Shaqlawan Sugar Coatin'

There are those elitist travellers who preach some sort of gospel of not needing a guide book. Somehow, local knowledge will trump any research, blogs or convenient paperback book. After nearly 2 decades of living, working and travelling overseas, i can say that local knowledge more often than not... sucks! But let's be fair. Do you know the best hotel in your city? Do you know the best/cheapest way from A to B in your own country? My guess is "no". So when i asked locals in Iraq where the best place was for me to visit for the weekend, the almost unanimous answer was Shaqlawa. I should have know what to expect from local advice for travel.

Let's look at the bright side. While tourism remains in it's infancy in

much of Iraq, the mountain village of Shaqlawa (45 minutes north of Erbil) has taken to tourism like a duck to water. Without question there are more hotels in this town per capita than anywhere else in the country. And honestly, it can be tough to find affordable accommodation outside the major centres. There are a plethora of restaurants, serving mostly the same menu. And there's even fairly easy public transport from Erbil with both buses and shared taxis up for offer (although the station in Shaqlawa is poorly located). The reality is, Shaqlawa is the closest thing you'll get to a tourist trap in Iraq. Shops hawk the same sweet wares. Buildings are all new (including ancient churches that have been built over). But locals swear by the town as a great destination to BBQ and escape the torturous heat common in the desert basin around Erbil. But frankly the town is nothing special.

But all is not lost. Despite lacking in what most foreign tourist might deem

appealing, there are a couple places to make the trip worth while. For the main attraction in town, all you need to do is follow the hordes of weekenders and holidayers. The Cave of Raban Boya dates back nearly 2,000 years. A small, greatly deteriorated shrine remains hidden in a crevice of the large mountain back-drop of Shaqlawa. It's a short hike (not more than 30 minutes if you're in bad shape). But the trail is literally overflowing in the summer, especially on the weekends. Inside the shrine, a large stone is used as a

"Wishing Rock". If you make a wish/pray (same thing really) a slide down the rock 3 times, head first, your wish will come true. Locals swear by the power of this stone and is a major reason for the crowds. There are a couple other shrines tucked away into the hills, but none are as impressive (not that Raban Boya is impressive). Other sites include a couple churches. But even with ancient foundations, the churches are mostly new and uninspiring. The market downtown is famous for pomegranates and walnuts. And you can find a variety of sweets & treats to prove it. Not a great place for diabetics. And for those really wanting to live on the wild-side, there's an amusement park complete with rusty Ferris Wheel and partly functional bumper cars (or Dodge 'Ems for British folk). But remember, electricity is shockingly inconsistent in Iraq.

Shaqlawa just wasn't for me. But it does offer an escape for the summer heat, and is one of the few places outside the main cities with tourist facilities. If you manage to befriend a local in Kurdistan, Shaqlawa might be worth it. The BBQs are kind of fun and the setting is not that bad. But if on your own, i'm not sure the town is worth the effort.

Bearin' my Soles in Lalish

I like the unique, the special and the uncommon. When you can mix that with unknown, uncharted and untravelled, it's almost a guaranteed winner. We've all heard of grand holy pilgrimage sites like The Vatican or Mecca, but few, if any, know about Lalish.

The village of Lalish itself, 60 km north-west of Mosul in Iraq, is rather indistinct. Although the setting is pretty enough, wedged into a narrow valley, there isn't much a village. Most locals, not from the immediate area, have a tough time finding it. However, if you happen upon a practitioner of the Yazidi faith, they'll know exactly where it is.

The Yazidi faith is often called an off-shoot of Islam. That's not entirely

true. While there are many elements of Islam in the belief, it's like saying Buddhism is Hindu. The Yazidism-for-dummies version would be a bit like this. God created an angel, Melek Taus (represented by a peacock), from his "light". God then created 6 other archangels. God asked Melek Taus and his brethren to bring him some dust, from which he created Adam. God told the angels to bow to the new creature (Adam) but Melek Taus refused. God thought this was cool and promoted Melek Taus to "representative of God on Earth". But here's the problem. This sounds a lot like the beginnings

of Islam, but replace Melek Taus with Jin Iblis. The BIG difference is, Muslims believe that because Jin Iblis refused the command of God he was banished to hell and became Shaitan (Satan). So for Muslims, they see the Yazidi as Devil worshippers. Worldwide, there are only about 600,000 Yazidi people. Yazidism is only inherited through birth, you cannot convert to the faith. Furthermore, Yazidi are forbidden from marrying outside the religion. This is taken very seriously as illustrated by the stoning death of a young girl when she fell in love with a Muslim. Normally, the village of Lalish is pretty empty, even though it's the Holy City of the religion due to the tomb of Sheikh Adi bin Musafir. But i'm not the kind of traveller who want to visit a couple of buildings. I, instead, opted to go during the biggest festival of the year, "The Feast of the Assembly"

Without question, visiting Lalish during a festival is the best time to go.

While there isn't much pomp or circumstance, the people watching is spectacularly spectacular. Many people are adorned with traditional clothing and jewelry. Elders gather to discuss current events, including the Prince of the Yazidi (middle photo above). The people are warm and friendly, and completely welcoming of foreigners (even during a festival) There are offers of help around every corner. This is genuine hospitality, as no gratuities are expected for guiding, food or anything.

But a visit outside of festival times is still worth it. In general, the

buildings and shrines are unspectacular and in desperate need of restoration. Inside many of the tombs and shrines you will find brightly coloured fabrics draped in many locations. Here, you make a wish/pray to God, then tie a knot in the fabric to have it answered. There is also a pillar where you throw a cloth hoping it sticks on top, if it does, you win a car (or something like that) There is also a shrine with a pillar where if you are able to reach around and have you fingers touch, you will have a long life. You can climb the stairs behind the main shrine for a view over the valley and houses below. There is no signage what-so-ever in the village, and you will have to pass security at the base of the hill. It is unlikely that you will need more than an hour or two to see and do everything, twice or even 3 times.

Getting to Lalish is tough. there is no public transport, meaning you will need a private taxi. A taxi and driver for the day will be 40,000-50,000 IQD from Dohuk, and 100,000+ IQD from Erbil. There are no tourist facilities in Lalish, and i didn't notice any in the nearby towns. Meaning this can only be done as a long day trip.

There are a few rules to follow when visiting Lalish to not offend locals:

1) Shoes are strictly forbidden inside the shrines/temples, and generally frowned upon in the village as a whole. Go barefoot.

2) The door thresholds are Holy are are not to be stepped on, sat on or leaned against.

3) Lettuce is apparently forbidden. But i was unable to confirm this.

4) Do not spit on the ground when in Lalish.

5) DO NOT speak of the Devil or ask about Shaitan.

6) There is no strict dress code, i saw locals with blue jeans and t-shirts. But as a general rule err on the side of "respectful".

G) Of note, there is no cell phone reception in Lalish (at least no Korek). So don't expect to call your driver when ready to leave.

Lalish of certainly unique, if not unspectacular. If you can arrange to be here for the first week of October (Feast of the Assembly) or April for New Year (Sar-Sal Eid) you'll definitely be in for a treat.

Al Kosh, of Course!

Admittedly, one of the biggest problems with living and travelling "off-the-beaten track" is no one has bothered to beat a track for me. It's tough to find information on places to go and things to see in Iraq. A few years ago, the LP updated an Iraqi section in the Middle East guide. Sadly, it was thoroughly substandard. There are a couple blogs and such out there, but they're by travellers who go to the same places every time (oddly enough the ones suggested in the LP). And trying to rely on local info is tough as they rarely travel for fun to remote locations. So while i was in Lalish, in north-western Kurdistan, i opted for to stop by Al-Kosh (also written alqosh).

The village of Al-Kosh, like many places in Iraq, has a history older than

history itself. Some of the first mentions of the town come over 2,500 years ago. A predominantly Assyrian town, Al Kosh has a feel to it unlike any feeling i've got from any other town in Iraq. This is not your typical new-ish village with clothes shops, shawarma stalls and CD stores. Instead a myriad of fully pedestrian alleyways meander their ways past centuries old building, gateways and shrines. The are a number of hidden gems tucked away in the labyrinth of streets. One of the more surprising would be the Shrine of Prophet Nahum. The reason this shrine might surprise most is it's a Hebrew shrine, in Iraq (so much for your preconceptions). Although, if you want to go inside the very dilapidated building, you'll have to find the "keymaster" just up the street.

But being a majority Christian town, most of the sites revolve around

a Christian theme. The cemetery located in the middle of town has a fair number of interesting graves. There is no secret what religion the deceased are as crosses are seen at every turn. Swiss-cheesing the mountain backdrop of the town are a series of caves. Most of the caves were used as monastic, meditative, hermit-esque type purposes. And the Virgin Mary's Monastery is an impressive (although relatively new) building on the outskirts of town.

But there is no question what the real highlight of the town is. If

the Lord of the Rings characters were a bunch of Assyrian monks, the Rabban Hormizd Monastery would have been there home. Essentially carved into the face of the mountain, the monastery seems almost natural in it's surroundings (hard to photo as it blends in so well). Dating back to the 7th century, the complex is still in use today. As such, much of the structure is out of bounds. But the newly renovated church, as well as a few of the caves are open to wander around and hopefully not get lost. The building is impressive. Arguably the most impressive i've seen in Kurdistan. And the views over the desert basin are lovely. The best part is, there is hardly ever anyone up there, so you get the whole thing to yourself. It is not only the highlight of Al Kosh, but one of the hidden treasures of Northern Iraq.

History, alleyways, surprising shrines, cool cemeteries and magnificent monasteries, Al Kosh really has it all. It can be easily included on a day trip from Dohuk, and that's about the only way to get there as there are no tourist facilities or public transport options. I have yet to get really excited about a place in Kurdistan. But Al Kosh is about as close as i figure i will get.

Northern Exposure

I'm not entirely sure what i was expecting. Having lived, worked and travelled to many areas above or near the Arctic Circle, i should have had a clearer picture. There is, of course, a difference between Arctic Canada and Arctic Norway, although it may not be astoundingly huge. But i still had to check out the north while passing through the Scandinavian country.

There was no pomp or fanfare, no fireworks or hula girls as my

overnight train, from Trondheim to Bodo, cross over the arbitrary Arctic Circle. It's not even a fixed arbitrary line as the Earth wobbles on it's journey around the sun. Arriving into the sleepy town of Bodo, things had not changed that much. There were no polar bears wandering the streets, houses were not made of snow and remarkably few people commuted to work on snowmobiles. But it was August. Actually, a rainy Sunday in August meaning even less was happening than usual. Bodo is a fishing town. And... that's about it. If it wasn't for the fact that it was the major launching port for trips to Lofoten Islands, it is unlikely that anyone would stop there. Yes, there are a couple museums. But the town lack any traditional architecture after being levelled in WWII. Still, it allows for bragging rights of breaching the Arctic Circle, it is the end of the Norwegian rail system and gives a decent insight to an ordinary town in Norway.

But i was heading further north. Sadly, with the time i had, i couldn't head

to the crazy far, end-of-the-world north, so the town of Tromso would have to do. Seeing as the train ends in Bodo, i had to find alternative transport. Buses were ridiculously expensive and i didn't have time to hitchhike. So i had to settle for the very cool Hurtigruten. Tromso is the sort of place that claims a lot of 'records'. They have the northern-most university, northern-most cathedral not to mention the Northern light capital of the world. It's true, for a town of 65,000, Tromso has a lot going on. But in the end, it's a town of 65,000.

The Funicular in town offers spectacular views, but it's was raining when

i was there (a common meteorological infliction) so it was of little use to me. There are arctic botanical gardens, which suck in the rain. And Tromso is famous for it's shockingly good nightlife, which surprisingly is not that hopping on a raining Monday. All in all, i was underwhelmed. Still, Tromso is removed from the tourist trap of the south. Sure it isn't as flashy, but it seemed more Norwegian to me. Perhaps if i had been there in winter to see snow on the hills and a Northern Lights 'show', my impression would be different. But for a rainy mid-week visit, it had little to offer.

Maybe if the weather had been better, or maybe if i had come at a different time of year, or maybe if i had been there at another part of the week, or maybe if i had gone into the wild, i'd have more to say. But i didn't, so i don't. The trip north was more about the journey than the destination. For that reason alone, and that reason alone, i'd say do it.

Shippin' Norway

Socializing with sexagenarians, taking out a mortgage to eat, freezing my ass off and flash-tourism are not usually "thang". But how could possibly turn down the opportunity to sail a bit of history. Norway is renowned for it's spectacular coastal beauty. When in the country, there may be no better way to appreciate it than hopping on the Hurtigruten.

Back in the day, around 1890s, it was darn near impossible to reach Norway's

arctic region. While rail, road and air all service the area today, this was not the case not that long ago. The only way to head north, was along the, largely, poorly charted waters. Enter the Hurtigruta ("express route"). A lot has changed over the years. The route from Bergen to Kirkenes, though still serving a small cargo need, is largely for tourists. Gone are the days of salty sea-dogs and swashbuckling. But that doesn't mean you can't sail a bit of history.

I figure, if you're gonna kick it, might as well kick it old school. With

a number of different vessels to choose from, i went for the MS Nordstjernen. The Hurtigruten website tries to wow you with phrases like, "rich in character" and "favourite for many enthusiasts". But that's just PR talk for 'old'. It's true the 1956 vessel lacks the hot tubs, bars and movie theatres some of the other fancy-pants boats flash around, but that's half the fun. But let's face it, i'm far from a hardcore cruiser and i'm kind of far from being a sexagenarian. My choice to hop on board was purely a practical one. Having reached Bodo, the end of the Norwegian train line, my only other choice for northerly travel was the extortionately expensive bus. If sleeping on deck and using the many port stops to stock up on food, the trip is not that expensive and is well worth it.

But the Hurtigruten is far from the only sea-board transport

available in Norway. There are a few other options that prove to be both economical (relative term for Norway) and nonstandard. The Flaggruten, operated by Tide, plies the route from Stavanger to Bergen for cheaper than buses and in less time than backtracking with a train. And this doesn't even begin to take into account the endless number of ferries that head up and down the fjords for both tourist and practical purposes, like the one to Lysebotn.

There is far more to sea based travel in Norway than just 'doing a tour'. Combining a series of boats for a combination of touristic enjoyment as well as practical transportation can prove to be both entertaining and economical. Although many of the Hurtigruten stops are short, 15 minutes in a place is better than zero. Get up close to the coast by boat. You won't regret it.