Saying goodbye to Ahmed Haji

Massif-Salahaddin, Kurdistan, N. Iraq

Saturday, April 4, 2009

As we get ready to head home tomorrow, last night it was time to say goodbye to Ahmed Haji. At nearly 79, Ahmed Haji began his service with the Kurdish peshmerga as part of the Republic of Mahabad in 1945. Although he retired from peshmerga service years ago, he continues to work part-time in his retirement as a "village elder" in the countryside. A Christian "village elder" serves as his counterpart, and together the two of them help to mediate disputes between villagers in a region about 2 hours from Erbil.

Despite his age and the recent loss of his wife, Ahmed Haji still has a wonderful spark--and THE most delightful way of saying "okay, okay" in English.

This time it seemed harder saying goodbye--not knowing when, or if, we will see him again.

Bumping along in my little white Lexus...

Salahaddin, Kurdistan, N. Iraq
Saturday, April 4, 2009

For the past 10 days we have had a Lexus SUV at our disposal to get around in. On Thursday we took full advantage of the comforts of this enormous beast and took a drive to some of the wonderful scenic spots near Erbil. We weren't sure how A would react to that much time in the car (about 4 hours total), but she passed the time sleeping--and bopping along to some very nice Kurdish music. Just as any Kurd should.

Strawberries & Green Almonds

Erbil, Kurdistan, N. Iraq

Saturday, April 4, 2009

About four days ago suddenly two new items appeared on the "evening fruit" menu at our friends' houses: strawberries and green almonds. Certainly it seemed strange to me that strawberries were being sold everywhere--where in the world are they being imported from? Talk about ones carbon footprint.

And why NOW? Did a truck full of strawberries somehow make it over the border from Turkey? Or in from Iran? But, in any case, you'll be hard pressed to convince me that it's strawberry season in either of those countries.

As for the green almonds, I bet you've never tasted those before. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but they're really not bad, as long as you're not expecting something sweet. And at least I can imagine that they only had to travel from Iran--and not Mexico or California!

Mountaintop amusement (park)

Rawandoz, Kurdistan, N. Iraq
Thursday, April 2, 2009

Okay, think Iraq. Now, think Kurdistan--if you know anything about the place. I bet you're not thinking about an amusement park. Personally, I generally hate amusement parks of all kinds, but Pank Amusement Park is undoubtably set in THE most beautiful surroundings I have ever seen for an amusement park.

Pank lies high, high above the Bekhal waterfalls near the town of Rawandoz. There is a ferris wheel (I think it's the 3rd one I've seen in the past 10 days), a sort of saucer ride, and best of all, a "gravity toboggan" ride. And lots of spots for picnicking and/or barbequeing.

When our friend first described the toboggan ride I was pretty doubtful--as was Frank. I cautiously let Frank and M go first--but Frank came back with a big "thumbs up." I decided to give it a try and ended up screaming pretty much the whole way down. But the good thing about the ride is that the rider gets to decide how fast or slow he/she wants to go. Push on the levers and you speed up. Pull back and you slow down. The ride winds down the hill and out of sight, twisting and turning over the steep hillside through gorgeous scenery. Frank went back for another ride--and our friends another still.

In addition to rides, there are "cottages" for spending the night, restaurants, and lots and lots of fabulous views.

Below is Frank "in action"...

For a "review" of the place from the Guardian of London:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jun/16/iraq.michaelhoward

Erbil Bazaar, Then & Now

Erbil, Kuridstan, N. Iraq
Thursday, April 2, 2009

One of our fondest memories from our time in Erbil five years ago is the Erbil bazaar and surroundings. The bazaar itself consisted of narrow winding passages with small shops in every nook and cranny. There was the fabric section, the gold section, the toy section, the area that sold "antique" Kurdish rugs, and on and on. Beyond the bazaar lay the "Lange Market" which was a wild morass of stalls selling used clothing and used goods of all kinds.

Five years later, we returned to find a giant mall under construction where the Lange Market once sprawled. Although not yet complete, glass doors and marble floors gleam and neon lights flash...

Thus, it was with great with relief that we found that large portions of the original bazaar are still intact--wires still hang everywhere, uneven pavement is still a hazard, carts exist for a variety of food items, and lots and lots of local flavor remain--which the new mall, however elegant, will never have.

That Holy Man's Tomb

Massif-Salahaddin, Kurdistan, N. Iraq

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

One of the funny things about being a "tourist" in the Kurdistan region is the almost complete absence of maps or tourist information of any kind. When we were here 5 years ago, people told us that Saddam had forbidden maps of the Kurdish areas as a kind of security measure. This makes getting lost very easy--and finding ones way a challenge. One sees an interesting landmark and tries to find out more about it by asking friends. But no one seems to know anything about it...

Over the five years that we have been coming to Kurdistan, we have driven past a small round stone building which lies several miles to the north of Salahaddin. Finally, Frank did some trolling on the internet and decided that it must be a türbe. This from Wikipedia--

"A typical türbe mausoleum is located in the grounds of a mosque or complex, often endowed by the deceased. However some are more closely integrated into surrounding buildings. They are usually relatively small buildings, often hexagonal or octagonal in shape, containing a single chamber, which may well be decorated with coloured tiles. A dome normally surmounts the building. They are normally kept closed, but the inside can be sometimes be glimpsed through metal grilles over the windows or door. The exterior is typically masonry, perhaps with tiled decoration over the doorway, but the interior often contains large areas of painted tilework, which may be of the highest quality". Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbe

This one has a lovely tin "scuplture" on top with symbols of Islam on it--and a beautifully draped coffin inside.

But, still, after much inquiry, we have no idea who is buried there or what the significance of this person is. Maybe on the next trip we'll find out...

Kebabistan

Massif-Salahaddin, Kurdistan, N. Iraq
Wednesday, April 1, 2009

No, it's not a joke: we are here in Kebabistan. Until recently, kebab restaurants were almost the only option for eating out here in the Kurdistan region--and they are everywhere.

Ground meat is combined with a variety of spices, moulded onto metal skewers, and cooked over open coals. Kebabs are usually accompanied by fresh, sliced onions, roasted tomatoes, Kurdish flat bread and sumac, for additional flavor.

Last night we were invited for the first time to a friend's house for kebabs. BBQ a la Kurdistan!

To learn more about the sumac (a spice)--it's interesting! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumac