Hello all!
if one year before somebody would have tried to convince me to drive to Iraq I would have surely said ‘never – only over my dead body’!
But as we travelled through Iran we met several other travellers who convinced us that it is safe enough to tried it, surely you better do not go to the north where the IS still is active. So we crossed the border and visited Basra first. We had no expectation about what will happen in Iraq but it sounded exotic to go there. We were a group of 3 vehicles, our travel family got bigger 🙂
The circa 2 weeks in Iraq were very exiting and – again – very enlightening. But it also was stressful because we had to pass so many security checkpoint (where nobody speaks English, …so it always took a while to explain what we – the hack – do in Iraq). ‘You are tourists and want to go to Bagdad?’ They usually could not belief that this really was our plan. But with the help of a new Facebook friend from Iraq (F. from Bagdad) we could make it. It was just impressive to meet so many beautiful people and families. It needed a time to get used to the way they organize the get togethers with us (female and male often strictly separated) but it worked out very well. Even more than the Iranians the Iraqis liked to present themselves to us letting the world know ‘that we are not all terrorists’ (that’s what we heart several times). And again: a brought majority of people are just ordinary people. Too sad that the (jew) bad people make such a loud noise that you easily oversee that the people are just nice. And also it took a while to get used to our ‘security team’ that we got in each city (military that got the order to protect and help us). We felt a bit like superstars when our 3 vehicles were escorted by military cars, even if we were only going out for sightseeing.
It was so good to visit Basra, Bagdad and Karbala!
Best wishes from
Heike and Carsten
To see full-size pictures and comments please
klick!
on the thumbnails!
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Waiting at the border. Took us 12 hours to get into Iraq :-0</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-1.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Welcome to Iraq!</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-2.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">The girls got 'cold feed' after we entered Iraq, ...the boys were asked to discuss if we should turn around to go to Kuwait, ...what we didn't do (and that was the right decision! Let's check out Irak!)</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-40.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Basra: somewhere in the suburbs</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-3.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Iraq (Basra), on a (kind of) motorway</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-22.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Just getting some quick food at the street turned out to a great event to meet people from Basrta</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-23.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Breakfast Iraq style</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-9.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Relaxation in the evening</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-24.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Father and son</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-29.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Thanks for giving us a nice place to stay in Basra!</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-10.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">The general of Basra passed by to check if we are doing fine...</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-26.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">New friends and protectors</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-25.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Our 'guides'</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-8.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Basra used to be beautiful, but the war(s) still left their marks on the city</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-4.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Mixture: Museum = vintage style restaurant</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-5.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Well protected, even in the museum</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-6.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">They liked us, we liked them!</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-27.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Carsten @ museum in Basra</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-28.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Carpet: an extraordinary pretty one</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-7.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Nice wishes from the girls for the girls after we left Basra</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-34.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Oil field, burning, on our way to Bagdad</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-20.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">The Tree of Knowledge in El Qurna</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-11.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Adam's tree (same roots we have!)</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-30.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">They reserved a whole parking lot for us</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-13.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">New friends from the 'Bagdad Command'</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-12.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">al-Kazimiyya-Moschee</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-33.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">al-Kazimiyya-Moschee</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-14.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">We left Bagdad: Little pilgrimage (to Karbala)</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-16.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Iraq is not really a beautiful place to go from a landscape perspective (distroyed, dirty), but am extraordinary nice place to go because of the great friendly people of Irak</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-21.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">really made us sad to see...</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-39.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">With our travel family in Karbala</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-17.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Essential place to go for Iraqis: City of Karbala (holy shrine of Imam Hossain)</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-19.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Imam Hossain</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-15.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Shrine of Imam Hossain</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-18.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">busy at the shrine</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-37.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">...you never walk alone in Bagdad ;-)</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-31.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">delicious Iraqi bread</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-35.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">The 3 (and a half) German beauties!</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-32.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">Another beautiful family that did invite us for dinner (in Karbala)</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-38.jpg)
![<span class="uc_style_uc_tiles_grid_image_elementor_uc_items_attribute_title" style="color:#ffffff;">F. was the big helper for our trip in Iraq, he solved all communication problems 24x7, thank you so much!!</span>](https://www.wischnewski-unlimited.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Irak-36.jpg)