Thursday, April 28, 2011

On the lighter side-Travel- Iraq-4

It is really sad that in a country awash with oil, there is still not enough electricity to guarantee its population uninterrupted supply. But I saw that people in Najaf were not complaining, maybe they are use it by now or just because they are near a holy shrine that they tend not to complain but I have noticed that even away from the shrine there is not much complaining going on. Entering the shrine again you have to go through various check point since there is still the real possibility of violence terrorists attack. But overall it was peaceful with shops nearby selling variety of stuff and numerous small hotels (which can be called Inn, motel, lodge etc) lining the area leading to and surrounding the golden dome holy shrine.The mornings in Najaf were cold enough like here in New York that you need to wear your jacket but as the day progresses it becomes hot but bearable. The only thing you have to do is to drink lots of water to remain hydrated since it is dry hot weather.

We had the opportunity to do some shopping and it was rather cheap as compared to Syria or Turkey. The other thing that I saw that made me thinking that apart from the obvious Arabic and English spoken and understood, you can also find people like the shopkeepers and guards speaking Persian. Persian is not only understood somewhat but Iranian currency is widely accepted. You can see huge number of Iranian pilgrims in the Najaf area since they can be spotted easily with their language and loud voices.

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