Reflections

Now that I am home and have had some time to rest, I have several thoughts about our last three weeks of travel.  First thought is how extremely fortunate I am to be able to travel as I have done.  Many persons my age are not able to travel due to illness, money, work, or not sharing a life with another who is willing to participate in foreign travel.

Linda and I have discussed how this trip's experience is about all those photos that were not taken.  They were not taken because of cultural challenges or not shared for personal privacy.  I immediately think of the owl's eyed women in Figuig.  I would have loved to have taken their photos, but it is forbidden.  Owl's eyed women wear full chadre of white while they peer out with one eye.  What an incredible sight to watch them walk across the town square.

Our three weeks of travel were also divided into three separate trips.

First week of travel was with our Peace Corp friend living on the eastern border of Maroc.  We benefited from her skill of speaking Moroccan Arabic.

Second week was Linda and I traveling on our own throughout the more traveled parts of Maroc. We were very fortunate to have had the first week with our friend. This allowed us to take in stride the difficult issues of the more commercialized Maroc.

Third week was devoted to being with our French friends.  This indeed was a rare opportunity to experience France and reconnect with friends.  Merci beaucoup!

It is humbling to travel the world.  The world shrinks and the news becomes personal.  When you meet and interact with others where they live, it is impossible to take the position "our way only".