The Great Valley

            Any child born in the 80s or 90s should know the story of The Great Valley.  The Land Before Time was a classic movie that captivated us with the story of young dinosaurs trying to find the only oasis left in a world crumbling around them.  Yesterday was like a scene from the climax of the movie when they finally reach The Great Valley. 

            Aza, Samuel, Sherzad and myself left Duhok around 1pm to head towards the Barzan area of Kurdistan.  It is about two hours away, yet the ride somehow feels far shorter than the one to Erbil.  Perhaps it was the company, or maybe it was just the excitement of going somewhere new.  Either way, the views are quite breathtaking. 

            What made the experience more memorable was the information we were given along the way.  Evidently we were headed to PKK territory.  This group is officially labeled a terrorist organization by the US government, yet they are a Kurdish group who primarily dwells in the mountains and fights the Turkish government.  They want the same thing many Kurds want, independence, but they go about it in a more forceful way.  While currently controlled by the PKK, this very road used to be the final point that any citizen could reach during the Iran-Iraq war.  Going any further was asking for trouble.  At the end of the war, Saddam retaliated against Kurdish opposition by using chemical weapons in this same area.  Thousands of Barzani tribesmen were killed, and the after effects of the chemical weapons resonated for years.  There are still areas in which vegetation will not grow, and for some time large swaths of the landscape were died purple from the chemicals. 

            The car ride was a moving history lesson which I was eating up.  Hearing all of this naturally gave me a sense of excitement.  The river running parallel to the road laid at the bottom of massive rock formations and the faces of cliffs.  The water was cold, fast moving, and fairly clean.  There were no outward signs of industrial pollution; however, the people in this area are quite irresponsible when it comes to trash disposal.  They still view the Earth as an object for their use rather than something that we need to preserve.  Such a beautiful area, yet it is littered with trash.  It is thrown with such disregard, and it honestly makes me want to throw them into the water since they swim like rocks. 

I was told that the bridge that was quite near to where we were swimming, about 100 meters, was bombed by the Turkish Air Force, and subsequently rebuilt, just a few months ago.  There were a few families there sitting under a canopy, so I wasn’t particularly worried.  The current was quite strong in the water which made for some enjoyable swimming.  Where the stream met the river provided a nice location with slightly warmer water to enjoy a natural massage.  I’m very glad we took this trip and got to see another part of Kurdistan.  There is a great deal of places like this in the area, but it is shame because nobody is assigned to take care of them.  Trash is found all over the place, infrastructure is old, and the only tourists are from a few miles away.  Perhaps it is better left as a hidden gem, but at least take care of it for your own sake.  Look at how amazing it is!!!