Just Exploring





Little by little we make small things big. Step by step we move forward. Following the right path, the Eightfold path, makes me calm, steady and happy. Did you find yours? Everybody has one, just some must look deeper or look for it longer. Just explore and it will unfold naturally.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Morocco

I'm back from another exciting journey. It was shorter than the last one, but much more intensive and real, because I was limited with money, and because I visited different countries of course. It was also harder and more difficult, but therefore I like it more, and I have really nice and “strong” memories. The trip can be divided into 3 main parts: hitchhiking there and back –this was the most difficult part, because I was alone, so I was thinking a lot..., plus I made more than 8000 km criss-cross Europe, so I was thinking a lot..., I had to talk to many drivers, I had to stand many hours on the sun, and some also in the rain! ...but I like it, so it's not such a big problem for me as it could be for somebody else. I made it in 6 days from Bratislava to Algeciras and in 5 days back -well actually in 4 days from Malaga, but it took me whole 24 hours to get from Algeciras to Malaga -shit I waited 19 hours on one gas station (with 3 euros -witch I spend for the train from Bratislava to Galanta)!!! Second part was the days in Barcelona and Urie's house with nice Spanish people. It was different part because everything was secure, calm and Griss took care of me -thanks a lot. This was like a party & relax part, I liked it a lot, but it also meant some extreme for me. The third part was actual Morocco. This was the most hard core part - exciting trip to wild world of Arab's and Berber's. I met my two friends -Ivan&Lubka, so for this two weeks I wasn't alone. We went through a completely new and unexplored world. I smelt the aroma of Africa and tried the taste of poor and dry country. Country too close to Europe, so too jealous for wealth (off course nobody knew that we are from poor Slovakia). We don't have too nice feelings about the Moroccians people, because they are already too greedy and completely unresponsible, and spoiled by tourism! Beyond all they'r "hospitality" and "Bon Jour" there was graving for profit from us, or directly getting the cash. I can understand that they need to live from something, but if they're hiding business behind so famous unconditional hospitality, than I'm sad, and if it is just everywhere than I'm pissed of! Almost all of them had this mask: "Hello how are you? Welcome in Morocco…. Come to my hotel, or come and by this so I can have profit from you, or give me one dirham", and if we wasn't responding correctly, then they was pissed, and they was saying that we don't understand they'r mentality!!! One kid even sad "F*** of" after we sad we don't have much money… I know this little bit from Turkey, or Central America, but in Morocco it was just 100 times stronger, it was everywhere, and all the time. It's sad but we didn't met anybody who would be behaving really without any conditions!

But anyway it was an excellent and interesting trip. We explored the North Africa. First we went to Fez -this city lives still now like it does 1000 years ago!!! Big and Chaotic medina (old town) with lot of shops, and people. Lot of new smells and views for me… It remind me little bit Nicaragua because we met lot of travelers. From there we went to Merzouga, small town on the edge of desert -–small part of Sahara. AAAAAaaaa this was just too hot to bear, but we wanted to try it. For one night we made a trip into the desert. Strong and hot wind, plus send everywhere that's what I remember . Than we went to High Atlas mountains. First we visited famous climbing spot Todra Gorge and latter I hiked J. Toubkal (4160m). I did it alone because my friend catched altitude sicknes -she couldn't breath and start to feel really dizzy, latter she was vomiting and get a strong diarrhea too. It was really bad for here but , she get through it. During the descend from the peak I swapped my tent for beautiful berber carpet! From there we went to Marakesh, also big and old town, but already too modern and not so interesting as Fez. The last stop was amazing waterfalls called Ozzoud. Well but I thing the pictures will tell you more.

1 comment:

Matt Patrick said...

hey johnyboy!

keep on postin! there are people out here who want to read what you've got to say!!!