Like yesterday, I woke up at 0300 due to sleeping early. But fortunately I was able to fall asleep again until 0645. I packed and headed out to repeat yesterday’s breakfast of the burek-like pastry with a touch of hot water/syrup. That wasn’t quite enough for me so I ordered a foldover cheese pizza which I had seen at the next table. It proved too filling so I took half of it away for my long trip down to the south today.
Today, I head down to Sulaymaniyah. I walked down the road to where the taxi shops were. Getting there at 0840, I waited for other passengers to turn up. It was a long wait of over two hours. The news was on and the local Kurdish channel shows pretty gory photos of very maimed dead people, eg. with holes in their torsos or part-bodies. Not suitable viewing when one is having a meal, perhaps.
The taxi shop actually didn’t get busy until after 0930 which confirms what people tell me, that locals wake late and sleep late.
At 1045, the Sulaymaniyah driver decided that he had waited long enough. We departed with just me in the front seat. Around the block, he had a phone call saying another passenger had arrived. We returned to the office to collect the Arab young lady and waited for any further passengers before leaving in earnest at 1115.
The journey took around 5h15 including a lunch break about three hour after we set off. The Arab lady (possibly Christian as she was very liberally dressed), had some problems at the checkpoints but it wasn’t serious enough for her to be left behind. On slower parts of the highway, eg. where there were roadworks, there were often beggars sitting or standing there. Possibly victims of war or war widows. Life can still be hard for many.
I got dropped off near the bazaar of Sulaymaniyah where it was a 10 minute walk to the Dolphin Hostel/Hotel, getting there around 1630. The streets were lined witih with shops selling clothes and shoes, and it must have been the busy time of day. I had to keep dodging people.
I had an early dinner of chicken kebab and was ready to retire at 1800! Fortunately I chatted with Manouk from Netherlands. She had a social meet-up with a couchsurfer and invited me to join them. I had a second dinner of a delicious chicken kebab sandwich/burger before we visited a shisha cafe.
As Manouk had a phone call to attend to at 2100, we returned to the hostel by taxi leaving our host to continue with his shisha. In my short time here in Sulaymaniyah, I noticed that more people speak some English. It’s supposed to be the most liberal city in Iraqi Kurdistan but it wasn’t apparent to me during my two day stay in the old city. Perhaps it’s more apparent if one goes drinking or clubbing.
Potato ball filled with meat. Squash it, wrap it in bread. Add your own condiments.