Got a question about how expensive it is to come to Iraq (i.e. how do all the freelance journalists and peacefolk afford it). Well it isn't as expensive as you would think ... Transportation is the big ticket. A round-trip ticket from the states can cost between $900 and $1800 US (ball park). Then you have to get into Iraq ($150 to $300 one way in a taxi) ... cheaper if you take the bus ($25, I was told ... but then you have to negotiate the boarder without knowing the language). Once here, we've noticed that the prices are higher than last year, but not by that much. A single hotel room at our hotel is $20/night. On top of that is food ... (breakfast is included with the hotel cost) ... maybe you are paying $5 or $6 US a day ... and that's eating pretty good. Internet access is 2000 Iraqi Dinars per hour ... and the exchange rate today was 1450 ID to 1 USD. So you can still be a poor, starving journalist or peacenik and live in Iraq ... (gunfire in the middle of the night and a high crime rate come free with all of the above).