Into Baghdad

.... No, we didn't make it to Baghdad straight away - we didn't even kick 40 km!
After having filled up 35 liters for 90 cents for the last time 😢 we rode straight to the border. Checkout from Iran was easy going: all the stamps in a few minutes, and because we're charming and cute, they even gifted us the 60 bucks for fuel tax (wonderful, when things are not taken too seriously).
Around the corner, the Iraqi habibis though take it a bit too serious, yet not having their stuff together. Our details were written down several times by hand in different books, causing confusion when setting it into the Arab alphabet, and we swung around six times in between only two "offices" that have had to be 400 meters from each other.
Seven (7 !!!) hours later we could exit - after another final copy of all our documents at the exit gate. What's going on with you, guys?

It was too late now to go far, as Maghreb is coming, and to Baghdad it's 200 km including some checkpoints. So we pulled over to a hotel in Badre Spend, right on the other side of the border. After a dirty dinner prepared in the room, a knocking at the door, the police wanted to speak to us.
We didn't commit any crime in Iraq so far, after only four hours in the country, so it can not be too bad.
In the lobby and in front of the building there are around twelve cops.
Turns out an officer wanted to warmly welcome us to Iraq. Not many foreigners cross this border, and after having seen us in the TV (it's not even Paris Dakar season, so what is he talking about?) and our bikes in his town, he decided to place a couple policemen in front of the hotel to guard our bikes. Well, that's a great service though!
And indeed, next morning they were still there, yawning in their pickup. They told us now they would escort us to the next checkpoint, where another escort would be waiting for us...
The last checkpoint before the city we had to manage alone. This side of the infrastructure allows you to take a break every couple km, and to rest for maybe half an hour, until the "intelligence" has done some phone calls and whishes you a good day.

But we wanted a real break before entering the capital, a road side special. And when pulling out the chairs, we were suddenly invited by the owners of the house close by: "it's too noisy here at the road, come over, we have a garden". And we got rice, chicken, salad, and a lot of fruit... One has to take care of travelers ❤️
Entering Baghdad was just ridiculous, as most of the time we were standing still in between boiling diesels - just because of the traffic again we decided to take a short break to let the air cooled singles calm down. Finally, we made it to our hotel, a quite underwhelming, stinky room, our bikes on the street, at the big bazar...
We got ourselves some strong chai and a shawarma, and were happy.

And now? Christmas is in three days, what will happen in Baghdad?

Stay tuned, cuties!Leggi altro