Notes from Dahuk, 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.
Notes from Dahuk Iraq
posted February 26, 200
There is a money changing place here - rather large - in the basement of a four story building. There are many stalls. It is here I get my Dollars exchanged. A man insisted I sit inside his cubicle and have coffee. He said in broken English he understood my interest in "seeking civilization." I did not have the heart to explain I actually look at sandwich shops and hardware stores in quasi war zones. None-the-less, he was impressed I traveled so far to see their culture.
I checked about a ride to my next destination as well. East of here I call the "bad lands" for travelers like me. Hardened journalists and military guys will smile. For them, up here in "the north" is a walk in the roses compared to "down south." To go east I will veer into some gray areas between the "two" Iraqs. I should fare better nerve-wise this time round.
That being said, I must emphasis a reality check. It is also important to remember my experiences are quick vignettes in a greater saga. Remember, I can leave and come home when I am done. The people I meet must carry on another day, this is their home. Also, understand I can move more freely and in safer regions than our military. I am just trying to identify some not so subtle nuances of my role here. People die not far from where I rather freely wander around and snap pictures.
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- Beer Street Dahuk, Iraq, photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
There is a beer street in Dahuk. One of the beer vendors is an Assyrian man I met last year. He remembered me. Like other Asian cities, products are grouped in streets and neighborhoods. A driver of mine veered over to the auto parts street to pick up a part. There are parts of every car on earth in every nook and cranny - on the roofs of buildings as well. Oil soaked, muddy, steep, and gravel alley ways dominated the quadrant. I saw the same type of streets in Viet Nam.
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- The Kurdish symbol over looks Dahuk, Iraq, photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
The bad weather rolled off the mountains so I spent a good deal of the day emailing. I returned to my hotel a couple times and the chilly rain and wind bit into my face. After some mild scrambling to coordinate phone numbers I was able to do a brief recorded interview with WORT radio of Madison. Heide tells me it might make it on the radio soon and be archived at some point. I hope I can keep my directions straight. I noticed in my last dispatch that Dahuk should be noted as southeast of Zakho. Your brain starts spinning in a place like Iraq.
Bob Keith
Dahuk, Iraq
Notes from Dahuk Iraq
posted February 26, 200
There is a money changing place here - rather large - in the basement of a four story building. There are many stalls. It is here I get my Dollars exchanged. A man insisted I sit inside his cubicle and have coffee. He said in broken English he understood my interest in "seeking civilization." I did not have the heart to explain I actually look at sandwich shops and hardware stores in quasi war zones. None-the-less, he was impressed I traveled so far to see their culture.
I checked about a ride to my next destination as well. East of here I call the "bad lands" for travelers like me. Hardened journalists and military guys will smile. For them, up here in "the north" is a walk in the roses compared to "down south." To go east I will veer into some gray areas between the "two" Iraqs. I should fare better nerve-wise this time round.
That being said, I must emphasis a reality check. It is also important to remember my experiences are quick vignettes in a greater saga. Remember, I can leave and come home when I am done. The people I meet must carry on another day, this is their home. Also, understand I can move more freely and in safer regions than our military. I am just trying to identify some not so subtle nuances of my role here. People die not far from where I rather freely wander around and snap pictures.
- Beer Street Dahuk, Iraq, photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
There is a beer street in Dahuk. One of the beer vendors is an Assyrian man I met last year. He remembered me. Like other Asian cities, products are grouped in streets and neighborhoods. A driver of mine veered over to the auto parts street to pick up a part. There are parts of every car on earth in every nook and cranny - on the roofs of buildings as well. Oil soaked, muddy, steep, and gravel alley ways dominated the quadrant. I saw the same type of streets in Viet Nam.
- The Kurdish symbol over looks Dahuk, Iraq, photo by Bob Keith, February 2008 -
The bad weather rolled off the mountains so I spent a good deal of the day emailing. I returned to my hotel a couple times and the chilly rain and wind bit into my face. After some mild scrambling to coordinate phone numbers I was able to do a brief recorded interview with WORT radio of Madison. Heide tells me it might make it on the radio soon and be archived at some point. I hope I can keep my directions straight. I noticed in my last dispatch that Dahuk should be noted as southeast of Zakho. Your brain starts spinning in a place like Iraq.
Bob Keith
Dahuk, Iraq
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