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Iraq
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One of the reasons Kurdistan is safe at the moment is the huge amounts of Kurdish military checkpoints around the country. They're mostly looking out for Arab and Shia Iraqis entering the area, but they'll take an interest in foreign hitchers for sure. They'll check your passport and sometimes take you into a the chiefs office for questioning. It's not an interrogation, they just want to know why your here and where you want to go. Assure them that you are a tourist that wants to see the country and that you're not going south of Kurdistan, or to Mosul or Kirkuk. They'll usually let you go with no fuss. Sometimes they'll even make you a chai or give you some cold water.
Checkpoint stops are pretty regular and there's no communication between each one, so be prepared to be stopped a lot in Kurdistan. It's usually not for longer than five to ten minutes at a time. You should also note that the main road between Erbil and Zakho actually passes very close to the non-Kurdish city of Mosul. The Kurdish region is MUCH SAFER then the Arab part and there are a few tips to keep in mind just to make sure you don't venture into the wrong place: A) At checkpoints always let the guards know your destination, if you're heading the wrong way (or heading to Arab Iraq) they will most likely stop you from going any further. B) Try to avoid Hitching in cars with Black or Green license plates near the border of Kurdish Iraq. These cars belong to Baghdad and Mosul respectively. C) The best license plates are probably Turkish vehicles (which are plentiful) since also the Turks/Kurds fear for their safety in the non-Kurdish region and their visa are generally only valid for the Kurdish region. N.B. White and Blue license plates belong to Kurdish and government officials respectively.
=== Camping ===
