Taken for a ride

While most fret about ISIS and suicide bombers, a taxi ride is a far greater concern. Kurds are not usually aggressive drivers like the Lebanese and the Egyptians, but they are daydreamy and careless, generally preferring to drive in the middle of the road, straddling two lanes. Keeping right is not a popular option.

The quickest, easiest and cheapest way to travel between cities is by shared taxi. You just arrive at the 'garagy', find a taxi going to your destination and then wait for it to fill up (the front seat is a bit more expensive). Then you say Hamadallah (Praise God) and you are off.

Apparently the maximum speed level is 100 kph but my taxi hit 170 kph and this is no motorway. The roads are not bad, but not great either. Of course we had to have music as we speed along and at one stage doing 160 kph, the driver singing away takes his hands completely off the wheel so he can clap time to the music and execute some dance moves.

Oh and the taxi's tyres were bald too....

Hamadallah indeed.