Good morning, guys from our second full day here in Erbil, Kurdistan, and today is
a huge day because Yad, Uptin and I have our man Govind up here; who is a
Kurdistani native. Right, you're from the Erbil area?
Ankawa neighbor.
Ankawa neighbor. Especially this neighbor live in the Christian people.
Oh, okay. Sweet, sweet.
Yeah, very interesting. Govind is actually gonna be taking us around for the
entire day today all around. We're gonna be outside of Erbil. Yeah.
Yeah, outside of Erbil Rawanduz and waterfall,
Geli Ali Beg waterfall, Khanzad castle. So, you guys heard it. That's going
to be a jam-packed day. So much we're gonna be doing and seeing today
and we're picking up. We’ve got Uptin here.
He almost fell off the curb on his way in.
What’s up, guys? Alright, I gotta stop and get a red
bull, guys, because
We'll see- we’ll see. Well, I’m going to try out my Kurdish here.
Yeah, here we go. So, we're gonna see if we can find a red bull right over here, and
we're not seeing—Oh, we got a big monster up here that's gotta do-- That’s gonna
do the trick.
Beyanî baş (Kurdish Good Morning) bro, how are we doing? Just gotta get a monster. How much is it?
This is 2000, and this is 2500. Thank you. (Speaking in foreign language)
It’s a good thing they came in. I had no idea how many
dinars that's gonna be.
Alright well, I’m not a huge energy drink person,
but when the time is right, gotta get a monster going, get us flow, and get
the vlogging voice ready to go for the day. Here we go.
We’re back.
Kurdish dance in Badini accent also they say it Govind.
Can you do the dance? Yeah, you'll have to teach us later.
Yeah. Yeah. So, how far away is the first place we're going?
First place, we go to the Khanzad Castle. It's near close to Erbil around
25, 20 minutes. Perfect. Yeah, after we go
to the Geli Ali Beg Waterfall it’s around one hour driving. Okay, perfect. After we go to
the Hamilton road; Yeah, this road. I will explain all for
you; when Yad come back. Perfect. Yeah, after to Rawandus. It's town between two
canyons. Originally I’m from there.
Nice, that’s sounds beautiful. That’s when we needed the drone. Yeah,
but here there is the problem for drone. Yeah.
Everyone who have a drone; he need a-- Permit.
Yeah, for government and sometimes it's very difficult to getting this
permission. Yeah, we tried to get it yesterday because Yad they took
his drone. The government took it at the airport. Really?
Yeah, so we were trying to get it back, and we're hoping to get
it back in four days.
There it is guys that is the castle we're heading to right at the top of this
little hill, and we're pulling in. Is it free to get in?
Yeah. Perfect.
Look at the dirt road leading us right up there. Yeah,
Beyanî baş (Kurdish Good Morning) neighbors.
Oh, little ducks. Beyanî baş (Kurdish Good Morning) ducks.
We’ve got chickens here; Beyanî baş (Kurdish Good Morning) chickens,
right next to the castle. Alright, we are walking up on the
castle right now, got a steep little incline to run up here.
It’s a nice temperature today too. It's got a light breeze out. I would say it's
probably 30 Celsius out so very very enjoyable, and it's called the Banaman
Castle. Beyanî baş (Kurdish Good Morning) Banaman castle. I keep repeating Bonibashi because that's
how I like learn to speak like some of the words in other languages. I just say
them so many times. So hopefully, that doesn't annoy you guys too much.
Alright so, as we're walking up the stairs here; Govind's gonna explain some of
the history of this place. Yeah, this Khanzad Castle building in 1818
Oh, wow.
1800 So, it had its one year anniversary
then. Yeah, like three years ago. Wow.
He building such as a gift for his wife. His wife;
she's named Khanzad, so this castle, yeah,
belong to her name. Yeah, and they lived in here
together around until 1843. Oh wow. Yeah, they had many generations of
family. Exactly yeah, and he's man;
he ruling in this area. All call it the Khanzad area. It's a very
touristical place for the Kurdish people. Wow, it's beautiful out here. Yeah,
nice views of the mountains, pretty modern village over here, that
mountain, that town; call it Masif Salahaddin.
Masif Salahaddin
Oh, wow. Masif Salahaddin
Yeah, I gotta work on my Kurdish pronunciation. Yeah.
This road is very new. One years ago, government opening there's the. Oh wow.
Yeah, we don't have to pass in the mountain. You can go right through it.
So, they carved a hole in the mountain over there.
There’s the tuner we passing the mountain. We don't cross the--
Climb the mountain. Oh, okay. Alright, and we have made it to the top.
Doesn’t look like we can get in though. Looks like it's been around since about
1000. Yeah, it looks like they're closed today.
Hello, Beyanî baş (Kurdish Good Morning) Looks like it's almost like a jail
through that side; not a bad place to walk out on the
balcony though. Cruising around here; looking out into the views of the
mountains is definitely an enjoyable- enjoyable view out here
in Kurdistan.
It’s interesting the way these are set up. It almost looks like little compounds,
you know. Alright, we've got some visitors coming down. We've got some,
what are those, goats? Goats and sheep, You see him he heard me.
They’re like that doesn’t look like a normal goat or sheep, and then they look
up and see me. What a scary sight for them. We’ve got
some other tourists. Hello, Uptin saw the sheeps, so he went chasing for.
He loves getting up close. Yeah, look at Uptin.
Oh my god how can he get this. He saw them and he was gone in sixty seconds.
Govind, What’s going to be next on the agenda? Next stop, Geli Ali Beg Waterfall.
Yes, who's ready for some natural beauty? I know, I am.
One hour driving here; from Erbil to… One hour driving. Alright, we'll get a
nice, little road trip through the mountains. Yes, perfect. So, it's
a beautiful drive; like a lot of nice views. Exactly, nice view; very nice. That’ll be
great. You guys know what to look forward to then. We’re probably gonna see some--
We will show you the Hamilton road building in 1928.
Hamilton road. After his engineering-- New Zealand engineering.
He came to Iraq and his first engineering building the road from Erbil to Iranian
border to Hajj or Umrah. Iranian border. Yeah, so that's a huge project then. Yes,
that was very-- You can see in the mountain he created the
road by the simple tools.
Really? Yeah and he bring for the workers food and something.
They can barely get up there, and
we're picking them up, and they made it. It’s been a success Uptin's getting dusted.
How were the sheep? How was the interview?
He declined the interview. Yeah, he's not doing any
media this week but I was impressed how the sheep just
like went off, and he like took five minutes, and then catches up
with them. Yeah, how do they know where to go? Yeah, exactly they've got a GPS up there.
He seemed really bored of his job.
Was this the one in the interview with Uptin? I think so. Hello
Hello, hello Alright guys, back in the car on to the
next spot. (Speaking in foreign language) Okay, good news is; we actually have one
stop that's gonna break up between the waterfall, and now which is a one-hour
drive. We’re gonna be stopping over at Saddam's. What is it, guest house?
And, now we go to see that, this--
Perfect.
So, this right here; this is the highway that they recently built. Right,
Govind? That they carved into the mountain one years ago,
opening this road. Wow, we don't climb the--
No more climbing the mountain. So, this saves a lot of petrol. Yeah.
And here we go.
Alright, and we have just arrived over to the
tanks. They’re called the tanks. They’re
tanks; they're actual tanks.
There they are. There’s the Russian tanks;
look at these things
Salam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
Thank you. (Speaking in foreign language)
So, these are the tanks. We’ve got one tank,
got tank number two here.
Yeah, they definitely look like the Russian style.
Yep, they're real; That’s for sure.
There’s number three over here.
Salam Alaikum (Peace be upon you) Can I go inside?
Yeah, I can climb on it.
Perfect. Alright, we're getting on the tank.
They're slippery; they're very slippery.
Can we get in here? Nope.
Can’t get inside the tank, and we got the Kurdish flag right and high.
Alright so, I wonder why they're pointed this way.
They’re all pointed in this direction up at the mountain;
a little Gato. Oh, hello.
Hello little one,
you're watching over the tanks? A big bad kitten watching over the tanks.
Oh, you're vocal; You like belly rubs or no?
Oh, bit me.
See, this is why they recommend whenever you get shots in the USA, they say don't
pet animals in the wild because sometimes they bite
and that one bit me but no broken skin. So, I think we'll live another day.
So, in 1991 after Saddam losing the gulf war against
Kuwait; destroyed, and losing the power, and now
you see those tanks. Still, until then during that time
here to people see
how they Peshmerga stopping the Iraqi military, and
until that now. Even, that now the Iraqi military, Iraqi government; Saddam
losing power completely in the Kurdistan, and Peshmerga
getting a power on Kurdish people create a government;
a region for the Kurdish people. Very good, that's helpful. Thank you.
We got a little secret passageway down here. Govind's bringing us to the secret spots.
They’ve got this place very nicely decorated.
Oh here's the memorial over here,
and right there we are all Peshmargas as long as we live; we will liberate the
fatherland from vampires in here. Succeeded the Kurdistan’s will of
survival and resistance. In this vicinity, the resistance of Peshmerga stopped,
and crashed the full equipped invaders. At this present location, roared
peshmerga like thunder; Either Kurdistan or death. That’s good, so
we're cruising around here; gives a nice little wrap around. They have it nicely
decorated. At this memorial of everything that's gone down here.
It’s funny, this little kitten has been chasing us around the entire building.
I wish I would have brought some food to feed him because he looks pretty hungry
but no snacks for him. Hello. Hello!
So, how many years ago was it like being here as a foreigner?
Would it be dangerous? Never, after 1991
The situation is very good
for the foreigner, especially
2003 until 2008. There's just some problem because there is, in Iraq
civil war, and America attacking Iraq, and Saddam completely destroyed. There is
some supporter of the Saddam, they making a problem maybe but
after 2008, the situation it is very very good for the foreigner. Yeah wow, so after
2008 so really not that long ago. Still, like 13 years ago it was maybe a little
dangerous but you know interestingly enough coming from the United States you
wouldn't necessarily know that Kurdistan was even at that time as safe as it was.
So, it's quite interesting you know; being here and getting a firsthand
understanding of like how Iraq is actually, split into Kurdistan and Iraq.
Because honestly, before I arrived here actually, probably before I met Yad in
Dubai; I really didn't know that it was basically split into almost
two separate countries just the I think the United Nations doesn't recognize it
as two separate countries right so. And the most of the
foreign tourists from United States coming to the Kurdistan. Really, yeah.
Yeah, it's mostly tourists from the United States that are coming now. So
yeah, you know I honestly didn't know how many tourists had actually been
here because there's not that much content yet on YouTube, and so yes that's
why we have three vloggers here that are gonna be filling it up.
Welcome. Thank you bro. So guys, pretty crazy overall to be here, and that
is where we're going to go had an end this video we have more videos exploring
all around this area of Kurdistan coming up in the next one. So, make sure you look
out for tomorrow's video. We're going to be heading up to the waterfall which you
will not wanna miss out, and so much more on the tour. So, as always guys
thanks so much for watching, If you can smash that like button; it helps so much,
and if you hit that subscribe button, you'll see a lot more videos here in
Kurdistan, and all around the world!
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