Garden of Eden

Passing the border in Kuwait was not a big deal. But then we could walk to the border or paying for two cars. Mr Veerman gave him about 60 euro to drive us in 6 minutes to the Iraqi border. So that is a good business. There we where very happy to meet Mr. Marsoomi and Mr Hassan to help us with the Iraqi visas.  And still it takes us hours and one of the reasons was that al our visa need to be handwritten in each passport. So it is really a very special document now. After that we were driven in four cars with police guidance. Imaging you see a very important person driving along the road every body has to wait for these cars can pass. So it was with us yesterday and perhaps even more if you see the pictures. These pictures are in order of the day. The last one is a picture with Thomas the cameraman and the director Mr. Al-Haj – Abd Hussein Jabbar Alsaediof the Park of Eden where we are staying.

the last things

Almost ready to go and with this typethelastthings

of car we will cross the desert monday morning to the Iraqi

border. I read

about this road in the book – Zwemmen in

Bagdad-of the Dutch journalist Tom Kleijn.
Ahmed send us this picture with the last details for the travel.

Travel

On the 31 of October we will leave for Koeweit.

travel

Then we will travel by car to the Iraqi border. Where our

host will wait for us. They will bring us to Al-Mahara,

our working place.

Article by Nies Medema about the project in Exponto

 

we go

wego

The container with the pilothous  has already arrived in Al-Amarah. This house is with a peaked roof. Unfortunately the pilothouse were  already packed before this peaked roof was seen as a problem. At that time it was not possible anymore to change the construction.  I really wonder how this house will fit in the Iraqi landscape. As you see in the still (out of my movie -A day in Bagdad-) people like to sleep on the roof especially in the extreme hot summers.

Ahmed sends us this morning a kind of behaviour instructions for Kuwait and Iraq. Very important no alcohol drinks. For me I have no problem with it for some others a relief. As we have got the stamp to confirm our visa,  we go outside the airport and there hotel IBIS has send some limousines  to bring us to the hotel. The next morning we will leave for the Iraqi border where Mr. Marsoomi will wait for us with the visa. Now two days of packing and organizing everthing.

Visa Koeweit

visakoeweit
The visas for Kuwait have reached our email box. It appears that we are welcome in this country.

For the visa’s for Iraqi, we are still waiting. According to Ahmed that also will hopefully be solved before this Friday.  Perhaps I told this before that there is no possibility to get the visa direct to the embassy in The Hague. Only in Jordan, Syria and Turkey they will give them out directly to us.  So they will come either way, by email to The Hague or they will have them for us at the border with Kuwait and Iraq. Alexander The Great had no problems with visas on his way. Around 330BC he attack, defeated and became the hero of Babylon. Here is a map of his conquest of his rout in at that time in Persia.

 

Preparing ground

At this moment he Iraqis are busy with preparing the ground in Al-Mahara in the marshlands. Two pilothouses will be built also one house in Diwaniya. The opening of this project is on the 9 of November. So they have quiet a tide schedule.  After that the so-called Veerman group (8)is going home and the Verhoijsen group (4) stays to research on a more profound level the live in the marshlands. Dorinde de Tempe is also going home and she will write over her experiences, observations in this project in of the first 10 days. This place on the picture is really in the city of Al-mahara. We will stay in this city and make trips to the marshlands. An over night stay whish I would like is probably not so safe. Till now it is not sure of Ahmed Faraj leader of the whole group will stay with us.preparingground

 

preparation

This morning in my studio

preparation

Future

 

How will the future of the Mudhif look in Holland? I have a lot of ideas. But first I have to go there, collect a lot of material and after that I am imaging the Mudhif will a rise out of the earth on the water like a sphinx. Last week we have bought the tickets and now we wait on the visa for Iraq. The minister of foreign affairs of Iraqi was outside the country so we have to wait because he is the only person who is in charge of this. For 14 days from now we have spent our first day in Al-Mahara. The pictures as you see to day are from the building up from the Mudhif and also the inside of a Mudhif. The soldiers are here the guest of the Iraqis.

Inspirering

Thomas Bartels my cameraman send me this link. Perhaps a good idea when the Mudhif comes to Europe. Nice transport along the rivers of Europe. I will tell you more about it later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvn9l1pJ3

-A inspirering

Water Water

 

On this image you see the different periods’ of the Marshlands during the ages. And according to Mr. Marsoomi it still exists. Unfortunately the boat lying on dry land happens more and more  in these days. There was a incredible hot summer so also for that. They will pray for rain now. The rain period starts in November. Let me take some from here.

 

 

On this image you see the different periods’ of the Marshlands during the ages. And according to Mr. Marsoomi it still exists. Unfortunately the boat lying on dry land happens more and more  in these days. There was a incredible hot summer so also for that. They will pray for rain now. The rain period starts in November. Let me take some from here.

 

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