Wednesday 30th

Miles and miles of golden sandy beaches, with hardly a soul on them........well, the unexploded ordnance and land mines might have something to do with that....

Today was an experience that anyone who has ever thought they could hack it anywhere has to try - a construction site in the middle of a desert oil field with temperatures in the late 50's and 40mph winds ! Add the armed guard who accompanies you everywhere with the armoured landcruiser ride to work and we have changed direction a little from the Streetlighting project I was doing in Northants and Cambs - but I shall certainly be ready for the Independent Certifier role after this !

The day starts with the oddest breakfast I think I have ever eaten (I'm positive that this is a ridiculous statement as I have eaten some very strange things for breakfast....but that's a different blog altogether !) then a walk to the office for 0800hrs before being picked up by our security teams. They consist of 3 armoured landcruisers, 4 Iraqi Nationals and 2 Expats (the team leader and the medic). All of this is for 2 "clients". Then body armour on, quick update on the current threat (a road closed on one of the routes we might have taken) and then strapped in and off. 2 minutes later we are all getting out of the cars at the exit checkpoint to the base (for retina scans, and so our guards can arm themselves - machine guns and pistols). Then we're off for real. Just over an hour on virtually empty roads in reasonable comfort. Then having gone through at least 4 different checkpoints we reach the piece of desert that will be a camp one day.

I'll tell you more about the camp another day as I suspect eventually I will have run out of things of interest to the majority of you - suffice it to say that 55deg heat brings it's own problems without the issues associated with 40+mph winds. The very few bits of exposed skin I had today have been well and truly exfoliated !

The drive back was similar to the drive out although we did drive past Chemical Ali's house on the way back - which was nice........

I am conscious that I haven't really mentioned the people or the company I'm working for, and I will probably try and avoid names etc. as I don't want to cross any "lines". It's worth noting thought that they have been helpful, friendly and extremely professional. Most have a history in the Middle East although few have long term experience in Iraq. That said, they have just accepted me as part of the team and assumed that I know what I'm doing......some are relying on that sweeping statement....... it's an interesting change in the pressure that work brings, and not an unwelcome one at that.

Today's reconciliation:

4 cigars, 0 units, no trips to the gym, no dollars spent (actually only $25 since Sunday and they were at the various airports), and at least 6 litres of water drunk (I lost count because they were in different sized bottles all day).

I'm off for a lie down. I don't know whether I'm in the office here tomorrow or the oilfield but I'll find out in the morning !

Night all.