Printer-friendly VersionBy Qassim Khidhir
The Kurdish Globe
Anne Bourne, 83, arrived in Kurdistan on a prearranged tour to embark on a new chapter of her adventures inspired by her love of Alexander the Great. "I will go all the places in the world where Alexander the Great had been." Bourne explained.
"I have travelled 110 countries," Bourne told the Globe when she was met in Erbil city, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan region.
Bourne's fascination with travelling to places Alexander had passed on his own epic journeys began with the death of her husband 33 years ago. She began retracing Alexander's foot steps with tours throughout European countries.
"When my husband died, I had a very difficult time, that's why I started to travel."
Bourne described her trip to Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, in 2003 immediately after the overthrow of the Taliban regime. She explained that there were not a lot of things to see in Kabul because everything had been destroyed in the country.
"The Afghani people were very nice, but they looked very sad, you could see sadness very easily in their faces."
She then went on to describe her many trips to African countries where she fell in love with wildlife and her trip to China where she saw the Forbidden City and the Tibetan people.
The reason of her visit to Kurdistan region was again inspired by Alexander the Great. Alexander passed through Chawjamila village in Iraqi Kurdistan region when he led his force at the defeat of the Persian army under the command of King Darius III. Alexander, while only 25 years old at the time, duly declared himself as the «King of Asia».
Recently, the Greek government had announced intentions to build a statue of Alexander in Chawjamila village as a token initiative to enhance Iraqi-Greek diplomatic relations.
Bourne explained that her journey to the Kurdistan Region through the Habour Gate, the border cross between Turkey and Kurdistan, was reminiscent of her trip to Libya.
When she arrived in Zakho, an ancient town north west of Duhok, she was surrounded by students from Baghdad University keen to take pictures with her. The students from Baghdad University were in Zakho for a picnic at the time.
"The scene reminded me of Libya, once I was in Libya, I was standing on a street, suddenly a bus stopped and students came out of the bus, they took many photos with me, and the students told me that they are from Baghdad."
She was surprised by the Kurdistan region, referring to the abundance of things to see in the region, in particular the archaeological and historical sites, as well as the people.
"The people of Kurdistan are very kind; everyone here wants to talk to foreigners."
Bourne was not reluctant to visit Kurdistan as security was not of concern to her at all, "what the newspapers and TVs say about Iraq, car bombs and killing every day, it is not what it looks like, Iraqi Kurdistan is very safe."
Another experienced and keen adventurer, Marian Leadbitti, 75, has until now seen nearly 100 countries, accompanied by her husband throughout her journeys.
Leadbitti noted the benefit of travelling with travel agencies when you become old, because the travel agency will take care of everything, bags, hotels and the local guides, all the aspect for a worry free tour.
She said she had never even heard of Kurdistan, "When I was told that we are going to Kurdistan, I asked where Kurdistan is? Now I see the Kurds are a big nation without state".
She expressed her wish to see everywhere in the world, except United States and Canada, "I don't see any reason to visit these two countries."
Bourne and Leadbitti and five other tourists, all from Australia, visited the Kurdistan region 10 days ago, as part of a tour organized by "The Other Iraq Tour" company based in Erbil. Upon completion of their trip, they had seen most of the archaeological and historical sites in the region as well as ancient cities like Amadi and Koya.