It’s rare that I travel with anyone but last December I met up with Earl Baron, aka. Wandering Earl, in Arbil, Iraq to explore the northern part of that conflicted nation. I first met Earl in between talks at the Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) conference last summer in New York City. We quickly realized our fondness of adventure travel and both had a desire to visit Iraq for that very reason – 6 months later we did exactly that.
There are few people who tell a travel tale like Earl; his writing is some of the most captivating I’ve ever come across. Of course, having dinner with the Taliban (accidentally), winding up at US Customs with a bullet in your pocket, or having militants steal your car make for compelling content.
Along with those posts, Earl has written a host of others with good information on traveling to Iraq. We’re planning on elaborating on the stories and talking more about this country that took two rather experienced travelers by surprise – in a good way. Those of you who live or will be in Vancouver, Canada during the first part June (right before the next TBEX conference) are welcome to come to a free talk with Earl and I in one of the local hookah cafes (appropriately enough).
The exact date, time, and location isn’t set yet and Earl might not even know I’m writing this. Either way, if you’re interested, feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment below and we’ll be sure to let you know when things get set.