I flew into Basra, Iraq’s largest port. The city straddles the Shatt al-Arab river, which is formed by the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates. The two mighty 53 inspired the name Mesopotamia. It was from Basra 54 the fictional mariner Sinbad the Sailor set out on his voyages to supernatural realms in Arabian Nights. 55 , the start of my own journey was far more mundane. The desert eventually turned to green as we 56 the highway and entered the vast wetlands. These southern Iraqi marshes are one of the world's largest inland delta systems.