10OCT2007: IRAQI ARCHITECTURE, HORTICULTURE AND WILDLIFE!! OH MY!!

I'm starting a few new posts on here, there is a lot to write about and post pictures of all the great things to see in this country so you are gonna see it too! The architecture here is fantastic, very detail oriented. The Plants are beautiful and somewhat familiar too. And of course the same goes for the animals, many are common in our regions. Now insects, those can get interesting with the Camel spiders and the scorpions, have not seen any yet, maybe soon. Those combined with the buildings' stonework, archways and colums you never get tired of looking all around you. These grounds were once a resort spot and there are several large man-made lakes. Many of the buildings back up to the lake and there are even more that are built out across a bridge on the lake. All have staircases that lead into the water, likely for swimming purposes. There is an artificial lake, now called Victory Lake surrounding the palace that has a special breed of large bass dubbed the Saddam bass as well as large carp. They are huge, some possibly over 3 feet long and they are very acustomed to having people feed them, they swarm the shore when people are near. People feed them chex-mix from the DFAC, they even throw it about a foot up on shore and the fish jump out of the water to get it. It's amazing, I have not had my camera yet to get pictures of them doing it, but I will. Saddam also formerly used the palace for duck-hunting expeditions. So in this part of the blog I will be picking something and postiing pictures and some detailed information about it. Lets get started with the big one everyone talks about over here....and I do mean BIG ONE!

THE CAMEL SPIDER

Interestingly enough a camel spider is not a spider at all, it is actually a Solpugid. There are approximatly 900 species of them known to date. It is also commonly known as: Wind scorpion, Sun spider, Sand Spider and Sand puppies ( Puppy is not a name I would have come up with...not exactly cuddly). Camel Spider can get upwards of 6 inches long and can run at an amazing speed of 10 mph. They are nocturnal creatures and prefer to stay in their burrows during the day. If they are out during the day they seek out shadows, many people believe they chase humans when they are in fact using your shadow for shelter. Camel spiders typically feed on insects, scorpions, or lizards and often eat so much that they become bloated and can hardly move (much like I do!!). The camel spider is not dangerous and typically does not bite humans unless it is by accident or they feel threatened, they are harmless predators with strong jaws and no venom. On the left is a typical camel spider and on the right a picture actually showing 2 camelspiders attached to one another and held out in front of the soldier to make them look larger than they actually are.

AL FAW PALACE

So, I already got into the history and current occupants of Al Faw Palace, the headquarters for the Multinational Force Iraq (MNFI) along with the Joint Operations Center (JOC), which serves as 'Mission Control' for all operational aspects of Operation Iraqi Freedom. So now some pictures I took this week. These are mainly of the Foyer/Main Hall and the Exterior of the Entrance. Inside is decorated with almost every type of decorative stone imaginable, granite, marble etc, Large Chandaliers (The center is the 2nd largest in the world apparently) which I heard were actually cheaply made and all the glass/crystal pieces are made of plastic. I've also been told that much of the more intricate work and masonry is poorly done. Either way when you are here it looks stunning and very regal despite the former owner. So take a look and tell me what you think, there are also some pics of the Saddam Bass I mentioned in an earlier post, they are freakin huge! Oh yeah, and me on the Throne suckin in my fat gut!! Not that Throne, that's gross!! There is an inscription that says (in Arabic), "Victory is from God and soon we will retake Jerusalem." The actual Throne was a gift from Yassir Arafat and shows a Koran at the top open to a chapter entitled "The Isrealites".

THE CHALLENGE COIN

When I first came into country I noticed everyone had, traded or sought after "coins". I wasn't to sure what they were or what they meant. Then I was told we had a Station coin and after a little tutoring on the subject I came to know what a Challenge Coin actually is. Basically they are an unconventional coin bearing the logo of an organization. They are bought, sold, traded, awarded and are a very popular collectible over here. I assumed they had only been popular for maybe 10 or so years, but upon consulting Wickipedia I found they originated during World War I and have since become enormously popular worldwide. The workmanship varies but seems to be good at its worst, depending on the manufacturer. I will have some examples posted tonight.
Read about them here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenge_coin