Regular readers of this blog will know that I travel a lot in my day job – and sometimes it takes me to places I might not otherwise visit. These places can be unexpected in ways both good and bad.
I’ve just returned from Erbil, in the Kurdish region of Iraq – and for the first time in my many years of travel – I had a moment there where I was genuinely afraid for my safety. It was a disturbing way to end a visit to a country that up until that moment I had found both interesting and friendly.
This was my second visit to Erbil. I really enjoyed my first visit (read about that one here) – but this visit was about to end on an uncomfortable note.
When it was time to leave for the airport – my driver didn’t arrive. That wasn’t entirely unexpected, so I asked the hotel to arrange a car and driver. They did and off I set.
About 100 meters from the first of several airport checkpoints, I happened to glance into the front seat – my driver was holding a hand gun in his lap. A big one. BIG! One of those guns you see Bruce Willis carrying – the sort he loads by slamming a magazine clip into the handgrip. After which he shoots down a helicopter or two. Just in front of the car was a checkpoint with airport security police carrying AK47s (or something along those lines).
It came home forcefully to me at that moment how very different this country was to anywhere I have been before…
The police waved us off the road to a security building – where my driver took out his gun. Let me tell you, it is not nice to sit in a taxi with an angry man waving a gun around less than a meter from your face. The security men took the driver and his gun away and left me sitting there.
With the guns no longer visible, I decided I wasn’t going to be shot… but I was concerned that I might get dragged into the investigation… maybe have my luggage searched.. possibly be detained. I was worried that at the very least I would miss my flight… and at that moment, more than anything else in the world, I wanted to get out of the country.
The driver returned about five minutes later – looking very, very angry. He drove me to the airport terminal building – breaking speed restrictions and almost colliding with another vehicle on the way. I jumped out quickly, grabbed my bag and thrust a handful of money at him. Then I walked away into the terminal itself as smartly as I could.
I felt much safer inside.
I boarded my plane and we took off. I thought my troubles were over…
But a middle aged gentleman in the seat across the aisle from me very quickly downed too much white wine and started singing in a stentorian voice – in a language that may have been Russian or Kurdish.
The flight attendants cut off the flow of wine – but that didn’t stop his singing. Perhaps it was his national anthem – he seemed very proud of it and also seemed to feel it deserved repetition – for three hours!
I was never so pleased to hear the words “we have begun our descent…” in all my life.
Now I am safely home in London and someone asked the question – would I go back. The answer is – yes. I will take extra precautions, but I am not going to let one moment sour my memories of a whole culture.
Beside – I am a writer – how long do you think it is going to be before that taxi driver, or that drunk passenger make an appearance in one of my novels?
Comments
21 responses to “The armed, the scared and the very drunk.”
You’re braver than me, Janet. Mind, that’s not difficult.
I don’t know if “brave” is the word Liv. I sat very quietly in the back seat of the cab, wondering what was going to happen. I was really really glad when I was safely in the airport terminal.
Janet, you are one adventurous lady! I love the way you take the positive out of a potential dangerous situation. Happy travelling and writing x
Hi Sandra. I do like new experiences – although this one I could have done without. It won’t deter me though – maybe just make me a little more cautious.
Fascinating story, Janet. I think we should compare adventures. I was locked up once, overnight, in French Guiana – alone – guarded by a 6′ 4” black French Guianese solder shouldering an AK47 because a drunk French border official deemed the paperwork supplied by my Canadian airborne survey employer inadequate. We were surrounded by jungle so there was nowhere I could go. It was only when the Minister of Immigration in French Guiana intervened the following day that I was released. Very frightening!
Gosh Beverley – that sounds horrible. have you ever been back there? I’m pretty sure that would put me off for life.
I flew low level survey there for 3 months and the conditions were very difficult. My weight dropped to 41kg due to the constant air sickness because of the turbulence and heat, we lost a dear friend in a survey crash just across the border in Peru, and a murder/suicide made everything more awful. I was very glad when my husband joined me in the last couple of weeks of the job. The highlight of French Guiana was going to Devil’s Island. I could sympathise with the prisoners who rotted away there.
Ugh Jan that sounds awful! Did you give the company grief over your regular driver not arriving? And the hotel grief for sending you off with a gun wielding chap with anger management issues? Man you must have been exhausted when you got home. Lots of John hugs I hope!
Hugs from us.
Sis, the company have been very good in response to this – very concerned. When / if I go back – I will go to a different hotel (read better hotel). John is, as always, my staunch supporter. J X
I’ve had a few similar – but not as bad! Being in Liberia where the local “security” seemed to consist of young aggressive locals all carrying Uzi machine pistols. Being in a taxi in Rio Grande, Brazil – with the taxi-driver nonchalantly showing off his chrome plated revolver tossed artlessly on the front passenger seat. (no sense of menace, though)
Seeing bars and restaurants in Manila with the helpful sign on the door, reading “All Firearms must be checked in on entry”
However – the ONLY time I have actually felt in fear of my life was just as a passenger in a taxi in Taipei!! Normal Taiwanese driving.
🙂
John, I am with you about the Taipei drivers – they don’t need to be armed to be scary 🙂
I’d need a while to process that experience, Janet – blogging seems a good place to start, but your mind must be full of ‘what ifs?’ right now. I’m just glad you’re back home safe and sound.
I’m glad to be home too Chris. But having said that – my next trip is to Israel. I couldn’t say no to that – Jerusalem sounds fascinating.
So glad it all ended well for you!
So am I Margaret.. 🙂
You must have so much material for writing you’d need two lifetimes to get it all down! Safe travels.
Angela, I take notes everywhere I go. I know I’ll only ever use a fraction of it- but you never know.
Oh Janet – so glad you are back safe and sound. I thought you were brave even before I heard how your trip ended! You willl LOVE Jerusalem. Lots of gun wielding there though, too. I went years ago and stayed on the West Bank and will never ever forget it. An incredible place.
I write contemporary novels, Sarah, but I love history. And Jerusalem is full of history. I expect I shall love it – guns or no guns.
Wow, what an experience – I’m really looking forward to seeing how you incorporate that into your next book!
The drunk passenger will make it, Kathryn, but I’m not so sure about the gun toting taxi driver … you don’t get a lot of that in places my novels tend to be set. But then again – I have this idea involving an archaeologist….