| ON TRAVEL IN MOROCCO |
| Some people have asked me about the wisdom of travelling in Morocco while our nation is at war. I wish to address this rather valid concern. Let me start by saying that I am not dumb, naive, or oblivious. These past weeks, I've been training both my mind and my body to be at least a little prepared for the upcoming vacation. Every day, I take a walk into town, usually with a backpack that has some weight to it. These walks, while training my legs and back, also train my mind to be alert to my circumstances, to have my eyes very very open, to pay attention to each person walking past me. These walks have also given me the barest glimpse of what it is like to be in the minority. I know that it will be a very different feeling in Morocco, but I am still prepared. I've been monitoring the web for news of Morocco and the war in Iraq. The state department's website at travel.state.gov gives the warnings that all American citizens should monitor when travelling abroad. I've been watching these warnings, and will continue to watch these warnings as I go through Morocco. Mostly, these warnings tell me to keep a low profile in the major cities, to keep my eyes open as I walk around, to walk the opposite way if I see a large group of protesters in the city. I will do this. While I plan to enjoy Morocco, I don't plan on relaxing my mind until I come back to York, UK. Some people believe that, since Morocco is a muslim nation, that it is not naturally inclined to align itself with America, since we have very very closely aligned ourselves with Israel. However, I would think twice before discluding Morocco, or any other muslim nation, before giving them a chance to prove themselves. Did you know that Morocco was the first nation to officially recognize the sovergnity of the United States of America? Morocco was willing to go out on a limb for us when we were a young nation. I am willing to give Morocco the benefit of the doubt and travel, with eyes wide open. My main barometer for my travel in Morocco will be the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps have 150+ people in Morocco even now, during wartime. They've been there, building wells, teaching people agriculture and languages. I plan to travel through Morocco as close to the ideals of the Peace Corps as possible--to respect the idigenous cultures, to adapt insead of making others adapt, to not think of myself as innately better than another just because of my citizenship. Now, if the political climate of Morocco becomes so tense that even the Peace Corps has to leave, then I am running for the border. Otherwise, I'll watch my steps carefully, but enjoy my time in Morocco. In the end, after all is said and done, all I can do is "Let go, let God." I will be keeping in contact with everyone from home through my website's guestbook. As I go past Ouarzazate, I don't expect to find too many internet cafes, so I expect this to be the "shadow zone" of my trip. The other days, I'll be looking for internet access to keep everyone abreast of my travels. I hope this eased some of your fears. If not, I hope it at least let you see my side of the issue. Cheers, Richard Baldwin 26/3/2003 @-) |
| Or, Why I Am Not Dumb |