Tales of Seven

Sandstorm

South of Merzouga, Into the Sahara

Night is descending and we're in a tiny, but solid little lodge with candles as our only light. We've only just arrived and our hosts are rushing around, closing every door and window and pressing material up against the bottom of each door. As they work, the wind begins to rise outside until there is a steady pressure against the sides of the building. In a matter of just a few minutes, the air in our room seems to become smoky -- the finest particles of sand filtering through any break in the building. The storm continues into the evening as we eat dinner with a few of the locals trapped here with us. The smell of spices in the air, candles, the wind ---

A local musician picks up a drum and begins to sing and play.....

           ..... and we're breathing in the Sahara.

Women Traveling in a Muslim Country

I'd heard that travel in Morocco could be difficult for a woman going alone, but had no idea how bad it would be until I got there. Harassment was pressing, and unrelenting. It went beyond words to touch and was therefore more scary than any I had experienced before.

At the same time, my best memories and experiences have always come from travel that presented a challenge or difficulty. Morocco proved to create some of my most memorable experiences and generated an enormous amount of learning about another culture, in a way I could have never experienced by just reading about it. It was also one of the most beautiful and interesting countries I've visited.

Here are a few things I did to try to manage the challenge of traveling along...

-Dressed conservatively. Loose skirt to the ground, loose top with full sleeves and a headscarf to entirely cover the hair. While this won't reduce the overall amount of harassment (walking alone effectively puts a bullseye on your back, even if you're dressed conservatively), it shows some respect for the culture and  reduces the lewdness of approaches.

- Learn about the culture in advance. I read a series of books on the culture and religion after returning, just to understand what had happened there. It would have been useful to have that knowledge before I went.

- Used hotels as a temporary 'break' when harassment got too heavy

- Walked near enough to a couple to appear as though I was with them. This was my best technique! No one harassed me when they thought I was with locals and escorted by a male.

- Booked rooms in advance. While this broke away from my normal philosophy of travel, it provided a measure of comfort in a more challenging environment.