Not for long though. A guard at a checkpoint caught sight of Luca Marchio among the Iraqi passengers on a bus that was heading from Baghdad to the once-notorious - and still tense - western city and alerted his superiors.
Marchio, 33, a native of Como, Italy, soon found himself in the Falluja police headquarters surrounded by bewildered officers trying to make out why a Westerner would wander around their city without a translator or guards. Marchio may have worried the police, but his main concern was saving money.
In two telephone conversations with journalists, he brushed away concerns for his safety and offers of help. "I am a tourist," he said. "I want to see the most important cities in the country. That is the reason why I am here now.
"I want to see and understand the reality, because I have never been here before and I think every country in the world must be seen. I was looking for cheap accommodation here in Falluja, but the authorities explained to me that it was impossible because there are not any hotels here. They suggested a short tour and then go back to Baghdad."
- International Herald Tribune
This man has a beautifully naive outlook. I love it!
ReplyDeleteI've done something similar once (not in Iraq though) and got pulled off the bus and interrogated by police who were just amazed at my stupidity :D
I was a day I'll never forget, but I got to see the country the way it was meant to be seen though. The same way the locals see it, from the bus, through checkpoints, ID checks and useless interrogations.
I took pictures, but the police made me delete them :(
Lol...Your journey sounds fun..and definitely different...thats really good...kudos to your daring attempt..I would love to do something similar..hehe..and I would still want to keep my pictures ;)
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