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Drove thru downtown Baghdad

Posted on 22. Mar, 2008 by HollyBethMann in time you risked your life

Below is my true story (actual journal entry) of the stupidest and most dangerous thing I’ve ever done in my life. I was working as a civil contractor in Iraq (at Baghdad Airport) 6 months after the war started.

I was 21 years old (and looked like I was 16). My best friend (co-worker, who was a spunky Iraqi girl) and I decided to venture out with our company car when our bosses were away in Dubai. I don’t know why I did it, but a part of me always wondered what it was really like in the normal everyday Iraqi places. I’ve been to the military bases and I know what that is like but I wanted to experience the “real” Iraqi experience first hand. I think my crazy idea came from a book I read years earlier when I was 14. I read the book “Black Like Me,” about a white man who decided to change his skin color and live in the deep south to see and truly experience life in a whole other way. My experience lasted less than 2 hours (and thank God this was before all the kidnappings had started in Iraq).

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6 January 2004 – Holly Beth Mann

My Venture Out

My heart was racing and my hands were shaking. I fumbled to put on my scarf while trying to maintain control over the vehicle. Nuha grabbed the steering wheel as I frantically tied the leopard-print scarf around my head. I pulled the dirt-covered Pajero to the side of the road, as Nuha reassured me that I would be ok. She asked me if I wanted to turn back and I said no. I told her I’d feel better if I wasn’t driving, but she didn’t have her license or any driving experience. So, I asked her if she knew the way to the shop and she said she did. I asked her again, making sure there was no way we could possibly get lost. She told me not to worry, and off we went.
The entire ride there, we both thought about every possible scenario and what we would do if something happened; if the car broke down, if we were in an accident and most importantly, if anyone saw us driving out there. We would be in such a world of trouble if anyone knew what we were doing. My boss just hopped a flight to Bahrain for some meetings, so I thought this was an opportune time to do this.
It was a miracle I didn’t get in a car wreck. None of the traffic lights worked because there’s no electricity in Baghdad and everything is run by generators. All I could hear were the sounds of car horns, honking constantly, coming from every direction. I felt panicky and uncomfortable driving. My face felt hot as my nervousness escalated. Nuha kept telling me to stop worrying. I told her that I was so worried because I had a good friend who was killed while driving through Baghdad.
10 minutes later we arrived at the first shop. When I stepped out of the car and walked into the store, I felt so terrified, I stopped breathing and my face became flushed. Nuha spoke to me in Arabic and I just smiled and nodded. I didn’t understand what she was saying and I couldn’t say anything in English.
We left the store to go to another shop. Nuha was friends with the owner, so when we entered the store they began to talk to one another. I stood to the side, praying he wouldn’t say something to me. She then began to whisper something to him. He looked at me and smiled. She told him the secret. She told him I’m American. He offered me a soda and I shook my head no. Nuha told him “No thank you,” from me and he insisted again and I accepted. He invited us to lunch also and offered me a free shirt from his store. Nuha told him I appreciated it. In the end I bought a nice blouse for $20 dollars.
We decided to return to the airport before people became suspicious of us. We had been gone for 1 ½ hours. Nuha and I were so proud of ourselves for what we pulled off. We made it! We laughed and joked about how crazy we were. It was amazing to see the city and the people. I hope someday it will be safe enough for me to venture out without such fear. Inshalla.

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Tags: baghdad, dangerous, dumb, risk