And on we go...

We're leaving Samarra...and not a moment too soon! I really hated this place! It's so scary...the locals are very rude and not inviting into their country. I understand to an extent that they may feel threatened but I am definitely glad to be leaving and traveling further south. We're heading on to Taji which isn't far away from Baghdad itself although we are only stopping here overnight to break the journey up and then we're heading on to Baghdad which I am quite looking forward to.

Bye for now,

Jess

Samarra The Holy City

Samarra is one of Iraq's four holy cities and it is definitely very evident by the amount of mosques and how religious the people are here. Although the mosques are very beautiful buildings unfortunately alot of them have been damaged by bombs and fighting that has been going on here. It's quite a scary place and we certainly stand out from the crowd. I hope that we don't stay here too long.

There's nothing really for me to research here and I have become increasingly interested in water and how it has effects the people it surrounds so hopefully we will get back near some river's or lakes soon (and if for nothing else then just to cool down...it's sooo hot and my pale skin is sorched even though I am applying my suncream every hour) Oh well.

Bye for now,

Jess

Samarra, Iraq

So, tomorrow we're off again! The traveling all the time is rather tiring an to be honest and I am starting to get a bit fed up with some of the UKSRI team that I am traveling with. I'm not really a people person so the actual team is an experience in itself.

I'll let you in on what I think of Samarra tomorrow! But for now it's sleep time

Bye for now,

Jess

A few photo's from Kirkuk...

Oops...

Oops...I realise the title of my last post was "first stop Kirkuk" but I failed to actually tell you anythin about this place. There is quite alot goin on here...Kirkuk is the center of Iraq's oil industry and is connected by pipelines to ports on the Mediterranean Sea. The oil company Shell carried out an integrated study on Kirkuk, with work recently completed in early 2006. This will mark's the first study in three decades for Kirkuk, and is significant because it used the latest technology.

There is alot of area's that can be researched here...I am wondering what the effect is on the people here in Kirkuk because of living so close to and oil resource...maybe there is none with not only living in an area with all these fumes but also Kirkuk has had one of the worst sewage systems. Before the sewage repair project was initiated, 30 percent of the city's sewage was dumped in the streets, 50 percent was transported to a non-operational sewage plant where it quickly seeped back into the city's water system and the other 20 percent was stowed in containers then dumped outside the city. With the help of Coalition forces, the city is repairing this key piece of infrastructure. Six projects are under way to clean sewage from the streets this can only have some sort of effect on the people living here. (geeky facts!woo)

Bye for now,

Jess

Iraq...first stop Kirkuk

So it'been a couple of weeks since my last update. This is because we were travelling over the iran-iraq border. Quite a scary experience. The amount of military protection that there is to get into the country is something else! We had to stop a couple of nights there as they wanted to check all our documentation and I suppose just make sure we are who we say we are. They took most of our researching equipment off us and said it wasn't aloud to go any further. Our mentors said that they don't like to feel that people are looking down on their country. So our research is really going to have to be all written and then mayb a few samples that we could take home with us. I'm expecting big things from Iraq as no-one really knows what exactly goes on here and things are very private.....I'll be investigating loads!

Newhoo, bye for now,

Jess

Lake Zarivar - Could stay there forever

Well Lake Zarivar is just wonderful! I think if I had my cats here, I could stay forever! I do miss my cats...they really is are my best friends! Anyway here's a view of this wonderful place...


Bye for now,

Jess