Vacation in Iraq?

I think he's ready for his "vacation" to end...

As I've been camping out in Kuwait for a bit on business - and I have to say, I actually really like the place. And, the heat? To me, it's better than the summers I spent in Dallas, Texas (sorry Dallas). Seriously, it really is the proverbial dry heat and it's often quite breezy which makes it pretty bearable. Sure, I wouldn't want to be out in the middle of the day but it ain't horrible.

And, yes, the lack of booze sucks m-a-j-o-r but on the bright side, I'm healthier than ever... yeah!!

Anyway, I've been told that if I go about 2 hours by car from Kuwait City I can get to the Iraq border. And, if I had a car and more time I would totally go there - just for the photo opportunity alone. No, I wouldn't tell my mother...well, until I got back that is!

Iraq has some of the world's most notable archaeological sites and some of the holiest places in Islam. There's been a lot of damage over the years, but many places are under restoration and Hamood Massam al-Yakoubi, the head of the Iraqi Tourism Board (and one of the most thankless jobs I can think of in the world), is preparing for you to go visit them. Did you know that about 5,000 Europeans visited Iraq in the past year?

You can't get in without a visa. But as the "surge" appears to be increasing the stability of Iraq it appears those visa are getting easier to get:

Tourism officials insist that anyone, Muslim or non-Muslim, can apply for a visa at any Iraqi embassy. After a massive drop in business, hotels such as the Sheraton, the Palestine and the Babylon are being rebuilt and refurbished. And there are plenty of rooms available.

While I'm not ready to see Iraq beyond the border, click through the link below and read about what they are trying to do. I'm certainly pulling for them.

And Kuwait? I'm here for a few more days and will write about my trip later.

But I definitely recommend it!

Welcome to Iraq, the hot new holiday destination [Times Online]