Started out with a surprise birthday/coffee cake by Sophie and Alex:
Then we took a bus...
out to Halabja to see the memorial for the chemical attacks. Interesting way to spend a birthday, but its what I've been looking forward to seeing the most here in Iraq. I could write a very spirited entry about war and genocide and money and genetic disease and kids who will die because of these things...but I won't today. Just read the wiki-article.
When we finished at the memorial we picnic'ed and hiked up to a waterfall in the mountains. SO BEAUTIFUL. Its the exact same trail that those hikers were on last summer when they crossed into Iran. We were about a mile and a half from the border! Prettty awesome.
They actually assigned us a guard to police us as we walked up the mountain, so that we didn't get off the path.
It was so, so hot outside and Kurds get dressed up for outings. So we were all in our semi-business-casual, which is fun but not easy for hiking.
Here's me, Claire and Preston with Iran behind us.
Also, apparently today was the deadline to get my paperwork taken care of to be in the country. So I am officially an illegal immigrant! Cool!
I'm glad you had a great birthday!! We missed you here!
ReplyDeleteThis is Mom on Dad's computer, again. :)
ReplyDeleteThe waterfall is breathtakingly beautiful!
Glad you had an awesome B-day. We thought of you.