For all of us in the good 'ole US of A, here are some of the vans I spotted while in Kuwait and Iraq circa 2005 & 2007. Figured you guys might get a kick out of seeing some of them. Feel free to share any you've spotted while venturing round the globe.
TONS of these little import vans and van-pickups overseas. Starting to see more here in the states, but back in 2005 they weren't very common here, at least not in VA. Didn't matter what manufacturer or model they were, we called them all "Bongos" LOL.
I still get a kick out of this picture every time I see it. Exactly where this model of Caravan belongs. We had one around the same timeframe. Had around 20k miles on it and was babied most of its life by the previous owner. We got to drive it about 20 miles before it blew both head gaskets hard and we junked it. LMAO!
Iraqi Army on patrol
This is what happens to a "Bongo" when they hit an I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Device for those who might not know)
A friend of mine snapped this one while on pass in Egypt. Neat, but not for me.
UN armored anti-mine personnel carrier. It technically a "van" right? LOL!
If I'm not mistaken, this was an up-armored E series Ford van with a dually axle out back. It could have just been a van styled armored body on a truck chassis though, I didn't look at it that close.
Another shot of an Iraqi Army van
OOPS! No this is not me, nor do I have any idea who it was. Just shared with me from a friend. Hilarious though.
We called these "Rhinos" and they were basically an armored RV, but as you can see they didn't do well against car bombs.
Yep, even the Iraqis like to paint their vans like the Mystery Machine. I was personally glad the sign took this one out. LOL!
Me getting to drive around in Kuwait before heading north to Iraq. Date is all wrong, not sure what's up with that. And yes, that is my bald head. HA!
Clean little Astro van and a few locals dancing beside it. I'm betting they had just buried an I.E.D. under that pile of rock and dirt in the foreground.
Decent looking G van loading up some propane tanks. Little roadside markets and propane stands like this right off the side of a major highway were pretty common sites.
Another minivan of some sort that I can't pronounce. How about those raw sheep carcasses hanging in the open air, in the 120 degree heat with flies all over them. LOL No thanks, I'll pass and stick with some carrots please.