Istanbul is incredible. After the performance of the Whirling Dervishes we wandered down to the Galata Bridge and decided to eat some fish while sitting on the water.
The touts were the most aggressive we met in Turkey though the location was romantic and beautiful. The food? Well, it was really crap and perhaps made us both sick. I recommend you go down there, have some tea or a cocktail and then go get your food somewhere else.
The prices were also the highest we paid in Turkey. Again though, the ambiance and location were superb.
The next day we wandered around and bought souvenirs for Hanane’s family.
I don’t really do souvenirs except for the kind I find for free lying on the side of the road or those of necessity (like my souvenir shoes when my old souvenir shoes get worn out from all the walking) but for Hanane it was essential.
And then it was to the airport for our return flight to Morocco.
A funny thing happened on the return flight. I’d warned Hanane that airport security in Turkey wouldn’t be as lax as that in Morocco. She’d bought some bottles of shampoo, so I insisted that she check her bag so they wouldn’t get thrown out. High end shampoos, creams, and lotions are very high end in Morocco. So, we went through security at the gate and then the other Moroccans started to come through. There must have been $1000 worth of shampoos, lotions, and creams which were thrown in the garbage because they were in big bottles in carry on luggage. The signs were posted everywhere in Arabic as well as in English and Turkish. That’s not the funny part though, that’s slightly tragic watching as Moroccan women are forced to throw out all their beauty products and families have to throw out the yogurts, waters, and other foods they were bringing for the flight. The funny part was the reaction of the Moroccans. They were livid. The airport security had to deal with increasingly pissed off Moroccan women yelling at them, a father with a bunch of food he was being forced to throw away invited other passengers to help his family consume it, and women kept going to the garbage and making efforts to steal their products back when the security weren’t looking which forced them to move the garbage bin. It was one of the oddest real life dramas I’ve ever witnessed.
The flight was uneventful, the train back to Fes from Casa was uneventful, and the arrival back in our apartment was also uneventful.
We spent a couple of days just enjoying our space while we had it and then Hanane made a bee line for her folks place in Sefrou. Usually, when I move, I get rid of everything by selling it or putting it on the street, but this time, that wasn’t really an option. All of our stuff had to be trucked up to the in-laws place in Sefrou. I’ve furnished a good portion of their house at this point!
Ramadan began and we arranged a moving van, I packed everything up, and then we cleaned the apartment and paid our outstanding bills to the landlord.
After that we spent a few days at the in-laws place where we fell into the fasting routine of wake up at 3 AM, eat, go to sleep, wake up and work, sleep, eat at 7 PM, go to sleep, wake up at 3 AM….but I’ve already written about that.
Now, it’s almost 5 AM and while this won’t be posted for more than a week, I will be leaving Sefrou, Fes, Morocco, and all I’ve found here behind in about an hour. Even my wife won’t be coming with me as I return to Turkey to start yet another new life in yet another new country.
She’ll be joining me in about a month after Ramadan is through and when I’ve made certain that things are going to work for us in Turkey. I’ve already bought her tickets, but I’m a little worried as it will be the first time she is doing any bigger travel than a train or bus trip on her own. She’ll do okay though, she’s already been through Vago 101.
I leave Morocco with the two bags I arrived with. Of course, there are a few things that we are leaving at the in-laws house that we would like to have in a home someday if we ever have one. Also I am leaving my guitar and violin #2 here for the moment. The harmonica comes with me though.
I’m filled with a mixture of excitement, elation, sadness, relief, and weariness. I’ll write more about Morocco in the near future though. For now, suffice to say Veni Vidi Vici.
5 thoughts on “Back to Morocco, Back to Turkey”
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You have a “louder” voice on the internet than I do. PLEASE try to pass the word to as many Muslims as you can reach – this INSANE pastor who plans to burn the Holy Quran is just that……INSANE! He DOES NOT represent the voice of Americans. We honor the right to worship freely and his actions are TOTALLY NOT accepted, nor endorsed! Whatever he does is NOT approved of by one single person I know or have discussed this tentative action with…….he is a total disgrace to what he calls his form of Christianity. We are fighting with Muslims in Afghanistan, and truly endorse FREEDOM of religion.
The problem is that this country is based on the rights of individuals to do what they choose-but the bias media only reports what is inflammatory. Please pass this on.
Unfortunately, this is America’s problem. As long as America and Americans allow extremist hate mongers spout their hatred, the United States will be seen as a sponsor of hatred, prejudice, and ignorance. Your country isn’t fighting a war against Muslims, it’s fighting a war against extremist hate mongers and yet at the same time it allows idiots like this pastor to do the same thing. The taliban are no more Muslims than he is a Christian, but it seems that everyone in the United States has decided that Muslim and terrorist are the same thing. Again, I say, your country isn’t at war with Muslims, it’s at war with terrorists. And at the same time it is showing itself to be a haven for hatred. This guy is a threat to your national security. He is a threat to your safety. He is doing more to aid your enemies than anyone since your last president. Almost half of your ignorant population believes your president is a Muslim! Despite the fact that he goes to church more than any President since Carter. Your population is doped up on lies. Your media only reports what is inflammatory, but what you are missing is that they have pumped all of you so full of bullshit that you blame the current president for problems that he inherited from his predecessors, you think Israel is your friend, and you think that Muslim is the same as terrorist. It’s YOUR media that is doing this, it’s your government that is allowing this guy to practice hate mongering as ‘freedom of worship’ , and it’s your population that allows all of this to continue. From what I can see, the vast majority of American’s are horse’s asses that don’t take the time to make informed decisions or create their own opinions. They are looking for someone to blame for the problems they created or allowed to be created instead of fixing the problems. And they allow themselves to be distracted by celebrities, sports, and scandals when their country is falling apart around them. The American Dream has been a nightmare for a long while and it’s too bad that your people won’t seem to wake up before your country disintegrates. No enemy can destroy a country that is strong from within, but the United States is an easy target because it’s deluded, divided, and tearing itself apart. Who will destroy the United States? Look at yourselves, Americans. I’ve washed my hands of it.
The reason the pastor can do this is freedom of speech without fear.
As a Christian (and all Christians are NOT fucked up) – I think it is horrible.
The Holy Quran is a holy book, and it is ABSOLUTELY wrong to demean it or burn it! Most people haven’t even read it, so that is ignorance!
I don’t know anyone personally who thinks that all Muslims are terrorists. I don’t know ANYONE who agrees with this idiot.
The problem with the media is that it is owned by the government and the government is corrupt and totally fucked up. EVERYONE in the US hasn’t decided Muslim people and terrorists are the same thing. Again, the media is the problem by aggravating any scenario.
I don’t know where you got the information obama goes to church – but he goes LESS than any former president. Who cares anyway?
Of course the population is doped up on lies.
The reason blame is laid on this president is because he and his staff have increased the national debt trillions of dollars (beyond what the past president did) – job loss and repossessions are rampant, and the only people working are the union members – Unions donated millions to get obama elected.
You cannot honestly say the entire country’s population is full of shit – that’s as judgmental as you thinking all Americans hate all Muslims – it’s just not REALITY when you live here. You don’t. You have made your choice and I respect that, but you AREN’T seeing the “vast majority of Americans”, so it is really uninformed to say most are horse’s asses. That is passing on information that is as much bullshit as the media does.
There is something brewing in this country with the population. Something pronounced will happen, but herein lies the problem. First of all, there can be no successful public revolt – those who control the biggest and the most weapons, control the country.
We are a diverse nation. It is difficult to find strength when we are inhabited by so many different cultures, religions and philosophical beliefs; and we are FREE to say and do most everything we want. It does cause so many problems by the minority. Correct, the American dream is no longer… and change must come. A divided nation will fall.
What do you think about this quote?
“It is the duty of Muslims to react,” said Mohammad Mukhtar, a cleric and candidate for Afghan parliament.
“When their holy book Quran gets burned in public, then there is nothing left. If this happens I think the first and most important reaction will be that wherever Americans are seen, they will be killed. No matter where they will be in the world they will be killed.”
Please do not feed into the hatred of all American people. It is as wrong as if I were to say all Canadians are uneducated and heathens. It is simply not true.
I wash my hands of any more negative rhetoric.
Oh, I disagree. All Canadians ARE uneducated heathens. That’s part of why I love them so much!
By the way, a guy who is a cleric and Afghan isn’t really a good example of the billions of Muslims on the planet. It’s like using Glen Beck as an example of an American Christian (he’s a Mormon).
It’s funny but America used to claim its diversity as a strength. Now I see it has become a weakness. Oh well.
Are you free to say you want to kill the president on the internet? (No!) Are you free to not pay for health insurance? Not for long.
The problem with America is that your generation and the one that came before it gave it away. America used to BE the people. You gave it to corporations. You gave it to politicians. You gave it to ACTORS.
Let’s see, the American people are supposed to be the American government (of the people, by the people, for the people) and that government tends to be a bunch of horse’s asses. So, I can say American’s must be horse’s asses to choose to put a bunch of horses asses in power. The weapons are yours. The soldiers are yours (your sons, your husbands, your fathers, your tax money, your VOTING)
I see the vast majority of Americans in the decisions of their government (Democracy means that a majority rule) and I see horse’s asses elected and horse’s ass decisions and that must mean that horse’s asses are the ones who put the horse’s asses in charge.
He and his staff inherited an economic crisis that had to be handled somehow. They inherited a war they didn’t start. They inherited a ridiculous thing called the Department of Homeland Security, and they inherited a myriad of other problems.
As to the creep down in Florida, some good American should use the tried and true method of lynching the idiot or at least tar and feathering him and running him out of town on a rail. If some American were to film that, put it on youtube and offer an apology to all Muslims on behalf of real Americans, that would be worth more than simply saying that you can’t do anything because he is FREE!
Freedom goes as far as the other guy’s nose. This guy has used his up. Somebody humiliate him already.
And yeah, you seem to be right about Obama’s church record. I like him more all the time.
I can’t believe it but I loved your response. You made MANY valid points and I accept so much of what you said. I can’t really say too much about my generation “giving America away” – I think it was the subtle take-over by big brother -and everyone was so excited about the war being over and the new technology of television, we kind of bought everything we were told – certainly not as savvy about it all as you and many of your generation are today. If I had 24 hour television coverage and 1 billon dollars to win votes, I might have a chance to replace one of the horse’s asses. He inherited lots of stuff (just like all other presidents) but he has pushed through so much of his agenda no one can vote on, it’s really taking a toll on the country. I know people from all walks of life and the majority that voted feel they were duped! I think all politicians are corrupt. Winston Churchill said, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I agree. I think there are secret societies (my opinion) that rule the world with $$$$$$$ anyway. I agree most Americans are sucker and uneducated. I too love my Canadian friends!
I would love to see the creep stopped dead in his tracks….I would love to just apologize to all Muslims – I posted on my blog my thoughts, but I am nobody…so the Muslim world won’t read my blog or even care if I apologized on Youtube. I think it would serve the bastard right if a group of Muslims had a Bible burning day-same day, same town _ HOWEVER, that would simply increase the distance between Christians and Muslims, and cause the final conflict to accelerate.
Anyway, thanks for your thoughts as many of them are funny-and valid. Peace to all is my motto!