10AM I woke and checked out of the hotel. My first destination was the old bridge, and from there, I wandered through the labyrinthine streets of the ancient city. What met my eyes was a scene of desolation and ruin, mirroring the grim images that had been broadcast on CNN.
12PM I found the wall painting. I then walked to Bashtabya Castle, which was closed just like everything else. I took a picture from the left of it on top of a building still under construction.
2PM I grabbed a taxi from the hospital to the Mosul car park. The fare for the taxi ride to Erbil was 10,000 IQD. Along the journey, I encountered yet another series of checkpoints, where my foreign status prompted repeated stops, a recurring feature of my travels.
4PM Upon reaching Erbil, a fellow passenger kindly directed me to the city center. Unfortunately, the Citadel, as advertised, was closed for repairs.
5PM I walked on a half-circuit around the Citadel and then made my way to Kebab Rania for dinner. here, I had a chicken and lamb kebab. Following my meal, I secured accommodation at a nearby hotel for a reasonable rate of 2,000 IQD.
6PM I went back to stroll around the citadel one more time. I grabbed a pistachio cake and shared it with a homeless woman and her baby. I hung around the main square until 8PM or so.
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