5AM I arrived and spent an hour obtaining a visa on arrival. Initially, I had planned to join a friendly individual I met at the gate in Amman. However, recalling my past experiences in Afghanistan, I decided against it due to potential risks.
7:30AM I left the airport amidst a throng of taxi hagglers. Opting for a shared taxi, I paid 10,000 IQD to reach the main taxi car park. There, a persistent driver insisted on taking me to Babylon for 30 USD, even temporarily holding my luggage ‘hostage’ in his car. After he found other customers, I escaped to a nearby restaurant. Another driver persistently followed me, but I managed to elude him and hired a young employee from the restaurant to drive me for the same fare. We checked Bayee Parking for a bus to Babylon, priced at 9,000 IQD. Before departing, I exchanged 100 USD for local currency at a rate of 1,520 IQD per USD. We then proceeded to Alawi Garage, from where I took a shared cab to Hillah for 10,000 IQD.
10:30AM The taxi driver dropped me off far from my intended destination and demanded an additional 10,000 IQD, which I refused. Unable to find a sim card for ride-sharing apps, I hired an older driver for 4,000 IQD to take me.
11AM I explored the reconstruction of Babylon. The site director, eager to make some money, showed me Saddam Hussein's palace and the remnants of the Tower of Babylon. After touring the palace and taking a quick glimpse at Nebuchadnezzar's Summer Palace, I was dropped off at the intersection around 3PM.
4PM I arrived at Karbala. I spent two hours visiting the Holy Shrine Of Imam Hossain and Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas, which was impressively ornate and involved mild security checks.
6PM I headed back to the intersection and caught a bus to Najaf, enduring a long and cold journey with frequent stops and open windows.
8PM I was in Najaf searching for food and accommodation near the Imam. I enjoyed delicious kebabs for just 2,000 IQD on the food street and found a hotel for around 20,000 IQD. After declining a hotel without hot water, I settled into another with questionable water and a malfunctioning AC. However, they installed a heater in my room, and after adjusting the shower settings, it became hot. I slept at midnight.
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