We arrived at the Semalka border crossing at about 10am. The border crossing was situated ~1 kilometre downstream from the Iraqi-Syrian-Turkish border tripoint. Also crossing over today were three western contractors from Canada, USA and the UK who were headed to Amuda to train IED/bomb disposal technicians, and two Spanish journalists based in Beirut.

After completing the necessary border formalities on the Iraqi side, we then hopped into a small, flat-bottom boat for the short ride over the Tigris and onto Syria. On the banks of the river on the other side there were numerous Syrians waiting to make the journey back over to Iraq. Also visible on the hills in the background was the green and yellow symbols of the YPJ (Yekîneyên Parastina Jin‎, or Women's Protection Units) and the YPG (Yekîneyên Parastina Gel, or People's Protection Units).


And my registration for my arrival into the Jazira Canton (Kantona Cizîrê) of Syria. The Kurdish people were very welcoming, offering us tea & coffee, and a place to sit down while they registered our passports. Definitely not the usual overland border crossings I had encountered previously with suspicious and unhelpful border personnel.


At about 11:30am we headed west with the two Spanish journalists for the journey to Amuda to register at the Jazira Canton Media Centre. The surrounding countryside was very green, with wheat fields in all directions.