A Taxi Ride for My Life

One of my favorite things to do here is to take taxi rides to Hawler, the big city about an hour away. Taking a taxi, is like the thrill of gambling, the excitement and risk of it all, keeps you coming back. (that’s a weird analogy cause actually I’ve never gambled…) but anyway, I go to the “garagi Hawler” and walk up to the shouts of “Hawler, Hawler, Hawler” and “Rayna, Rayna, Rayna” the names of cities nearby… as if shouting will draw me from one city to another destination… “Huh, I did want to go to Rayna today.” So for 5,000 Iraqi Dinar ($4) and a 20 minute wait or so until the car fills up with other passengers, you get make it from one city to the next all over Iraq. Again, it’s like taxi lotto with what your taxi vehicle will be like--- cause you’re either going to get a really nice new Toyota Corolla taxi with AC and nice coushy seats… or a totally busted junkerville jillopy that you are wandering how in the world a car like this is still running and how a taxi driver this old can still see. It’s dicey… you just never know which one you will get, and you can’t choose. This is one system that you can’t mess with. So two days ago I went to Hawler to see my friends the Rays. I was lucky, I got a good taxi! And I had to seat, even more lucky. Seating in the front seat is usually considered somewhat shameful for girls, but that was the only way it would work because the alternative, sitting next to a man, was worse. Our thighs might touch! They asked me to move to the front seat. Sure! I don’t care. Little did I know that by moving to the front, I was saving myself a lap of throw up from the 2 year old little buddy in the back seat. So our old taxi driver says ‘Yullah’ and we’re off on the road to Hawler. Now, I personally find these old men taxi drivers very safe…. They must have done this drive over 1,000 times in their many years as a driver. So they zip, and fly, and pass like crazy!! (You think Texans pass a lot, hah! They’ve got nothing on the Iraqi free for all roads). But again, I also feel safe with them, and enjoy their gestures and honks and groans at car who are driving so slow. Cause you usually get a mix of scared drivers and beat up cars, flocks of sheep, tankers and trucks driving too slow, caravans of politicians in Land Cruisers, teenagers in BMW’s, shepherd dogs, donkeys, flying chip bags. But anyway, it’s just a fun ride. I enjoyed myself in the hand of such a capable old Iraqi man and took in the unbelievable scenery of Iraq. This particular ride was just giggling the whole time, and when we were arriving in the city, I heard him asking all the passengers where they were going (in Kurdish) and I was ready to tell him where I wanted to go, and Baba Taxi driver turns to me and says “Where are you going, Madame”. I was shocked! ‘Englizi dezani?!’ (you know English?) I said. “Wullah, kum”. He said (by god, a little).

So that was definitely the long version of my taxi experience. But I had a WONDERFUL weekend hanging out with my sweet friend Dawn and her boys. Love her! I wanted to get some time with her and ask her all my questions, gleaning from her wisdom and experience and lifestyle of FAITH and hearing God. And we of course, shopped and found some hot new restaurants in Hawler… including an Italian restaurant, I know… get out!

We found some fountains, too.

Dawn gave me such a sweet personal gift, which I’ll always keep, and we had fun! Thank you Rays!!