays of the afternoon sun glisten on the razor wire and spread across the grime covered armoured window of the vehicle I’m in. The roads themselves are tastefully lined with concrete partitions placed side-by-side like an endless number of friends. The crowning razor wire is held in place at regular intervals by rusted tridents, providing an artistic contrast of colour and texture. The world beyond the anonymous concrete is largely obscured, but occasionally it reminds us of its presence in the form of a black plume of smoke reaching effortlessly into the sky, announcing fireworks of murderous proportions. And finally, the setting sun and call ... read more
September 2nd 2011
I was happy to be back in Erbil. The chance of being blown up was much less, but that was only part of its attraction. The people are friendly and the city has the feel of a place and economy on the move. The Kurds, spread over Iraq, Syrian, Turkey and Iran, have a tough time retaining their culture. Perhaps as a result, they value it greatly, and there’s an easily detected pride in their historic and more recent achievements. Erbil’s Citadel is a testament to the Kurds’ resilience. We drove from Erbil to Suliamaniyah through beautifully rugged countryside. There were bare mountains, few trees and even fewer shrubs. That became an issue when I had to stop for a leak. It was over 40 degrees. Nothing was stirring, and there was that delightful blur of ... read more
July 29th 2011
At this time of year, the weather is hot, but occasionally the heat of the sun is blocked a bit by a passing dust storm. One morning, I woke to a red glow that seemed more suited to Mars. Even brief periods outside fill your eyes, mouth and ears with fine red dust, and anything lying around outside is covered in a red coat within minutes. On clearer evenings we escaped to the roof to listen to the call to prayer and watch the moon rise – spectacular on full moons, and quite spiritual if you’re drinking the right spirits. To celebrate the arrival of summer and 40 plus degree days, we donned black ties for a ball. Only the Brits would think dinner suits were the go in summer. Among other things, the ball was ... read more
June 8th 2011
Few people escape from Clubmed, but luckily, some mornings I woke up in another city. Once, it was Amman. Amman is pleasant, in a Western, tourist sort of way. I asked a taxi driver to take me to the centre of town, where local restaurants fed local people. I ended up in Rainbow Street, where authenticity is delightful feigned in a way to make armchair travellers like me feel comfortable. Another time I found myself in Erbil, a Kurdish city in Iraq, for the time being. People said it was old, around 5000 years old. The Citadel looked it. Wow, that and the market was a culture overload, so I headed back to the hotel, where the top floor restaurant offered skyline views through stained windows and a Latino night spectacular performed by a pair of ... read more
March 21st 2011
Our pre-season Aussie Rules football competition was played at the local version of the MCG – a desolate soccer pitch next to the Sugar Shack, a slightly dodgy place to buy over priced wine and spirits. The field itself had a tinge of green consequent to the recent rain. But the ground remained predominantly uneven dried mud and dust, with a liberal smattering of small rocks and stones. Ideal for a friendly game of Aussie rules. The teams were Us versus Them. Most of the players had never played AFL before, but what they lacked in experience they made up for in fitness and attitude. Spectators appeared from nowhere. Curious locals seemed perplexed and amused. One enthusiastic fellow changed into his soccer gear and came to play. Other spectators were known to us. I invited one ... read more
March 8th 2011
Brad Blauser is an American who came here as a contractor and in his spare time founded a charity called "Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids". WCIK raises money to buy adjustable wheelchairs for children. On Saturday 5 March I joined Brad and a contingent of the US military to distribute wheelchairs to kids in need. The day started incongruously as we headed out in a large military convoy. We travelled along suburban streets where people shopped and chatted, and children played. Machine gunners above scanned for trouble, and inside these armoured Goliaths we all had helmets and body armour. But once we were at the distribution point, the formidable soldiers became concerned and caring individuals. Armed men and women held and carried disabled children with a gentleness that is usually the preserve of loving parents can emulate. ... read more
February 25th 2011
I was told by people in staffing of this wonderful resort bathed in sunshine, surrounded by plam treees and sand with water views. In this paradise, everything was to be catered for, and like the best Clubmeds, there would be little incentive to leave its happy walls and experience anything of the country around it. I was a bit surprised to find this out-of-the-way resort was fully booked when I arrived. The room I had reserved had gone to another, and I was shown the Lilac room - mmmm. Luckily, within a week, I got an upgrade, and in just another 5, 6 or 20 months, I'll get an apartment. The resort is surrounded by an entertaining theme park with a focus on guns and violence, where nothing can go wrong; go wrong; go wrong. But ... read more
Tot: 0.117s; Tpl: 0.007s; cc: 17; qc: 49; dbt: 0.0271s; 1; s:apollo w:www (50.28.60.10); sld: 2; ; mem: 6.3mb
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