Miscellania from Last Weekend

The drive from Hawler to Sulemania via Koya takes approximately 3 hours. The drive via Kirkuk 2! But although we experienced both routes this weekend, we didn't manage either in 3 hours! So you know about the traffic blockade on the Kirkuk route already, but what you don't know is that at about 2+ hours in (on both trips) we had to disembark and light up the underside of the vehicle with a mobile phone so that Dr. Z could locate the fuel leak and wedge the fuel pipe together tighter! This, and having to jumpstart the car most mornings, appear to be a normal things to do here as he actually took it to a repair shop only to be told, "No problem".

Anyway, this first photo is just a view from somewhere near Koya.

These handsome men can be found outside the park on the main drag in Suli. I would love also to know who they are. And if you are patient, I will try to find the answer and post it as a comment to this post.

Pambette enjoys a private joke with one of her new stone-faced friends.

A photo of Mu only because there are no others of him in the photos of this weekend... and he was significant as he met us on arrival into Suli and took over the driving and guiding for the inside Suli part of the trip.

This last picture is "Moon over Kirkuk". I post it because I am always amazed at how big the full moon looks from here.

Not yet in Hawler

Last weekend, we (Dr. Z, Pambette and I) went on a little jaunt down to Suli! Although we really only had one evening and half of the next day there, it was great. We didn't have time to drive up and observe the view, but we did get what we came for - a little break from Hawler. Those of you who are Hawleri, please don't feel upset. I think little breaks are essential wherever you happen to live! Here are a few of the things you can observe in Suli (but not Hawler):

This first picture was taken at Dragon, a Chinese restaurant in Sarchner. Dr. Z is eating some "Chinese" noodles which were essentially spaghetti in Chinese sauce. The Chinese waitress argued that although the noodles were Itali mien that mien (noodles) are mien! I suppose that is true... and anyway, I was happy that although the food really wasn't good this time, I could still taste traces of authentic Chinese flavours (wood ear and other such lovely stuff)... This is different from the fake Sheraton in Hawler which thinks that if you add soy sauce to anything it becomes Chinese.

The second picture is also dedicated to food. It is where we had lunch on Saturday -Zara. Like Papula, is was attached to a department store, had a fast food restaurant downstairs and a cafe upstairs. What is special about these cafes in Suli is that there are coed groups of young people in the booths and young AND old couples out on dates. You can even see the occasional all female group! Another plus was the cappuccino... no Nescafe granules sprinkled on top!

A POST OFFICE! I wonder if it really functions. There was some news of a post office in Hawler as well, but none of us have seen it yet! I really want someone to mail me a letter just to try out the system.

And look here - a real phone booth. Near the bazaar in Hawler, you can also find some phones, but they are area phones belonging to some guy who stands there with the phone and collects your money. This is ever so much more... private (that is unless some foreign idiots come along and start taking your photo).

MaDonal

A fast food restaurant in Suli; but as I didn't go in to sample the cuisine, I can't comment on the taste in comparison to the chain it bears resemblance to. I wonder if it is true that copyright regulations don't apply in post-conflict zones.

Thursday in Suli

We went to Chia Azmar in the early morning on the second day in Suli... This is a view from near the top.

Another view...

After the mountaintop, we went to the bazaar to shop... we bought dictionaries (English-Kurdish) and browsed all the wares from Turkey. This was the view of a live turkey market from a bridge above.

After this, we went to the Palace Hotel for coffee and walked slowly back to our own hotel stopping at the Antique bazaar on the way back to our hotel. There we met Ha who informed us that an associate of Mu wanted to take us for dinner at Revan (probably the best -and most expensive- Turkish restaurant in Kurdistan). It was nice (as usual). But by the end, we were too full to even stand up, let alone do anything else (and I had been hoping to meet up with D for drinks.

Anyway, I managed to meet D and H for coffee the following morning (Friday) before heading back to Hawler.

And this is a fuzzy view of the mountains as we were exiting Sulemaniyah on Friday morning.

The trip to Sulemaniyah

So after a lot of stalling, on Tuesday night I finally decided that the following morning (9:30am) would be the time to take my mother to Sulemaniyah. Unfortunately, after stalling on the decision-making, 'Monica' also decided to stall... Seems we left lights on her control panel on and sapped her poor battery of all energy, meaning that Ha (trusted driver/security personnel?) had to go for jumper cables. After jump-starting, we had to drive the cables home and return to New City just one more time to pick up my forgotten mobile phone. I am so glad our university driver was not the driver for this trip or I never would have lived down yet another instance of me leaving my cell phone somewhere.

Anyway, the drive was good... past the slatey multi-colored 'badlands' on the way to Koya, the furry hills that look like grass superglued to sand dunes and 'mountains' that looked like a strong wind has blown a dusty carpet into slanted ridges (pictures coming)... and on to Dokkan. How unexpected to come across a lake there... even more unexpected was for H to jump out of the SUV, yell at a man in a motorized rowboat down near the water and ask him to take us for a ride. We half climbed, half slid down for a quick whiz round the lake before continuing on to Suli for a dinner at Komelayeti...

Dinner was also strange as, although recommended by D, we were not really welcomed at the restaurant. I think it was a private club of some sort although the menu was not extensive (nor was the food particularly good). However, it was cheap and finding it was quite the adventure as it was hidden in the middle of the dark Azadi Park and as the name presented me with a mystery to solve. Just the name alone was met with great hilarity from H (note that he is Hawleri and not a Suli-resident) who was unable to explain to us the meaning of this Kurdish word. he was quite unwilling to believe it could be the name of a restaurant and I had to get a hotel staffer to convince him.

Now it is Thursday and I am about to go for dinner with Mr. S (and I wanted Chinese) at the infamous Revan - the restaurant that (when in Suli) Mu goes to as religiously as he does the fake Sheraton in Hawler... Anyway, today's fuller program to be posted soon.


Mom (after we convinced her it was safe to get out of the car and approach the edge of the 'cliff') with Ha overlooking the city of Koya! (Yes, we went via Koya - not Kirkuk)!

Dokkan (note man with boat at the edge of water)

View of man from inside boat...

Ha on mobile phone (to Mu or his wife?) while skirting lake in boat

Building on hill (belonging to Talibani?)