First Day in Iraq - Iraq Project II
This is a reposting of my Iraq Project II. I will post a dispatch-entry Monday thru Friday until the original project is recreated. The real-time journey was posted by The Janesville Gazette in February and March, 2008.
First Day in Iraq
posted February 25, 2008
The first day in Iraq was sunny and warm. I had on only a t-shirt, sweat shirt, light cargo pants, and a ball cap. The night however is cold, perhaps 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The room has no working heater. It does not matter, the electricity goes out all night. There are plenty of big blankets. It is the same hotel I used last year. It is 20 Bucks per night. The man that runs the place is kind. He has a glassed-in office with a heated lounge in case I have to retreat to the warm up. The bathroom in my room actually has a seated toilet. His son brought a tray of coffee to my door at 10 p.m. The cold blast of air hit him, he handed me the tray, smiled and ran back to his heated office.
- Generator in the waiting Zakho, Iraq - photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
- Hardware to the left; Fruit to the right; Zakho, Iraq, photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
I was here during Ramadan last year and things during the daylight hours were slow. Ramadan is the month-long Muslim holiday where eating and some other activities are not done during the day. It was also October and winter would soon be upon them. This time round the streets show the bountifulness of the border town. Spring will be here soon. There also seems to be more old buildings being used for commerce. As well, there is new construction everywhere.
- Zakho, Iraq - photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
As like last time, the electricity rarely works. Generators howl everywhere. The smell of diesel looms in all the nooks and crannies. Generator shops, construction equipment shops, and electrical shops line the sidewalks. No one seems too interested in the traveling American. There is a thriving street economy despite there being no banks.
- Zakho, Iraq with mountain backdrop, photo by Bob Keith, February, 2008 -
The sandwich shop owner next to the money changer booth insisted I try his plate lunch. It was not too bad. I believe it was lamb with rice and vegetables. I washed it down with Coca Cola. The red Coke cans are ubiquitous here. This speaks to a bit of a health tip as well - the cans are sealed so one should assume it is safer than tap water. If you are one to worry about how food in these parts is cooked, you will languish in a day or so. You have to eat. My suggestion - have a good relationship with you medical doc back in America.
Bob Keith
Zakho, Iraq
First Day in Iraq
posted February 25, 2008
The first day in Iraq was sunny and warm. I had on only a t-shirt, sweat shirt, light cargo pants, and a ball cap. The night however is cold, perhaps 25 degrees Fahrenheit. The room has no working heater. It does not matter, the electricity goes out all night. There are plenty of big blankets. It is the same hotel I used last year. It is 20 Bucks per night. The man that runs the place is kind. He has a glassed-in office with a heated lounge in case I have to retreat to the warm up. The bathroom in my room actually has a seated toilet. His son brought a tray of coffee to my door at 10 p.m. The cold blast of air hit him, he handed me the tray, smiled and ran back to his heated office.
- Generator in the waiting Zakho, Iraq - photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
- Hardware to the left; Fruit to the right; Zakho, Iraq, photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
I was here during Ramadan last year and things during the daylight hours were slow. Ramadan is the month-long Muslim holiday where eating and some other activities are not done during the day. It was also October and winter would soon be upon them. This time round the streets show the bountifulness of the border town. Spring will be here soon. There also seems to be more old buildings being used for commerce. As well, there is new construction everywhere.
- Zakho, Iraq - photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
As like last time, the electricity rarely works. Generators howl everywhere. The smell of diesel looms in all the nooks and crannies. Generator shops, construction equipment shops, and electrical shops line the sidewalks. No one seems too interested in the traveling American. There is a thriving street economy despite there being no banks.
- Zakho, Iraq with mountain backdrop, photo by Bob Keith, February, 2008 -
The sandwich shop owner next to the money changer booth insisted I try his plate lunch. It was not too bad. I believe it was lamb with rice and vegetables. I washed it down with Coca Cola. The red Coke cans are ubiquitous here. This speaks to a bit of a health tip as well - the cans are sealed so one should assume it is safer than tap water. If you are one to worry about how food in these parts is cooked, you will languish in a day or so. You have to eat. My suggestion - have a good relationship with you medical doc back in America.
Bob Keith
Zakho, Iraq
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