The Mean Streets

The IZ, formally known as the Green Zone, is pretty peaceful compared to other parts of Baghdad. Today we decided to go through the nasty parts of the city to find some excitement. It’s thrilling because of the tons of traffic and the numbers of people. It’s also parts of Baghdad we don’t get to see every day. We came up with excuses to take the scenic route. Either I primary route was full of IEDs, closed, or taking small arms fire. Traffic was everywhere and a lot of the roads were blocked with cars. For some reason, there are no traffic lights over here. The city is full of traffic circles with Iraqi Police directing traffic.

Was I scared? Maybe just a little. It’s a big change from the countryside we usually operate in. I guess it’s because there was so much more to look at. There was so much more to see. Baghdad is like a lot of cities in Mexico. A lot of store fronts with low quality products. Sheep hang skinned from outdoor meat markets. Sidewalks are crowded with pedestrians shopping or browsing.