emma 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.
nice blog 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!
Fantastic 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?
Thanks! 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.
How to go to Iraqi Kurdistan 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
Meat is meat? 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.
Eating Dogs and Cats 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!
curiosa 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
comments 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 ;)
Take out all the people and... 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....
Iraq 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......
awesome! 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?
You are ingnorant 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.
wonderful pics and report 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
odd donkey, chicken and child I think this should be the title of your (traveling) photo exhibition or book, Timburly. Have loved all the entries. How's uk re-entry? xoxo
Cool Hey there, nice pictures (except fot the came burger..lol) . Iran seems like an intersting place. Keep it up guys, im waiting for your next blog now. Salam!!!!
pie and chups yes, yes, it's all very interesting, but i do hope you're going to put your trip to cardiff on the blog and give my pie and chups a mention :)
it was great to see you both and hope to see you at jo's bbq on sunday
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
thanks for the postcarad It was a lovely surprise to get the postcard from you and we a re just sitting here stunned by your amazing blog. Will have to sit down and have good look.
So Jealous this is the exact trip that i set out on a few years ago but i had a very different experience and ended up in jail in Arbil. It is so noce to read about sulemania and erbil. Thank you
http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Iraq/Middle-of-Nowhere/blog-129924.html
Thank-you for such a rare and precious opportunity to learn about this beautiful area. Seems like a great place to visit, once the Iraqi situation is stabilized.
Kia Ora & welcome to our blog;
It may look like we've given up on the travels, but there will be more.... one day.
Left the UK in the mid 1990's with plans for a year or so of exploring. Finally made it home again eleven years later, only to set off again soon after. Got lost along the way with a couple of years travelling in Asia, a year living, working & travelling to all corners of Australia & the rest travelling & later living & getting married in New Zealand.
Highlights in no particular order include; Syria (x2) , Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Nicaragua, China (x2), Burma (x3), Viet... full info
Jordan
non-member comment
emma
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.