In the last post (Iraqi Kurdistan Part 1 – Crossing the Border) I detailed our unnecessarily thrilling journey into Northern Iraq. The main question this post has thrown up from those of you that have read it is “Why? Why did you go there if that is what it is going to be like?” and I guess that’s fair when you consider the standard image of Iraq, which is the same image I subscribed too until I started to read more about the place.
Within the Middle-East Iraqi Kurdistan is now considered a bit of a paradise, it has remained stable for coming on 10 years (In which time it has not the seen the death of a single foreigner, a better rate than most western countries) and has a lot to offer its visitors. To the north and east there is the dramatic scenery of the Zagros mountains, the impressive Kharand Canyon and the Ali Beg waterfall (a popular paddling spot with tourists and features on the 5,000 Iraqi Dinar note).