The "surge" may come to mind first, but there is more happening in Iraq than sectarian violence. Adventure-seekers finally have easy access to the war-torn country. Civilian flights routinely arrive at Baghdad International Airport, and hotels offer accommodations. If the ruins of Babylon or the waters of the Euphrates were on your list, you now have the chance to make the journey. Obviously, though, caution is advised.

According to several former civilian contractors stationed in Iraq, the airport itself is safe. One contractor, Chris Meehan, remembers that, "initially, [the airport] was stripped clean of all fixtures (sinks, pipes, wires, etc.) by locals," but it improved each time he went through. If all you want is an Iraqi passport stamp for display at dinner parties, a round trip from Amman, Jordan on Royal Jordanian Airlines is all you need. For a while, it was possible to fly on Baghdad Air, but former independent contractor Howard Cornell remembers that it "was unsafe at any altitude."

Once outside the airport, it is possible to find a hotel. Cornell offers Hotel Baghdad and al Rasheed as polar opposites. Both welcome foreign guests, but the latter will look more familiar. Despite having "unrepaired mortar and rocket holes in the façade," Cornell says there was "serious art in the outdoor fountains and on the walls of the restaurants."

Hotel Baghdad, conversely, was okay for "reporters for civilians with a pistol under the pillow," according to Cornell. "The Baghdad hotel was rough, although it had security and most of the amenities," Cornell explains, "by 'rough' I mean 'camping out' rough." Baghdad has several other hotels, and Cornell advises: "good food, decent whiskey, bring your own water."

When you have summered in St. Tropez, planted your winter boots on the icy tundra of Antarctica and felt the tug of an opening parachute, mere excitement is not enough to deliver a genuine adrenaline rush. You will stand out in a crowd, and doing so does make you a target. Hiring the services of an armed guard is recommended, though this sometimes is little more than a taxi driver with an AK-47. When conventional thrills have become mundane, touring a combat zone is all that's left. Just keep in mind that travelers don't get to call "time out."

Photos courtesy of: Brian Sayler

Tom Johansmeyer

7/7/08