Middle East - Anthony Ham [198]
Sleeping
There are lots of budget choices in the bazaar, particularly near the roundabout that intersects Kawa, Malawi, Goran and Piramerd Sts. Many modern hotels are located along Salim St.
Chrakan Hotel ( 312 6991; Slemani St; s/d ID30,000/35,000; ) A fantastic budget choice in a convenient location. The large, clean rooms all have a fridge, TV and air-con. Street-front rooms have balconies but can get a bit noisy. There’s also a small bar and restaurant on the premises. Super owner Omar speaks English, Kurdish, Arabic, Swedish, Turkish and Hebrew!
Malawi Hotel ( 312 0147; cnr Malawi & Kawa Sts; r ID30,000; ) This ageing but clean hotel is located in the heart of the bazaar. The surprisingly quiet rooms have TV, air-con and Western toilets.
Ashti Hotel ( in the UK 704 312 0435; ashtihotel@hotmail.com; cnr Salim & 15th Sts; r ID107,000; ) This ugly, dated and overpriced hotel is the most popular upscale hotel in town. It has a nice bar and restaurant.
Eating
Many new and modern restaurants are located on Salim St. The bazaar is the place to go for cheap grub. There is also a small strip mall of pizza and kebab shops near the corner of Salim and 21st Sts that is popular in the evenings.
Mihrako Supermarket ( 210 1414; www.mihrako.com; Salim St below Mihrako Hotel; 9am-9pm) Stock up on provisions at this giant grocery store that has hundreds of products from around the world. The real attraction is its French bakery, the first in Sulaymaniyah.
Zewe Cafeteria ( 0770 153 6949; Salim St next to Slemani Museum; mains ID3000-8000; 9am-10pm) Zewe is a popular lunch spot with traditional Iraqi and Kurdish dishes. The lamb quzi is fan-fracking-tastic! The upstairs is a desert and coffee shop.
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THE AMERICANIZATION OF MC-KURDISTAN CéSAR SORIANO
‘Yo, man! You like 50 Cent?’ I turned in my tracks and did a double take at the grinning little boy wearing blue Levi’s jeans. I wasn’t sure which was more shocking – the fact that this Iraqi Kurdish kid on a street corner in Dohuk could speak English, or that he knew the music of American rapper 50 Cent. Since the 2003 US invasion, Iraqi Kurds have become obsessed with Americana. It’s so prevalent that some parts of Kurdistan look more like Kentucky. There’s no KFC in Iraqi Kurdistan yet, but ‘Kan Tacky Fried Chikin’ (sic) is a popular item on many restaurant menus. And Sulaymaniyah doesn’t have a McDonald’s, but it does have a MaDonal.
Across Iraqi Kurdistan, billboards advertise such products as Microsoft, Motorola, Tide laundry detergent and a FedEx knock-off service called PelePost. In 2008 Erbil opened the first Coca Cola plant in Iraq. Need a car? The Kurdish capital has the country’s first Chevrolet auto dealership; just look for the bright yellow, US$60,000 Hummer H2 parked out front. Competitor Ford has dealerships here and in Sulaymaniyah. Considering college in Kurdistan? Wealthy young Iraqis are flocking to enrol at the new American University of Iraq in Sulaymaniyah, where tuition to the private university costs US$10,000 per year. Ready to settle down? The American Village in Kanzad, 15km north of Erbil, is modelled after an upscale American suburb, complete with American-like prices – US$585,000 for the top-end ‘palace’ model.
During my travels, I constantly looked for places to get away from this American invasion of Iraq. So in Erbil, I trekked up a narrow stairwell to reach the citadel, home of one of the oldest civilisations in the world. As I’m walking up, something on the retaining wall catches my eye. There, spray-painted in English, a bit of graffiti slaps me back to the reality of the new Iraq: ‘I LOVE 50 CENT’.
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Zatu ( 158