Hi Jonnny! Would you please introduce yourself?
I am Jonny Blair – a barman, travel writer, teacher, author, perpetual tourist, football geek and long term blogger. I grew up in Northern Ireland but my global adventures have seen me live in Australia, Uruguay, England, Kyrgyzstan, Poland and Hong Kong. With over 30 years printed writing experience, I am a veteran writer with a taste for the unusual and quirky.
My wacaday 180 country journey around the world saw me feed hyenas in Ethiopia, play football in Afghanistan, throw fireballs in El Salvador and visit disputed regions such as Podjistan, Karakalpakstan and Uzupis, unrecognised by global entities. I am usually based in Poland but never far away from another adventure and I run travel blogs in several niches.
When did you visit Iraq? How long did you stay in Iraq? Which part of Iraq was it?
I have only officially been to Iraq once and it was a 10-12 day trip as part of my Middle Eastern tour in 2013 – 2014. We arrived in December 2013 and stayed until January 2014. We flew into Erbil and toured the northern part of the country, mostly controlled by Kurds at the time. We visited about 7-8 different places there – the most memorable were Sulaymaniyeh, Ainkawa (Christian district), Erbil/Hawler, Duhok, Sulav and Amadiya.
How was the political situation in Iraq and in Iraqi Kurdistan at that time?
Politically at that time, there was a lot of intervention by foreigners that were not Kurds or Iraqis. This meant a lot of immigrants and border checks with some soldiers from abroad – we even met Americans and British there.
When backpacking between cities in the north, there were multiple bag checks and passport checks. This happened mostly in Mosul and Kirkuk and also on the edge of Erbil. Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, Sulav and Amadiya were all very safe at the time, but tensions are always quite high in that region due to the history as well as religious differences and a huge dispute over whether to form a new country called Kurdistan, or even to remain as Iraqi Kurdistan, or simply Iraq.
At that time how did the media portray this part of the world? Was it different from the reality?
I used to work in “mass media” and they were outrageously negative and racist towards Iraqis, Kurds and in general the Middle East. This happens a lot in the racist media so I try not to listen to it.
It was no different to anything I heard at the time, so I had to go there myself and of course proved that those media guys had never even been to countries like Iran, Iraq, Kuwait or Saudi Arabia and they were judging the Middle East on religious hatred, bigotry and racism. No alarms, and no surprises, please. The media was wrong and they know it. They can swivel in their fake rocking chairs.
Do you consider Iraqi Kurdistan safe?
No. Nowhere is safe. Everywhere in the world is dangerous, even going to the kitchen can be dangerous as you can cut your finger with a knife. Even in the bathroom you slip in the shower and get a serious injury. Last week I was hit by a train in Warszawa, which many also think is a safe city. So nowhere is safe, Iraq and all of Kurdistan included.
That said, the parts of Iraqi Kurdistan that I visited were a lot safer than most other countries I have been to, so if we need to compare and contrast (which I hate doing) then it is a lot safer than dangerous warzones like Venezuela, USA and Northern Ireland.
Was it easy for you to travel to and travel around Iraqi Kurdistan?
Yes, it was so easy. I was on an Irish passport and had a 10-day visa on arrival so I used that – not many questions were asked. In terms of transport, this was also very easy, very well organised and locals helped us. There were many shared taxi options and we were surprised as to how easy it was to communicate and backpack from city to city.
What do you like the most about Iraqi Kurdistan the most?
Probably the lack of other tourists at the main sights. I love to be a tourist every day but sometimes I hate it when you backpack for weeks to get somewhere only to find another 1000 tourists. When I visited Red Security / Amna Suraka (Saddam Hussein’s House of Horrors) in Sulaymaniyah, I was the only tourist there.
Same as when I backpacked the football stadium in Erbil (which once hosted the VIVA World Cup Final – in 2012), I was the only tourist. So I loved the freedom and loneliness of being the only tourist. This also worked well in bars and restaurants as we were welcomed with aplomb due to the lack of other tourists. A museum in Erbil even stayed open for me as no other tourists were in sight.
What was the most memorable experience you had in Iraq?
I had quite a few of these – I loved the mountain village of Amadiya, especially the views, the old walls and just how beautiful it was. Sadly, also Red Security / Amna Suraka was memorable for the wrong reasons.
This is Saddam Hussein’s House of Horrors and was a chilling reminder of days gone by. It was here at Amna Suraka were many Kurds, Iraqis and just innocent humans were beaten, attacked and killed in cold blood. The corridor of mirrors has shards dedicated to those who died here. It is a really sad and sombre experience, but I was glad I made the effort to see such a horrific place. Rest in peace, my friends.
Why do you think people should visit Iraqi Kurdistan?
Because life is precious and short and we can die at any time and Iraqi Kurdistan is not as difficult to visit visa and flight wise as other countries, plus it is quite affordable – hotels and restaurants are not too dear. Many people also class Iraq as the Cradle of Mankind so for all these reasons, it is a good place to start for a new backpacker.
And although I try not to mention religion, for Muslims and Christians, Iraq is also a great place as there are a lot of Mosques, Churches etc. to visit there and you can feel at home amongst such people. Aside from this, it is much less touristic than places like Venice, Paris and the Bul so well worth a jaunt to escape the usual tourist hotspots.
Find out more about Jonny!
Websites and social media accounts
Don’t Stop Living – A Lifestyle of Travel
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