Aussies, Sweets, Mountain Climbing & a Blood Moon!

Mt. Halgurd

This past week has been quite a buzz with activity.. We hosted a couple of Aussies who were in the neighborhood and wanted to visit the work that we have been doing at The Refuge. It was great fun showing them around and of course get a restock of the essentials - a jar of vegemite, of course! Thanks for stopping by Neil & Lorelei.

Neil getting a lesson on how to tie a Kurdish belt

They arrived on the first day of the Muslim holiday known as Qurbani, a holiday feast lasting 4 days that involves the slaughter of an animal such as a cow or goat. It is customary to then pass out portions of the meat to family and neighbors. We had the "privilege" of witnessing our dear neighbor carve up the portions and hand deliver us some choice cuts on a platter. Not the most appetizing gesture, but kind none-the-less. Of course, it's a great excuse for Kurds to buy bucket loads of candy and pass it out to all the kids (and adults too!). We took the opportunity to hand out some delicious freshly baked cookies to our guests at The Refuge.

Cookie Delivery

I spent the good part of the Jazhn holiday scaling the tallest peak in Iraq - Mt. Halgurd! After camping overnight at the base of Halgurd, we hiked 4 solid hours to the summit and took in the breathtaking views of the Zargos mountain range bordering Iran & Iraq. It was truly a magical couple days and a great break mental from a hectic few weeks. 

Base camp with a magical view

Mt. Halgurd conquered

Time for a nap