Author: Peter Meggyesy

Iraq

Ancient Iraq

Finally I am in seventh heaven! I get blown away by antiquities and that is what the fertile valley betwen the Tigris and the Eurphrates is all about. This was a cradle of civilisation. Fossil remains show prehistoric remains that confirm that this was one of the centres where man evolved from apes.

Never seen this sign at a museum before!

Subsequent empires here include the Sumerians, Babylonian and Assyrian empires. These early rulers built massive cities developed the first written language (cuneiform) and the first code of laws governing socities and her I am revelling in it all at the Iraq museum. Tragically in between the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the US forces taking full control some 15,000 pieces were looted most have never been recovered. Nonetheless this is an impressive collection af ancient treasures.

The newly sealed highway out of Baghdad offers a good run up to Samarra. The sky has a smoggy haze look probably dust storms and the thermometer tops 39C. The countryside is dead flat and scrubby fields are lined with date palm. Intermittent villages punctuate the desolation and are introduced with military gun turrets. The shanty towns have a few crumbling houses and mountains of litter and dead, rotting vehicles. Truly post apocalyptic.Every 20 minutes or so has us stopping for a security check which ranges from efficient through to outrageously long and tedious. Passports are checked and the driver and guides interrogated.

Samarra our destination this afternoon was the capitol of the Abbasid empire and the world’s biggest mosque at that time was built there. Today the walls of the mosque remain along with the 52 metre high minaret now known as the Ziggurat of Samarra. It is punishingly hot but we all climb around the corkscrew stairs without rails around the perimeter.

Iraq

Like moths to a flame

We arrive to to a high wire fence with a massive sign that this is a hard hat area. Almost 2 hours drive out of Baghdad our purpose was to see te archeological site of Ctesiphon, capitol city of the Parthians between 200BC and 600 AD. All we are seeing is recontruction work when we planned to see the best preserved and largest arch from antiquity. The solitary worker on site waves us away but suggest we may be able to drive around the side and get some sort of view. Eventually our driver did find a vantage point but about 1 km away and I was using my zoom lens to get some sort of a shot.

A police car pulls up and the two officers emerge. We start to back off expecting a rebuke but these guys latch onto the 2 young women in our group, especially our guide, Paris. She has blonde hair and a pretty face reminiscent of the actress Cameron Diaz and, especially when unveiled the local guys go for her like a moth to a flame. She of course knows it and plays it to perfection. In the blink of an eye we have free run of the place. We ascend the partially reconstructed building and take pictures. For the price of a kiss from Paris our bus is allowed to take us right to the arch. Paris and her accomplice Kathryn get driven there in the police car. Pictures taken, we leave the police and their phones filled with selfies with the girls to their own devices. Mission accomplished!

Iraq

Lost in Iraq

Friday is, of course, prayer day consequently there wasn’t much open. The morning sun was particularly fierce as we went to 37C. Fortunately the traffic was light as we started our day at the Firdos square. This site is famous following the world wide footage of the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s statue in 2003 after the US forces took Baghdad. Today it is a smally green leafy square with bare concrete where the statue was. There is no plaque nor signage there to recall the event.

Al Mutanabbi street is open on a Friday and it is a small bustling market place for all things literary and artistic. We battle the crowds and at one point lose our guide. Reunited we wander down to the statue celebrating the eponymous Iraqi poet. I wander ahead, back to a meeting point and wait in the heat. After 15 minutes they have not return so I double back to the statue. None of our group there!

I wait back at the meeting place and after half an hour I go back and fro along the crowded road. I decide I have to retrace my steps through the marketplace and across the bridge where our bus was supposedly parked. No sign of our group and after half an hour there made the call and flagged down a tuk tuk, negotiated a price and hoped that the boy driving it understood where I wanted to go despite the language barrier. Fifteen minutes later I was back at the hotel. Eventually I managed to get the reception staff to locate our local guide and I was back in business.

The afternoon had a real highlight in the Al Shaheed (martyr) monument, commissioned by Saddam to honour the fallen Iraqi soldiers from any wars. Completed in 1983 it consists of 2 x 132 domes like lotus petals encasing a water feature and a massive sculpture of a coffin draped in the Iraqi flag. It is massive, moving and truly beautiful, and like all the tourist sites here we have the place to ourselves.

The final stop was the pretty little sufi mosque with the unique feature of the minaret tower encased within the mosque. In the underground crypt we see the tomb of Chef Marouk Alkarhki.

Iraq

Baghdad

Baghdad airport turns out to be a pleasant surprise. Modern, very few passengers and the visa, immigration and customs process a breeze. Within 20 minutes of landing on our way to our city hotel. I always take first impressions of a new country seriously and this place is a low rise capitol city. Security is high with police and military very visible at intersections. There is an assortment of jeeps, armoured personnel carriers and even tanks on the footpath. The main roads are lined with thick high vertical concrete slabs to be able to withstand the impact of a car bomb. On arrival at our hotel the boom gate is raised and the taxi trunk is open to allow the sniffer Alsation dog to check our baggage for explosives.

It was late afternoon but I always like to spend my first few hours in any city pounding the pavement and myself and 4 others on our tour head out to see the Freedom monument about 15 minutes from our hotel. Walking downtown we were surprised to see police had cordoned off the main road and bridge across the Tigris River.

They happily waved us through and we only later found out that the lockdown was in response to the 9 rockets that had been launched against the government area, the “green zone” which is off limits to any one other than government officials.

From the freedom monument we swung around to walk along the historically famous Tigris river.

What a disappointment, smelly and unkempt it is really just an open sewer and rubbish dump. Nonetheless we walked along the banks. Spying an alcohol shop, yes a grog shop in Iraq!

We bought a couple of cans of beer and consumed it while waching the sun go down.

Iraq

Mesopotamia

Growing up in the 1960s and 70s Baghdad conjured up romantic and exotic images. Flying carpets, Ali Baba, Aladdin even Jeannie from the show “I dream of Jeannie”. It was the stereotypical Middle Eastern destination. Fast forward 50 years and the mention of Baghdad now evokes images of war, Saddam Hussein, terrorism and ISIS. How times change!

I was booked to go on this tour in 2019. I had bookended my time in Iraq with a week in Moldova in eastern Europe before and Jordan after. On my flight over my time in transit in Dubai had TV screens full of civil unrest and army retaliation in Baghdad with scores of casualties. The writing was on the wall and while in Moldova the email came from the tour company to say that the tour had been cancelled on security grounds. Ironically my change to go to Lebanon saw me immersed in their own violent demonstrations with road blocks, curfews, fire in the streets!

COVID and family illness means it is now a long 2 years and 9 months since I even set foot in an airport. The travel “muscle memory” has atrophied somewhat but I am now excited and ready to do what I do do best, travel! I can’t wait to hit the streets of Baghdad, the noisy cars, the smell of old car petrol fumes, wood fires, decepit buildings and people, strange, different people who despite their differences share the same common humanity with me.

Welcome back to those who have shared my travel journeys in the past. I know what you are all thinking, Iraq, WTF??? Nonetheless this is a fascinating country. The history goes back 6000 years and rivals Egypt! At times it was the most powerful empire in the world. It developed the first written language and spawne the Sumerians, Assyrians and great emperors such as Nebuchadnezzenar. One of the 7 wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging gardens of Babylon is here. Moving forward it is the site if the battle that spawned the split in Islam between Sunni and Shia and one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Shia Muslims Karbala is here.

Enough for now. I am sipping a port in the Emirates lounge and enjoying my last alcoholic drink for a while. Wherever I get wifi I will endeavour to keep you all updated and I hope that my pictures will not disappoint. Let the adventure begin!

Mauritania 2020

Nouakchott

Post author By Peter Meggyesy
Post date 29 January 2020

It was a scene straight out of Mad Max. Kilometre upon kilometre of flat white desert sands stretching out to a seemingly infinite horizon under a canopy of dull white clouds. The only interruption to the white monotone was the thin ribbon of black bitumen road, Suddenly the wind springs up and in the dust storm white out the horizon contracts down to a few metres in front of the car. We are at the outskirts of the capitol and ugly squat concrete houses appear. Rubbish litters the roadway and crashed cars are abandoned to rust by the roadside. Perhaps the desert sands will bury all of the chaos as the houses have sand heaped up beside their wall as the Sahara advances in a process described as desertification.

What is the capitol of Mauritania would make a good quiz show question. I certainly didn’t know before I got here. The answer of course is Nouakchott. There is not much to do here. The weather clears as we make it into the city centre and we go to the beach to stroll past row upon row of brightly coloured fishing boats.

The mosque is pretty and the museum occupies a few minutes of spare time.

For travellers there is not even the opportunity to kick back with a few drinks as this is an alcohol free Islamic country. I am ready to come home now.

Mauritania 2020

Scenic Mauritania

Post author By Peter Meggyesy
Post date 29 January 2020

Yesterday was for history buffs today the many landscapes of this surprisingly varied country. The early drive was through flat dusty, rocky gibber plains known as reg in the Western Sahara, again off road. An hour or so in this featureless landscape we turn towards a high rocky outcrop undistinguished from the many others we have seen but this one is special as it has 6000 year old rock paintings halfway up. While they are much less spectacular than many others I have seen, the detail is good and it portrays a time when animals were abundant here before the establishment of the Sahara desert. I find myself asking again how did they find this place literally in the middle of nowhere? Secondly, how many more such sites are out there waiting to be discovered?

After an hour or so of driving we joined a road which rapidly fell away from the mountainsides around. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Off road again through a massive verdant oasis before driving down into the White Sand gorge.

The drive in was literally a roller coaster drive down massive vertical sand dunes to the valley floor. Steep shale rocky vertical walls rose sharply on either side of the canyon. The valley floor was a hot wonderland of pale sand dunes and I had the opportunity to wander around and experience their beauty and silence. The tour de force was another crazy steep drive up to a lookout at the head of the valley affording panoramic views of this awe inspiring and beautiful landscape.

Finally another lush oasis for lunch and a short walk to a unique sight for this country, a tiny little waterfall.

Mauritania 2020

Historic Mauritania

Post author By Peter Meggyesy
Post date 27 January 2020

The jewel in Mauritania’s crown is the historic city of Chinguetti deep in the middle of the country forever being reclaimed by the Sahara desert. This quiet little backwater was once the 7^th most important city in Sunni Islam. A centre of learning it harks back to the 8^th century AD and was an important starting point for Muslim West African pilgrims to commence the long pilgrimage to perform a Haj.

The excavated and preserved historical section lies well below the level of the present day city and features a restored, photogenic, pretty minaret. The real highlight, though, is what prompted UNESCO to designate this as a world heritage site. These are the antiquities found there and a magnificent library under lock and key that goes back to the 8^th century with original manuscripts that is still owned by the family of a wizened charismatic old man who speaks to us at length and shows us around. While his belief that this is his family’s heritage and rightfully belongs to him is perfectly correct, I can’t help worrying that these unique and priceless manuscripts are deteriorating because of the way that they are being kept and handled.

Oldest text in the library a series of poems dating back to 700 AD

From there it is a crazy four wheel drive across the Sahara to Ouadane. There is no road here. There are shallow tracks in the sand from previous drivers but our driver does not always follow them. It is hot and the desert sands are featureless yet our driver like a homing pigeon successfully navigates us first to an oasis and then to our present city of Ouadane.

Oasis

This place is similarly amazing for history buffs. Set on a mesa above us is the new city of Oudane but on the slopes of the hillside up is the abandoned stone city of old Oudane constructed between the 12^th and 18^th century AD. It is an amazing labyrinth of winding alleyways and well preserved houses that makes for a great couple of hours of walking and sightseeing.

The city of Atar en route

Mauritania 2020 Uncategorized

Chemin de fer

Post author By Peter Meggyesy
Post date 26 January 2020

I randomly found internet posts about journeying on the iron ore train’ Deep in the Sahara there is a massive iron ore mine. Typically twice daily the ore is transported on freight train carriages in a train that is 1 mile long making it the longest train in the world. Backpackers have found that you can board the train from Choum about halfway at around 5pm and spend the next 12-16 hours sitting on top of the ore getting off at Nouadibou by the sea. There are no passenger cars and the ride is both free and laissez faire as the locals will often hitch a ride as well.

Similarly the empty wagons are hauled back to the mine and the most reliable way of riding this train is to pick it up between 3 and 4 pm at Nouadibou and ride in the empty carriages. We only have about 5 minutes to climb up the ladder and jump 5 feet into the empty wagon. Noone checks those who are hitching and the train departs at the driver’s whim. We are safely on board and the engines fire up. The first lurch of the engine sends the first carriage bouncing and sets up a shock wave that roars down the train with a massive boom and jolt a pattern that would happen at random but frequently throughout the journey adding to the discomfort.

As the train picks up speed a plume of desert dust is raised and funnels straight back over the carriages and their occupants. We cover our faces with masks and goggles but still the fine dust gets in everywhere. I stand up and peer over the side for the first 3 hours until sunset taking photos while trying to protect my camera. As the sun sets the temperature plummets to around freezing point and we done thermals and warm apparel and snuggle under blankets lying down on the hard metal floor to hunker down for the night.

The train arrives at Choum at 2am and filthy and sandblasted we climb out into the darkness and sleep the rest of the night in the relative luxury of the tents put up for us by our drivers who have met us there.

Am I glad to have done it, yes. Would I do it again, never! At 62 years of age I found myself asking why do I put myself through such ordeals? I have no idea why but I am sure that there will be other harebrained travel experiences that I will hear about in the future and I will be off again.

Mauritania 2020

Mauritania

Post author By Peter Meggyesy
Post date 26 January 2020

I don’t really know why I romanticised that Mauritania would be a land of sweeping golden Saharan sand dunes against the deep blue Atlantic sea. Unsurprisingly first impressions did not match with the fantasy. Starting with the interminable wait at the border and then the drive to our first stop, Mauritania’s second city Nouadibou. All around are typical grubby African streetscapes set among flat arid wastelands. On our first evening we drive over roadless countryside on a 4WD bush bash to a 400 year old Spanish built lighthouse and then down to a beach that used to be the site of the ship’s graveyard one of the iconic pictures online of things to see here. The ships are gone and we just enjoyed sunset there.

Sadly the new ships’ graveyard is being tidied up by the ubiquitous Chinese (what an altruistic nation!) and whereas last year there were 15 wrecked ships here today there are only 2 and by next year there will be none.

The rest of this city has absolutely nothing scenic to offer. This is Africa!