Friday 31st October
The journey last night was great fun. Stopped a police car
to ask the way to tourist information. No one spoke English and before we knew
what had happened another car with siren drove up and out stepped an officer.
He didn’t understand either so with much laughter and handshaking we parted
company and headed for what we thought was the town centre.
Before we had gone
500 metres the police overtook and with much hand-waving led us to the centre.
Here we changed some money with a shopkeeper and drove out to the airport to Tourist
Information and obtained a map. Next morning we left early for Babylon. What a let down Nothing but ruins and as for the “wonder of the world” – the hanging
gardens of Babylon – nothing.
Back to Baghdad to see the Golden Mosque – tomb
of two descendants of Mohammed and Holy City of the Shia sect of Islam.
Beautiful golden domes but we were not allowed inside. Returned to camp site
and met Swiss couple travelling for five months. They had phoned an Iraq friend
so all of us toured the city in their VW bus.
Round the copper market – the
tomb of the unknown soldier, the “hanging” square – monument to the
“revelation” when the army killed the king and back to see the golden mosque by
night. Had a great free feed in a shop – owner kept on giving us more
things to taste.
On the banks of the Tigris to watch fish being cooked in a
circle around a fire. They are live – you choose what you want and it’s cooked
while you wait.
Back to camp where we slept ready for the early start
tomorrow.