This is how I spent my New Years eve: laying around in a tent, waiting for a flight.
I returned to Bagdhad last month, after my vacation in the states, but I haven't found the time or motivation to update the website. Despite getting some sort of illness in Florida, and going to the dentist five times, I had a great time. Hey, I've got a new set of chompers so it was all worth it. :)
The DAN CAM, yet again. Waiting in a transient tent at Balad Air Base. The temperature reached freezing on New Years; water bottles literally turned to ice outside. It - was - cold.
Next morning, I jumped in a Sherpa and flew to Kuwait, grounded for an hour, then arrived at my destination, Tallil, in South/Central Iraq.
I'm here for a few days; and after that, I'll head down to Basrah.
And after all that, it's back to Baghdad. I'll try to be better with the next update.
Cheers.
This trip: Baghdad to Balad/Anaconda to Tallil to Basrah to Tallil to Balad/Anaconda to Baghdad!
Picking up where I left off last post...
Just outside of Tallil Air Base is a small archeological site, where you will find what remains of the ancient city of Ur. Over 4000 years ago, Southern Iraq was known as Sumer, the oldest civilization in history, and Ur was one of the first and largest cities at that time.
The city (along with the civilization) is long gone, and all that remains is this ziggurat. These structures are very similar to pyramids, though their purposes varied. This one was a temple of worship, dedicated to the Sumerian Moon God, Nanna.
I spent an afternoon hiking around, just trying to get a feel for what Ur might have looked like. Obviously, you have to ignore the massive Air Base in the distance. In the middle of this picture, you can see the Royal Tombs, an uncovered Sumerian burial site. In the foreground is a pile of bricks that have come loose from the ziggurat.
Some of these bricks are marked with strange symbols, most likely cuneiform. Don't worry, I left everything alone. My grandfather always taught me to "take nothing but pictures."
This is a map of the site, if you couldn't tell. :)
The steps to the ziggurat are a bit worn, and the top stones have probably been replaced regularly over the millenia.
A bedouin lives near the ziggurat, and watches the grounds. He said his father, grandfather, and so-on, have watched over this special land for many many years, though I couldn't understand much more than that. This is his horse, grazing not too far from the ruins. He also runs a small souvenir shop, where I bought a map.
This is one last photo of the structure.
The next day, I drove with a Security Escort Team (SET) down to Basrah, a large city in the very south of Iraq. Basrah is said to be one of the possible locations of the Garden of Eden, though nobody has ever been able to pin it down to a real spot. I didn't have enough time to find out for myself, so maybe next time...
Back to the drive, once again, I found myself on MSR Tampa.
The land is very flat and dry down here, unlike the more fertile valleys near Hilla and Baghdad. Sorry, but the picture says it all.
Another thing that sucks about these roads are the little piles of sand everywhere. Normally that wouldn't bother me except - in Iraq - these piles are good places to hide little bombs called IEDs.
I will never look at dirt the same way again.
So, no big deal, and no harm done, I made it to Basrah Air Station, home of the Multinational Division - Southeast (MND-SE) HQ. Iraq is split up into Areas of Responsibility (AORs), and the Southeast AOR is controlled by the British Defence Forces (yes, they spell differently).
The base looked more or less the same as every other facility I've been to: concrete barriers, razor wire strewn across the tops of buildings, and oh yeah, dirt. Only real difference is of course the British troops I see everywhere.
Enough of that. I took care of my work, listened to a few mortars land in the distance, and left the next day for Tallil.
On the way back up, I saw some more camels. Hahah. These things are awesome.
Back in Tallil, I waited for my flight to Baghdad. Mid-afternoon fog crept in as I snapped this photo of the flightline. I'll say this again and again: pictures of the flightline are normally not allowed, but I asked for permission. Mmm'kay?
To see a satellite image of the ziggurat on Google, click here.
For more information on Ur, click here.
For more information on Sumer, click here.
For more information of ziggurats, click here.
As you can imagine, I am now back in Baghdad (for the umpteenth time). I've got a few pictures from a recent trip across town, so I'll post them in a few days.
Until then...
