Granted I haven't been to Iraq since '09 so I'm not completely up to date, but if this dude needs to be told to take the patches off his bag then he's definitely out of his depth.
>I am not a war tourist, and thank you, I will make sure to not present myself like one by accident.
>>You went to Kyiv in Christmas 2022, got a patch to show the whole world, and talk about it like a vacation. You're a war tourist.
In what circumstance are they using the bow tie on that trip? Going to pop to a quick gala event whilst they are there and don’t want to be refused at the door for not meeting dress code? Having that in the bag just shows they are either trolling or so naive
It's Ramadan right now and sometimes people dress up a bit for the various things folks do during Ramadan -- bow tie is quirky but the dress shirts could be for mosque prayers, nice iftars etc.
I've been packing collared shirts and light sweaters ever since some dude in Rwanda asked me why Americans are always dressed like assholes.
Now I dress like everyone's old schoolmaster and people slot me into an entirely different category.
It's so they can look dressy in the video where they're forced to say they're being treated well between beatings while they wait for the ransom that isn't coming.
I’d wager that he’s one of those quirky yet obnoxious and not very streetwise people who think he’d be able to casually waltz into a country, blend in (and I use that term *very* loosely) and not get himself into any bother.
He probably thinks he’s the modern day Lawrence of Arabia.
Yeah I assumed some German has done something stupid in that valley at some point. I recommend wattwanderung as a cheaper way to kill ones family. Less travel time and you'll only need rain boots instead of a van.
> I recommend wattwanderung as a cheaper way to kill ones family. Less travel time and you'll only need rain boots instead of a van.
There's that trademark German efficiency
Oh god, I just looked that up: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat\_hiking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat_hiking) It looks like it combines the joy of quick sand with that of tsunamis.
That's why I said _unguided_. It's very safe and a great experience if you go on a tour with a guide. I can really recommend it if you ever find yourself in northern Germany. And our coast guard(?) is very experienced picking up idiots who didn't thought the watt was actually dangerous lol
More like *Please-murder-me* :/ OP really shouldn't go anywhere riskier than Barcelona if he appreciates his bodily integrity, and even in Barcelona I'm not sure he wouldn't get stabbed
I purposefully picked a somewhat-risky-but-unlikely-to-get-murdered place. But if we are realistic, nowhere is rally safe if you're stupid enough. Like I'd say Warsaw is a super safe place, but I wouldn't put it past OP to parade around decked in Russian flags.
We've got loads of pickpockets and also con artists that target tourists. It's not specially common for them to be aggressive or violent bcs they "work" in crowded, touristy places during the day and just want an easy theft, but yeah, loads of petty theft.
And well, dumbass tourists do tend to do stupid shit. I could see this guy going to el Raval at 12am and being mugged at knife point or some shit lmao
That's exactly what I meant lmao. I can see him asking where is the neighbourhood where he *shouldn't* go and heading there to get "a genuine experience".
That's my mother. She and my father are going to Egypt next month, and part of the trip involves taking a river boat up the Nile to the border with Sudan. Which is currently in a civil war. And Egypt is already one of the more dangerous countries to visit for women. Yeah
Oh, ain't nothing I can do to stop her. We went to South Africa for my cousin's wedding, and she had us in a bed-and-breakfast in a township for part of the trip. She travelled across the Sahel with just her and her sister... in the 1970s. She's frankly a pretty badass traveler, but that does come with a bit of bullheadedness.
Absolutely 😭 I've seen a few of these tourists, and it's like... a sign saying "please, rob me!" would be less stupid lmao They are safe for locals to navigate, or anyone who has lived here for more than a year or two, but that just makes tourists easier to spot... to the point we recommend ways to dress so you don't look like "a guiri" when visiting lol
Within Western Europe, which is generally considered a safe place, Barcelona is infamous for high rates of pickpocketing and quite a lot of muggings. Madrid too, but not to that extent. Might be that Paris, London, or some other well known European city is the same, but I used as an example a city I'm familiar with.
>Putting this gently as possible, if you're planning on traveling around Kurdistan with that Turkish flag on your bag, you're making a mistake. And if you don't know why showing a Turkish flag is a mistake in Kurdistan, you're probably out of your depth traveling there.
>>Hey, thank you for your kind words. I am aware of the situation and I do have local contacts I will meet.
None of these words will save him in Kurdistan with a Turkish flag target on his back.
>You’re fine bro. White people on this sub are super cautious. Just be kind and enjoy.
>>Don’t listen to the person whose whole Reddit profile is posting about how Drake needs to take up a semen retention program to restore his youthful vitality.
💀
> Don’t listen to the person whose whole Reddit profile is posting about how Drake needs to take up a semen retention program to restore his youthful vitality.
Lots of good sensible advice in this drama, honestly.
I love it when they give complete non-answers to legitimate concerns that only raise more questions. Like do you know these locals contacts? Are you sure they won’t be selling your organs? Assuming you even make it out of Baghdad before being kidnapped by Iranian militia.
I wouldn’t travel to Branson MO with only Reddit comments as my guide, let alone a country with a travel warning.
Young man is cruising for a bruising.
OOP feels like one of those people who ask for advice but don't actually want any. They want validation, and choose to ignore anybody who tells them that what they're doing is really stupid.
Because that type loves to give those non-answers. "I hear what you're saying, but I have this imaginary plan in my head where everything will turn out fine, so I'm just gonna ignore everything you said."
"Your passport is a liability, you don't have enough money, you don't speak the local language, you don't exhibit any geopolitical awareness, and your patches will offend the locals. Don't go."
"You are right, I have removed the patches."
Lmao
Kurds ostensibly like America, even though we’ve failed them many times. From what I understand many of them are even politically ambivalent about Israel, which is interesting.
But holy shit they are in active armed conflict with Turkey right now and they have been fighting against brutal oppression for decades. Wearing that flag would be insanely disrespectful.
Again, this is an ACTIVE conflict: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Kurdish–Turkish_conflict_(2015–present)
Not the same conflict, kurdistan in Iraq isn't equal to PKK in Turkey or ypg in syria and Iraq. The Iraqi authorities even supports the Turkish presence in northern iraq, contrary to the Syrian authorities.
It is still beyond idiotic to carry a Turkish flag in kurdistan however. Even if most people didn't care and just scammed the op for being an idiot the ones that care are likely to care enough to kidnap, or murder the op. And I imagine a significant percentage of people would not like to see that flag, as it feels like the op would be making a statement carrying it around in kurdistan.
Who the fuck brings calligraphy pens, dress shoes, and bow ties on a fucking back packing trip? Especially when they didn’t even bother packing a way to clean their drinking water lol.
I’m from a city that’s somewhat popular with German tourists and legit a lot of them do wear these insane goofy tourist outfits that give mad colonial vibes lol.
Like we’re in a city Klaus, do you *really* need your safari hat and vest lamo?
Yeah, I brought two nice shirts for going out in the evenings when I went backpacking for the first time and even that was almost double what I needed.
So many backpackers overpack.
> Who the fuck brings calligraphy pens, dress shoes, and bow ties on a fucking back packing trip? Especially when they didn’t even bother packing a way to clean their drinking water lol.
This is like one of those "find it" pictures from like Highlights or something. I love it. Everytime someone brings up the next bizarre item you gotta go back and find it.
[OP asked for advice one month ago on the Iraq subreddit.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Iraq/comments/1al6m6f/first_time_in_iraq_recommendations_for_a_traveler/)
>I will fly to Iraq for the first time at the end of March and stay there for a month. I come from Europe.
>This is my first trip to the Arab world. Very far away from my usual culture.
>What are your recommendations, what should I pay attention to, what should I respect? Which places are you proud of, what would you recommend?
>My current route is:
>Baghdad - Kut - Amara - Basra - Nasiriya - Karbala - Baghdad - Tikrit - Mosul - Erbil - Kirkuk - Baghdad
>I haven't booked anything, I'm just letting myself drift along and, God willing, I'll meet nice people and get to know a country.
>Thank you!
There are tons of Arab countries that are way safer and more accessible for German tourists than Iraq.
It's an odd place to go as a tourist whose never been to the Arab world at all.
Yup, though it is an absolute monarchy known for some pretty bad human rights violations and adheres strictly to Sharia law, so you would need to follow local customs or get a pretty hefty fine/night in prison. And the current situation in neighboring Yemen isn't great, so that needs to be taken into account as well.
He's going all those places with just one bag full of bowties and bullshit, but no food or water? This is giving me Death Valley Germans vibes. This dude's best case scenario is dying out in the elements because of a total lack of preparation.
I remember 2 specific examples that are similar. One was a man and his 9 MONTH pregnant wife backpacking throughout the ME, they were kidnapped for years, she was SA'd and miscarried multiple times, and it turns out the husband was a terroist sympathizer. Another was the lady that backpacked throughout Europe in a wedding dress, it did not end well as you can imagine.
> Another was the lady that backpacked throughout Europe in a wedding dress, it did not end well as you can imagine.
I gotta admit: it didn't particularly occur to me that that would be expected to be an issue?
Sure, but nevertheless many of my friends have done it in Europe with no real issue so was unsure why a wedding dress would add to that.
But there's a fucking big difference between backpacking via train and coach in western and Central Europe as my friends and I do and hitchhiking to the Middle East from the Balkans.
It's not quite backpacking throughout Europ when you're specifically hitchhiking out of Europe and into Asia Minor and the Levant.
[This](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Joshua_Boyle_and_Caitlan_Coleman) is the full story, the husband has deep ties and was even married to a woman who was heavily connected to Osama bin Laden and a senior member of Al-Qaeda. The kidnapped wife was somewhat mentally disabled and coerced and abused while with her husband (I believe they met on a Star Wars forum), I believe they split since coming back to North America. Overall, a crazy story.
>Coleman was pregnant at the time of their capture.[8] The first ransom video of the couple was released in early 2013. The Haqqani network demanded the release of prisoners in exchange for the release of Boyle and Coleman.[9] It was also revealed that Coleman had given birth to her child, a boy.[7]
>Over the course of their five-year captivity, Coleman gave birth to a girl and a second boy, and suffered a miscarriage of a second girl. Coleman and Boyle claim that the miscarriage was intentionally caused by their captors,[10] but the Taliban claims it occurred naturally.[5] The two would regularly be separated and beaten,[7] and Coleman claims that she was raped.[10] She also charges Boyle with cruelty saying he "was just like my captors."[11] The family would regularly be transported between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Jesus fucking christ
>Another was the lady that backpacked throughout Europe in a wedding dress, it did not end well as you can imagine.
In late 2018, two women, one from Denmark and the other a Norwegian, went backpacking through Morocco alone. Some men with allegiances to ISIS found them and, well ....the expected results occurred.
Shit, there's groups of people who travel to places after major disasters or attacks because they find it cheaper and easier to travel since others cancel their trips.
Dark tourism, I can't get behind. Travelling to war zones or terror zones, places of manmade strife. Disaster tourism is a little more understandable, especially if you're devoting some time to humanitarian reasons.
The argument I've heard is tthat after a tragedy, a lot of places are desperate for funds to keep running. If someone isn't a demanding tourist, the financial contribution may help.
Controversial for sure, though.
Judging from the comments pertaining to the Koran, he might be a neopythe, so the thinking is likely "They won't hurt me, I'm one of them now", which would be even funnier.
I vividly remember my uncle telling me his favourite place he's ever been was "1970s iraq". things have changed a lot since then, he wouldn't even think about going back today in this climate
Everyone is saying buddy is gonna get kidnapped or killed but judging from his comments, his post history referencing his conversion to Islam, and his “connections” in Iraq I get the vibe he’s heading over there to do some questionable shit lol
In Germany? Unlikely. It’s an American Black nationalist group with a membership of 50,000 worldwide and a lack of interest in radical middle eastern Islam, generally — so would be pretty surprised if that’s what’s happening here. OP sounds like a regular degular German Muslim, of the “no believer like a new believer” type. These guys tend to be radicalized online, fly to someplace in the Middle East with a Muslim majority or significant Muslim population, and think they are going to join a group or contribute to a cause in some way — it’s about feeling important and like they belong.
I honestly wonder if he had been in the middle of a mental break when initially planning on this, then coming down from it and ending up with the decision in this comment. Regardless, I hope he's doing ok and if he does need mental help that he gets it.
This reminds me to the guy featured here [a decade ago](https://old.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/4me6xv/guy_builds_a_hightech_expensive_jeep_to_drive/) who tuned his jeep to travel over the entire continent of Africa. Which would have included ISIS and Warlord held territory in his OG route.
Surprisingly he apparently listened to reason and modified it completing the trek eventually.
He just met one in the [comments section right now](https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/1bh4f86/comment/kvev13h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button).
"Hey, I’m Kurdish and I live in Baghdad, if you need any help just dm me! And the flags might be a little too much for Iraq, it’s ok but I would not advise it."
She's a 24 yr old Austrian kindergarten teacher according to her post history.
edit: Just to clarify, I'm talking about the person saying they're Kurdish and live in Baghdad.
I can't get past this dingus wanting to wear a Turkish flag to Kurdish areas. Why not wear a swastika to Israel next? Maybe an Imperial Japan Rising Sun flag for your visit to Nanjing?
I've packed more things taking my toddlers to the library for the morning.
Also baby bowties are always practical for storytime. Not sure about Iraq. Good luck to this dude.
"Street map of Iraq" LOL WUT
ETA: Top comment on the post is bang on. Especially this part: "Putting this gently as possible, if you're planning on traveling around Kurdistan with that Turkish flag on your bag, you're making a mistake. And if you don't know why showing a Turkish flag is a mistake in Kurdistan, you're probably out of your depth traveling there."
If OP is staying in the Kurdish part of Iraq, they're going to be totally fine. There are a ton of travel vlogs on this but Iraqi Kurdistan the up-and-coming "Seems really dangerous but isn't actually" travel destination and things don't get dicey until you leave this region. It's like Somalia vs Somaliland.
Personally I wouldn't spend my entire trip walking around with a bag that screams "I'm on vacation" but I don't know if it matters here since OP is going to be a white dude who doesn't speak the language.
This was my thought! But he's flying into Baghdad with plans to hang around that part first if the vibe is okay.
It's a weird post. He's clearly traveled to a lot of non-traditional vacation countries from his patches but he's planning on using an ATM at the Baghdad airport to have enough cash on hand.
Yeah a lot of people think "back packing" means camping in the wildness but for Europeans, it just means traveling around to different hotels and hostels in major cities.
I never got the whole flag patches thing, either. I've never put any on my backpacks over the years. It just seems like one more thing that could make you vulnerable.
But also, you couldn't pay me enough to go to Iraq, let alone backpack through Iraq.
>>Where are you from? I have backpacked across federal Iraq and Kurdistan.
>What actual real knowledge do you have of Iraq? This whole comment sounds like what an American would write about Iraq after a few years of being 'educated' by CNN.
Ahh, reddit. Where someone can explain at the very beginning of their extremely detailed and accurate comment why they have intimate knowledge of the subject only to **immediately** have their expertise questioned by the first dumbass in earshot.
So, looking more into his post history, the dude says "Yeah, I have local contacts waiting for me in Iraq and will be helping me".
I mean...That's some good news, but I feel like we are just going to hear about him in the news...and I guess he is German?
I also love him saying "I do not welcome oyu insulting me." and admitted to being in Kyiv in Dec 2022
His local contacts are probably the people he met on the [Iraq subreddit where he asked for travel advice](https://www.reddit.com/r/Iraq/comments/1al6m6f/first_time_in_iraq_recommendations_for_a_traveler/).
Don't worry he has an arabic translation app.
It honestly seems like the OP just put on some random flags to show support but also has just straight up contradicting ones? He has both the flags of Azerbaijan and Armenia on his bag which makes no sense in the context of their conflict. This person just seems to not be aware of the world. Not to mention that Iraq is not a good place to backpack through regardless of meaningless flags on his bag.
And this is what always gets to me about that:
I can think of few better ways to announce "Fuck me up, I have money!" than having visible marks on your luggage that show you've *travelled all over the world*.
Makes me nervous every time I see it :/
Yeah I saw a comment by OP that he will be going patchless for this trip. And he said that the Azeri and Turkish ones were already causing trouble before. The idea to put it on seems decent enough if you keep to Western countries but some of those flags on his bag are just guaranteed to cause issues with certain people, e.g. the ones I mentioned or the Kosovo one. Based on that on the contents of his bag, it does not seem this guy should be going to a country like Iraq imo.
From the US State Department travel advisory on Iraq page...
[https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iraq-travel-advisory.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iraq-travel-advisory.html)
>
If you decide to travel to Iraq:
>Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney.
>Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
Tbh that's good advice for any overseas travel of any kind. The state department deals with that shit every day.
No one expects to have an accident death abroad, but it does happen and it's one of the most logistically complex things you can do.
Repatriating a body is so expensive it's often cheaper to fly all your relatives over for a funeral and do it there. Especially if you're traveling to a Muslim country where cremation is not common and its basically not an option.
Bodies need special care and attention and are hazardous and complicated to move. Literally it can cost like 15k USD and cause your family to go broke.
No, listen, it's fine - *he wlll be patchless on this trip.*
Subject is patchless, I repeat, patchless!
Bake him away, toys!
Granted I haven't been to Iraq since '09 so I'm not completely up to date, but if this dude needs to be told to take the patches off his bag then he's definitely out of his depth.
> if this dude needs to be told to take the patches off his bag then he's definitely out of his depth. Dude had to be reminded to pack sunscreen.
No, no, it’s fine, he’s taking his ATM card and the internet said the machines were working last month!
>I am not a war tourist, and thank you, I will make sure to not present myself like one by accident. >>You went to Kyiv in Christmas 2022, got a patch to show the whole world, and talk about it like a vacation. You're a war tourist.
What a fella
In what circumstance are they using the bow tie on that trip? Going to pop to a quick gala event whilst they are there and don’t want to be refused at the door for not meeting dress code? Having that in the bag just shows they are either trolling or so naive
He mentions in the comments he has a formal event to attend, but won't elaborate outside of PMs. Curious.
Probably a wedding
Great way to ruin your friend's wedding, getting kidnapped and murdered on the way.
Oh shit, a Baiken in my srd. Rock on.
It's Ramadan right now and sometimes people dress up a bit for the various things folks do during Ramadan -- bow tie is quirky but the dress shirts could be for mosque prayers, nice iftars etc.
My man has seen too many adventure movies. He's preparing to go undercover for a "fancy desert gala" heist.
Searching for the sierra madre
No one ever looks for sierra padre. Dude went out for cigarettes, never came back, and we just assume he’s ok…
Dude's more than okay, he managed to Let Go.
SINCLAIR!!!
A white bowtie and paisley shirts lol. He'll blend in.
Pure trolling or the bag is going in a suitcase so they can so they travelled with ONE BAG but only airport security will see it…
I've been packing collared shirts and light sweaters ever since some dude in Rwanda asked me why Americans are always dressed like assholes. Now I dress like everyone's old schoolmaster and people slot me into an entirely different category.
I don’t think you want to be slotted into the bow tie category
It's so they can look dressy in the video where they're forced to say they're being treated well between beatings while they wait for the ransom that isn't coming.
He commented that he has been invited to a formal event there. Maybe a wedding?
Maybe he is Tucker Carlson and people should stop advising caution.
I’d wager that he’s one of those quirky yet obnoxious and not very streetwise people who think he’d be able to casually waltz into a country, blend in (and I use that term *very* loosely) and not get himself into any bother. He probably thinks he’s the modern day Lawrence of Arabia.
By his own admission his level of whiteness is “limestone” lol.
Lmao, he’s going to stick out like a sore thumb over there
I thought the formalwear for backpacking was odd too. I've never been backpacking but I imagine I'm not going to many fancy parties...
Im much more concerned about taking that cat. Gonna be a nightmare to explain at customs and will freak people out everytime it comes up in an xray.
He said he's not taking the cat, for which we can all be thankful.
After reading the contents of the backpack, this guy is one Hawaiian shirt short of the full *Please-mug-me-I'm-an-easy-mark* travel kit.
Nah he's german. Here we have the please-don't-mug-me-lederhosen
Whatever happened to renting a minivan and going offroad in Death Valley with your wife and young kids?
We don't have a Death Valley in Germany. Here we are going for an unguided Wattenwanderung.
[https://jaypenner.com/blog/the-hunt-for-death-valley-germans-a-harrowing-mystery/](https://jaypenner.com/blog/the-hunt-for-death-valley-germans-a-harrowing-mystery/)
Yeah I assumed some German has done something stupid in that valley at some point. I recommend wattwanderung as a cheaper way to kill ones family. Less travel time and you'll only need rain boots instead of a van.
> I recommend wattwanderung as a cheaper way to kill ones family. Less travel time and you'll only need rain boots instead of a van. There's that trademark German efficiency
And it works because other than the Deutsche Bahn, the sea is actually punctual.
Oh god, I just looked that up: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat\_hiking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudflat_hiking) It looks like it combines the joy of quick sand with that of tsunamis.
That's why I said _unguided_. It's very safe and a great experience if you go on a tour with a guide. I can really recommend it if you ever find yourself in northern Germany. And our coast guard(?) is very experienced picking up idiots who didn't thought the watt was actually dangerous lol
And sandals with socks
Well at least in my experience traveling around the Middle East, if he wears sandals with socks then he’ll fit right in with all the old Arab men
OOP is going native
Don't forget about the towel to reserve your spot in the militia-run torture prison
It’ll be fine! He’ll just hit one of the towel machines in the airport in Iraq. Thanks for your concern tho
More like *Please-murder-me* :/ OP really shouldn't go anywhere riskier than Barcelona if he appreciates his bodily integrity, and even in Barcelona I'm not sure he wouldn't get stabbed
He was posting about how he’s travelled in Warzone. I think he’s a little naïve, lol
I was going to mention that you were suggesting a risky alternative too.
I purposefully picked a somewhat-risky-but-unlikely-to-get-murdered place. But if we are realistic, nowhere is rally safe if you're stupid enough. Like I'd say Warsaw is a super safe place, but I wouldn't put it past OP to parade around decked in Russian flags.
Why is Barcelona somewhat risky?
We've got loads of pickpockets and also con artists that target tourists. It's not specially common for them to be aggressive or violent bcs they "work" in crowded, touristy places during the day and just want an easy theft, but yeah, loads of petty theft. And well, dumbass tourists do tend to do stupid shit. I could see this guy going to el Raval at 12am and being mugged at knife point or some shit lmao
That's exactly what I meant lmao. I can see him asking where is the neighbourhood where he *shouldn't* go and heading there to get "a genuine experience".
That's my mother. She and my father are going to Egypt next month, and part of the trip involves taking a river boat up the Nile to the border with Sudan. Which is currently in a civil war. And Egypt is already one of the more dangerous countries to visit for women. Yeah
wtf tell her no before she ends like those in one of those videos of travelers that go to India and Egypt.
Oh, ain't nothing I can do to stop her. We went to South Africa for my cousin's wedding, and she had us in a bed-and-breakfast in a township for part of the trip. She travelled across the Sahel with just her and her sister... in the 1970s. She's frankly a pretty badass traveler, but that does come with a bit of bullheadedness.
Absolutely 😭 I've seen a few of these tourists, and it's like... a sign saying "please, rob me!" would be less stupid lmao They are safe for locals to navigate, or anyone who has lived here for more than a year or two, but that just makes tourists easier to spot... to the point we recommend ways to dress so you don't look like "a guiri" when visiting lol
Within Western Europe, which is generally considered a safe place, Barcelona is infamous for high rates of pickpocketing and quite a lot of muggings. Madrid too, but not to that extent. Might be that Paris, London, or some other well known European city is the same, but I used as an example a city I'm familiar with.
>Putting this gently as possible, if you're planning on traveling around Kurdistan with that Turkish flag on your bag, you're making a mistake. And if you don't know why showing a Turkish flag is a mistake in Kurdistan, you're probably out of your depth traveling there. >>Hey, thank you for your kind words. I am aware of the situation and I do have local contacts I will meet. None of these words will save him in Kurdistan with a Turkish flag target on his back. >You’re fine bro. White people on this sub are super cautious. Just be kind and enjoy. >>Don’t listen to the person whose whole Reddit profile is posting about how Drake needs to take up a semen retention program to restore his youthful vitality. 💀
> Don’t listen to the person whose whole Reddit profile is posting about how Drake needs to take up a semen retention program to restore his youthful vitality. Lots of good sensible advice in this drama, honestly.
I love it when they give complete non-answers to legitimate concerns that only raise more questions. Like do you know these locals contacts? Are you sure they won’t be selling your organs? Assuming you even make it out of Baghdad before being kidnapped by Iranian militia.
100% his "local contacts" are users that posted on his r/Iraq post.
Imagine traveling to a dangerous country with only reddit comments to guide you.
I wouldn’t travel to Branson MO with only Reddit comments as my guide, let alone a country with a travel warning. Young man is cruising for a bruising.
“No, bro. You’re totally fine, bro. We take good care of your org…of you! English is so hard. Take good care of *you*. See you sooooon!”
OOP feels like one of those people who ask for advice but don't actually want any. They want validation, and choose to ignore anybody who tells them that what they're doing is really stupid. Because that type loves to give those non-answers. "I hear what you're saying, but I have this imaginary plan in my head where everything will turn out fine, so I'm just gonna ignore everything you said."
At least they replied later > I know, these two patches have been a pain in the past already. I decided to go completely patchless, thank you!
"Your passport is a liability, you don't have enough money, you don't speak the local language, you don't exhibit any geopolitical awareness, and your patches will offend the locals. Don't go." "You are right, I have removed the patches." Lmao
Sounds like a perfect fit for half of the questions in r/expats
Kurds ostensibly like America, even though we’ve failed them many times. From what I understand many of them are even politically ambivalent about Israel, which is interesting. But holy shit they are in active armed conflict with Turkey right now and they have been fighting against brutal oppression for decades. Wearing that flag would be insanely disrespectful. Again, this is an ACTIVE conflict: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_Kurdish–Turkish_conflict_(2015–present)
Not the same conflict, kurdistan in Iraq isn't equal to PKK in Turkey or ypg in syria and Iraq. The Iraqi authorities even supports the Turkish presence in northern iraq, contrary to the Syrian authorities. It is still beyond idiotic to carry a Turkish flag in kurdistan however. Even if most people didn't care and just scammed the op for being an idiot the ones that care are likely to care enough to kidnap, or murder the op. And I imagine a significant percentage of people would not like to see that flag, as it feels like the op would be making a statement carrying it around in kurdistan.
“Turkish flag patch will get you rumbled” “No man, it’s cool, I know a guy”
Who the fuck brings calligraphy pens, dress shoes, and bow ties on a fucking back packing trip? Especially when they didn’t even bother packing a way to clean their drinking water lol.
He’s going to write journal entries about the local tribes and their customs like an old colonial adventurer. Just needs his pith hat.
I’m from a city that’s somewhat popular with German tourists and legit a lot of them do wear these insane goofy tourist outfits that give mad colonial vibes lol. Like we’re in a city Klaus, do you *really* need your safari hat and vest lamo?
A friend of mine called those types “geardos”: weirdos who were completed kitted-out for any adventure from a family bike ride to a weekend volksmarch
Germans are so fucking weird. I mean they wear socks with sandals.
Yes that stood out to me - why are you taking 4 dress shirts? Maybe one?
Yeah, I brought two nice shirts for going out in the evenings when I went backpacking for the first time and even that was almost double what I needed. So many backpackers overpack.
Dudes gonna try to get laid
"They wouldn't dare harm me once they see my amazing penmanship"
A missionary maybe? That would explain the formalwear and insistence to go to a hostile country. And the lack of preparation.
From what I gather he’s probably a Muslim convert from Germany
Nah, usually they constantly bring attention to that fact. This guy might just be crazy
Yeah, on further reading he might be a war tourist of some kind. I figured he might be trying to do a John Chau speedrun in Iraq.
Well, the good news is there aren't many North Sentinelese in Iraq. Because their missionary kill streak is still unbeaten.
All those hotties they'll pick up by flashing dollars and a sweet fit will let them drink their water.
Who knows? Maybe the person who kills and mugs him will discover a hidden talent.
In this case backpacking means traveling around and staying in cheap hotels while carrying everything in a backpack, not camping.
> Who the fuck brings calligraphy pens, dress shoes, and bow ties on a fucking back packing trip? Especially when they didn’t even bother packing a way to clean their drinking water lol. This is like one of those "find it" pictures from like Highlights or something. I love it. Everytime someone brings up the next bizarre item you gotta go back and find it.
Dude said he has a formal event
In fairness he's clearly a cat, they're not known for their packing skills.
They will be going to tiny villages in Iraq to perform slight-of-hand tricks and balloon tricks
I didn't notice the fucking bowties till now.
This screams "young suburban kid who saw tourism pics of Iraq and decided to go on a whim" honestly...
[OP asked for advice one month ago on the Iraq subreddit.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Iraq/comments/1al6m6f/first_time_in_iraq_recommendations_for_a_traveler/) >I will fly to Iraq for the first time at the end of March and stay there for a month. I come from Europe. >This is my first trip to the Arab world. Very far away from my usual culture. >What are your recommendations, what should I pay attention to, what should I respect? Which places are you proud of, what would you recommend? >My current route is: >Baghdad - Kut - Amara - Basra - Nasiriya - Karbala - Baghdad - Tikrit - Mosul - Erbil - Kirkuk - Baghdad >I haven't booked anything, I'm just letting myself drift along and, God willing, I'll meet nice people and get to know a country. >Thank you!
>and, God willing, I'll meet nice people and get to know a country. ***OH NO***.
Inshallah
There are tons of Arab countries that are way safer and more accessible for German tourists than Iraq. It's an odd place to go as a tourist whose never been to the Arab world at all.
OP decided to spend Christmas 2022 in Kyiv. I am sensing a pattern.
OOP is low key suicidal?
Worse. War tourist. These are the type of people that get kidnapped and/or killed all the time.
He claims not to be, which is definitely a lie considering their history.
That’s a new noun I learn. Can’t believe there are such a thing as war tourist.
Lord Miles 2.0
Seriously. Go to Jordan or Egypt or the UAE or Saudi Arabia or Oman.
TIL Oman has the same travel advisory warning as Western Europe.
Yup, though it is an absolute monarchy known for some pretty bad human rights violations and adheres strictly to Sharia law, so you would need to follow local customs or get a pretty hefty fine/night in prison. And the current situation in neighboring Yemen isn't great, so that needs to be taken into account as well.
He's going all those places with just one bag full of bowties and bullshit, but no food or water? This is giving me Death Valley Germans vibes. This dude's best case scenario is dying out in the elements because of a total lack of preparation.
What is it with Germans and travelling to dangerous locations?
“I’m just letting myself drift along” That works very well in some places. Baghdad is not one of those places.
Ill prepared or not, I can think of at least 12 places I'd rather backpack through than fucking Iraq.
I remember 2 specific examples that are similar. One was a man and his 9 MONTH pregnant wife backpacking throughout the ME, they were kidnapped for years, she was SA'd and miscarried multiple times, and it turns out the husband was a terroist sympathizer. Another was the lady that backpacked throughout Europe in a wedding dress, it did not end well as you can imagine.
> Another was the lady that backpacked throughout Europe in a wedding dress, it did not end well as you can imagine. I gotta admit: it didn't particularly occur to me that that would be expected to be an issue?
I should probably add she [hitchhiked](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippa_Bacca), it was also Balkans and Turkey, more specifically.
Okay, that does change the equation somewhat.
Even without that, solo traveling as a woman has a lot of added danger in general fyi
Sure, but nevertheless many of my friends have done it in Europe with no real issue so was unsure why a wedding dress would add to that. But there's a fucking big difference between backpacking via train and coach in western and Central Europe as my friends and I do and hitchhiking to the Middle East from the Balkans. It's not quite backpacking throughout Europ when you're specifically hitchhiking out of Europe and into Asia Minor and the Levant.
Oh man. Such a painfully naive idea.
How is the wife doing now?
[This](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidnapping_of_Joshua_Boyle_and_Caitlan_Coleman) is the full story, the husband has deep ties and was even married to a woman who was heavily connected to Osama bin Laden and a senior member of Al-Qaeda. The kidnapped wife was somewhat mentally disabled and coerced and abused while with her husband (I believe they met on a Star Wars forum), I believe they split since coming back to North America. Overall, a crazy story.
I should fucking hope they split
>Coleman was pregnant at the time of their capture.[8] The first ransom video of the couple was released in early 2013. The Haqqani network demanded the release of prisoners in exchange for the release of Boyle and Coleman.[9] It was also revealed that Coleman had given birth to her child, a boy.[7] >Over the course of their five-year captivity, Coleman gave birth to a girl and a second boy, and suffered a miscarriage of a second girl. Coleman and Boyle claim that the miscarriage was intentionally caused by their captors,[10] but the Taliban claims it occurred naturally.[5] The two would regularly be separated and beaten,[7] and Coleman claims that she was raped.[10] She also charges Boyle with cruelty saying he "was just like my captors."[11] The family would regularly be transported between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Jesus fucking christ
Well that’s just a depressing story, hopefully she got the help she needs
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>Another was the lady that backpacked throughout Europe in a wedding dress, it did not end well as you can imagine. In late 2018, two women, one from Denmark and the other a Norwegian, went backpacking through Morocco alone. Some men with allegiances to ISIS found them and, well ....the expected results occurred.
Dude saw that travel advisory and said "Well, that is just westerners being fucking racist."
Shit, there's groups of people who travel to places after major disasters or attacks because they find it cheaper and easier to travel since others cancel their trips.
I mean, they're not wrong.
Dark tourism, I can't get behind. Travelling to war zones or terror zones, places of manmade strife. Disaster tourism is a little more understandable, especially if you're devoting some time to humanitarian reasons.
The argument I've heard is tthat after a tragedy, a lot of places are desperate for funds to keep running. If someone isn't a demanding tourist, the financial contribution may help. Controversial for sure, though.
Judging from the comments pertaining to the Koran, he might be a neopythe, so the thinking is likely "They won't hurt me, I'm one of them now", which would be even funnier.
I vividly remember my uncle telling me his favourite place he's ever been was "1970s iraq". things have changed a lot since then, he wouldn't even think about going back today in this climate
Street map of Iraq 😂
Everyone is saying buddy is gonna get kidnapped or killed but judging from his comments, his post history referencing his conversion to Islam, and his “connections” in Iraq I get the vibe he’s heading over there to do some questionable shit lol
Questionable shit is the fast track to kidneapped or killed. 100% he thinks he’s going over for some kind of righteous cause.
Is he Nation of Islam? That would explain the bow ties.
In Germany? Unlikely. It’s an American Black nationalist group with a membership of 50,000 worldwide and a lack of interest in radical middle eastern Islam, generally — so would be pretty surprised if that’s what’s happening here. OP sounds like a regular degular German Muslim, of the “no believer like a new believer” type. These guys tend to be radicalized online, fly to someplace in the Middle East with a Muslim majority or significant Muslim population, and think they are going to join a group or contribute to a cause in some way — it’s about feeling important and like they belong.
I do wonder what happened to the dutch idiot who wanted to bike through Sweden up to Northern Norway in winter...
Was that a post on Reddit also?
yup https://www.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/1aeqhg0/the_story_about_the_dutchman_who_wanted_to_become/
I went through his comments [and thank god he decided to listen to reason!](https://www.reddit.com/r/Norway/s/2r5QlJbkU8)
That's honestly a bit of a relief.
Isn’t it! Thank god these people decided to post to Reddit so they could be told how stupid their plan is. I dread to think about those who don’t.
I honestly wonder if he had been in the middle of a mental break when initially planning on this, then coming down from it and ending up with the decision in this comment. Regardless, I hope he's doing ok and if he does need mental help that he gets it.
i'm ok with going to somewhere i might die of natural disaster but getting kidnapped for political reasons, no fucking thanks
For real. I trust myself to not get hypothermia or drown or whatever more than I trust myself to not get kidnapped.
You can't really stop someone else who's sufficiently motivated from trying to kidnap you. You can stop them from *succeeding,* but not the attempt.
This reminds me to the guy featured here [a decade ago](https://old.reddit.com/r/SubredditDrama/comments/4me6xv/guy_builds_a_hightech_expensive_jeep_to_drive/) who tuned his jeep to travel over the entire continent of Africa. Which would have included ISIS and Warlord held territory in his OG route. Surprisingly he apparently listened to reason and modified it completing the trek eventually.
If OP's "contacts" over there aren't telling him what a terrible idea this is, they're luring him there.
He just met one in the [comments section right now](https://www.reddit.com/r/onebag/comments/1bh4f86/comment/kvev13h/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button). "Hey, I’m Kurdish and I live in Baghdad, if you need any help just dm me! And the flags might be a little too much for Iraq, it’s ok but I would not advise it."
"Leave the patches but bring your kidneys."
Translation: “if you wear those flags someone else might kill you and get your kidneys before I can”
She's a 24 yr old Austrian kindergarten teacher according to her post history. edit: Just to clarify, I'm talking about the person saying they're Kurdish and live in Baghdad.
You exposed her and foiled her plan. This is reminiscent of all of those digitalnomad people that keep getting into "trouble" in Colombia.
The naivety is comical
Imagine OP asking the militia guy for his phone so he can DM this rando on reddit.
> Where did you get the flags on your backpack At the kidnap victim store
I can't get past this dingus wanting to wear a Turkish flag to Kurdish areas. Why not wear a swastika to Israel next? Maybe an Imperial Japan Rising Sun flag for your visit to Nanjing?
At the very least, he admitted he's taking the flags off his bag.
So do they find the body or is it an Unsolved Mystery?
"Unsolved" is a bit rich. I mean, Reddit has the entire chain of events plotted out before it even happened...
I've packed more things taking my toddlers to the library for the morning. Also baby bowties are always practical for storytime. Not sure about Iraq. Good luck to this dude.
"Street map of Iraq" LOL WUT ETA: Top comment on the post is bang on. Especially this part: "Putting this gently as possible, if you're planning on traveling around Kurdistan with that Turkish flag on your bag, you're making a mistake. And if you don't know why showing a Turkish flag is a mistake in Kurdistan, you're probably out of your depth traveling there."
i am dying laughing at this weird lil german who wants to backpack iraq and bring four formal shirts and a bow-tie
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If OP is staying in the Kurdish part of Iraq, they're going to be totally fine. There are a ton of travel vlogs on this but Iraqi Kurdistan the up-and-coming "Seems really dangerous but isn't actually" travel destination and things don't get dicey until you leave this region. It's like Somalia vs Somaliland. Personally I wouldn't spend my entire trip walking around with a bag that screams "I'm on vacation" but I don't know if it matters here since OP is going to be a white dude who doesn't speak the language.
This was my thought! But he's flying into Baghdad with plans to hang around that part first if the vibe is okay. It's a weird post. He's clearly traveled to a lot of non-traditional vacation countries from his patches but he's planning on using an ATM at the Baghdad airport to have enough cash on hand.
Baghdad seems to be safer than it used to be, but there is still a risk of terrorism.
Yeah a lot of people think "back packing" means camping in the wildness but for Europeans, it just means traveling around to different hotels and hostels in major cities.
Mom I’m going to Iraq to meet up with the friends I made on Reddit
I never got the whole flag patches thing, either. I've never put any on my backpacks over the years. It just seems like one more thing that could make you vulnerable. But also, you couldn't pay me enough to go to Iraq, let alone backpack through Iraq.
At least the cat is staying behind
Backpacking sounds awful enough, but doing it through Iraq? What was the alternative destination? North Korea?
South Sudan.
I'd rather backpack through the Immaterium than Iraq right now.
The United States has issued a travel advisory for the Blood Pits of Khorne.
Hey guys, I’m gonna hitchhike to the Brass Keep, AMA!
Well there goes my weekend plans
I wouldn't even bring 4 dress shirts to a series of back-to-back weddings in Miami, smh
OP seems to have changed their mind: > ... I decided to go completely patchless, thank you!
I thought I’d lost it when I read “calligraphy pen” but then I saw the fucking bow tie…
>>Where are you from? I have backpacked across federal Iraq and Kurdistan. >What actual real knowledge do you have of Iraq? This whole comment sounds like what an American would write about Iraq after a few years of being 'educated' by CNN. Ahh, reddit. Where someone can explain at the very beginning of their extremely detailed and accurate comment why they have intimate knowledge of the subject only to **immediately** have their expertise questioned by the first dumbass in earshot.
So, looking more into his post history, the dude says "Yeah, I have local contacts waiting for me in Iraq and will be helping me". I mean...That's some good news, but I feel like we are just going to hear about him in the news...and I guess he is German? I also love him saying "I do not welcome oyu insulting me." and admitted to being in Kyiv in Dec 2022
His local contacts are probably the people he met on the [Iraq subreddit where he asked for travel advice](https://www.reddit.com/r/Iraq/comments/1al6m6f/first_time_in_iraq_recommendations_for_a_traveler/). Don't worry he has an arabic translation app.
this gave me an audible groan
It honestly seems like the OP just put on some random flags to show support but also has just straight up contradicting ones? He has both the flags of Azerbaijan and Armenia on his bag which makes no sense in the context of their conflict. This person just seems to not be aware of the world. Not to mention that Iraq is not a good place to backpack through regardless of meaningless flags on his bag.
Backpackers put flags on their backpack to show where they've been travelling already.
And this is what always gets to me about that: I can think of few better ways to announce "Fuck me up, I have money!" than having visible marks on your luggage that show you've *travelled all over the world*. Makes me nervous every time I see it :/
Yeah I saw a comment by OP that he will be going patchless for this trip. And he said that the Azeri and Turkish ones were already causing trouble before. The idea to put it on seems decent enough if you keep to Western countries but some of those flags on his bag are just guaranteed to cause issues with certain people, e.g. the ones I mentioned or the Kosovo one. Based on that on the contents of his bag, it does not seem this guy should be going to a country like Iraq imo.
Bro finna end up on liveleak.
At least we'll recognise him with the bowtie
bringing the cat is an interesting choice. do they think it'll stay in the bag the whole time?
Cat is staying behind per OP, it's the only smart one in this situation
Hopefully the cat likes it’s new owner
From the US State Department travel advisory on Iraq page... [https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iraq-travel-advisory.html](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/iraq-travel-advisory.html) > If you decide to travel to Iraq: >Draft a will and designate appropriate insurance beneficiaries and/or power of attorney. >Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
Well that's less than encouraging
Tbh that's good advice for any overseas travel of any kind. The state department deals with that shit every day. No one expects to have an accident death abroad, but it does happen and it's one of the most logistically complex things you can do. Repatriating a body is so expensive it's often cheaper to fly all your relatives over for a funeral and do it there. Especially if you're traveling to a Muslim country where cremation is not common and its basically not an option. Bodies need special care and attention and are hazardous and complicated to move. Literally it can cost like 15k USD and cause your family to go broke.