After six days of dusty and sandy joy life in Arbil I was sort of fed up and just wanted to get back home but it appeared that getting out was harder than getting in. But I will tell about it later..
Arbil was not that bad actually..we went out with friends at night..to restaurants, malls and hotel bars. We drank almost every night..it was fun. Nonetheless you have to be careful with what you wear or where you go. One of our Iraqui friends took me and a friend of mine to a restaurant that used to be one of those places visited by Saddam when he was in Arbil. You couldn't tell from the outside that it was a restaurant because there were just walls surrounding the building and no sign that said 'Please, welcome in'..There was some sort of reception and you had to get yourself registered at the entrance before getting in..apparaently there was also a dress code that I wasn't aware of because I had my baggy shorts on and a plain T-shirt. The guy at the reception wouldn't let me in telling our friend that I was not dressed accordingly. He wasn't yelling or anything but wasn't friendly either. As in all places around the world the rule wouldn't change here: money opens every door and voila...I could go in..shorts or no shorts...! That being said..the food was great. Kebab without end..but it was good meat. No regrets there. The Iraqui friend drank Johnny Walker and I had a Miller beer or maybe two. After the restaurant we went to my hotel where we crashed at the hotel bar and had some more beers and enjoyed a good Champions League match.
Actually I think we got lucky with the hotel which isn't maybe the cleanest in Erbil but still it was ok because from what I heard from other friends they had no bar or liquor at all in their hotel. So lucky us!
Actually I think we got lucky with the hotel which isn't maybe the cleanest in Erbil but still it was ok because from what I heard from other friends they had no bar or liquor at all in their hotel. So lucky us!
And it was cheap..we could smoke and drink at the hotel..no one cared..
So the last day we went to this Mall called Family Mall and ate at the Lebanese restaurant where the food was okay but nothing really exciting. But the Mall was nice with all kinds of shops..mostly Turkish brands. We had a really late flight and we decided to go a bit earlier to the airport and I'm glad that we did so because the security was tight there and we had to stand in cue.
(That's how I felt when they didn't let me in!!)
The taxi took us to airport entrance, which is like 1 km away from the airport hall where you get checked first. Luggage control and body check..the whole nine yards. I was so lucky because I had some valves in my luggage and each time I ran through the x-ray scanner they took me aside and asked me to open the bag. So much fuuuuuunnnnn!! NOT! Happened to me three times the same night and after the third time I was sick of explaining to the security guy what a ball valve is. Once we got to the airport hall we proceeded to the passport booths and the guy looked at my passport for like 5 minutes..finger prints included..Dude..enough already..just let me get back HOME!! But other than that..I will miss the friendly security with their Kalashnikovs and the hairy, smelly customer..scratching between his toes while talking to us..and the friendly Kurdish receptionist trying to explain me that they will fuck me .oopps...I mean charge me 3% of interest if I wanted to pay with my credit card..bye, bye Arbil..I hope we never meet again!
(That's how I felt when they didn't let me in!!)
The taxi took us to airport entrance, which is like 1 km away from the airport hall where you get checked first. Luggage control and body check..the whole nine yards. I was so lucky because I had some valves in my luggage and each time I ran through the x-ray scanner they took me aside and asked me to open the bag. So much fuuuuuunnnnn!! NOT! Happened to me three times the same night and after the third time I was sick of explaining to the security guy what a ball valve is. Once we got to the airport hall we proceeded to the passport booths and the guy looked at my passport for like 5 minutes..finger prints included..Dude..enough already..just let me get back HOME!! But other than that..I will miss the friendly security with their Kalashnikovs and the hairy, smelly customer..scratching between his toes while talking to us..and the friendly Kurdish receptionist trying to explain me that they will fuck me .oopps...I mean charge me 3% of interest if I wanted to pay with my credit card..bye, bye Arbil..I hope we never meet again!
