1,000km Journey Baghdad from Amman

February 17, 2003

In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, leaving an Amman Hotel at 9 a.m. on 10 different SUVs and off we go to Baghdad....was the plan. However, it did not take us very long to realize we were in world of Arabs, not in Japan. Of course, chartered SUVs did not show up at the scheduled time. One finally came to the hotel ten past nine. However, the next vehicle has no sign of showing up. After a while, the next one pulls up. Our irritation amplifies as the time goes on.

It was past 11 a.m. when the last SUV arrived. No driver seems to be guilty of the delay, chattering cheerfully among themselves. Yes, we are in the Arab world.....It will be a 1,000 km journey to Baghdad, with borderline waiting for us on the way, into Iraq.

At the immigration office, it took us an hour to leave Jordan, and two hours to enter Iraq. When we have finished all the procedure, full moon was high up in the sky, shining divinely.

You may imagine 10 large SUVs traveling together in a single file as something awesome. It was awesome in a totally different manner. We learned soon that all the drivers did not possess what we think as traffic manners. The width of the highway broadened as we passed Iraqi border, and there was little traffic--a few trucks passing occasionally, no cars. Even so, we thought it life threatening as the drivers traveling at 160 kph, with only five meters from the car traveling on its front.

We cursed ourselves for not choosing the bus as the means to travel. We may have managed to get some sleep if we were on a bus....

We noticed that lights have increased around the highway. We seem to be finally approaching to Baghdad. Something extraordinary happened here. There was a police vehicle waiting at the edge of the city, apparently waiting for us. The police officer offered us to usher us to the hotel where we are planning to stay. It was 2 a.m. in the morning. The vehicle passed red lights, with their little red lights turned on. Our SUV was traveling at the top of the file, directly after the police vehicle. It seemed to us that Iraqi people offered a grand welcome into their country. We would like to hope for a good omen in return of such a warm welcome.

The hotel we are staying is Palestine Hotel, on the Tigris. It was not luxury-class, but it was not bad. They have provided each of us with a single-room. The accomodation comes complete with 3 meals a day, but there was no dinner for tonight, because our check-in time was 3 a.m. We had hamburg steaks and fried chicken as late supper. All of us were extremely hungry. Our report for tomorrow, I mean, today, wait for the next correspondence.

Inch Allah,

Team Desert Fox-Eye

p.s. We promise to attach some digital images of young women in Baghdad.