03.21.10
101 countries and counting….
I just surpassed 100 countries, to which I have travelled, or at least touched down…. Those are only a few – Iceland, Nigeria, Bulgaria… the rest I have travelled, and worked, and had the pleasure of getting to know the local customs and people. That is the most amazing lesson – that ultimately, people are people, and if treated with respect, they will respond in kind with humility and genuine willingness to help you out.
Perhaps the exception to that is in the souks – the marketplace – where hawkers vend their wares day and night, and the competition is so stiff that they are lucky to have a person enter their 8 X 10 stall once a day. In those cases bargaining is essential… and I have been taken advantage for my share of the “ tourist” contribution to the economy. However, in most cases what I am buying will be displayed or used back home and I will look upon it with fond memories of the experience visiting that country.
In the Blue Mosque in Istanbul I covered my head and took part in the call to prayer and walked into the women’s section of the mosque. Although my cultural background bristles at the segregation, in fact I understand that it eliminates the nature distraction when men and women are together. I came to see their custom of prayer 5 times a day as an offering of gratitude – and where would we be if we did the same for all the blessings in our lives?
In Guatemala I rode the chicken buses around the country, squeezing between infants and mothers, grandmothers, and farm workers. In all cases they moved to give me more room, taking less for themselves. With a smile and Hola!, I would break the ice and inquire about their lives. In most cases they had rarely left their villages, let along left the country.
In Brazil I ran in the park, marveling at how the trees and flowers reminded me of India. In fact, the flora and fauna between the Latitudes of the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn seems to be very similar around the globe…. The smells of humanity are recognizable – burning trash, exhaust, and of course the local spice of choice – curry, cumin, cardamom, cilantro, mint….
Morocco was number 101… actually my new address in San Clemente. I am on my way home, where I will continue to plant and grow my roots. I live on Avenida del Reposo – Avenue of Rest – and there I shall do just that, preparing for the next journey. Where in the world that will be is anyone’s guess! Actually, not true, it’s Mexico in May, and Guatemala in June. But having just been on 4 continents in 2 weeks (Europe and Asia in Istanbul), Africa (Morocco), and soon I will land in North America. I only have 3 left to have visited all 7. My goal is to do just that before by March 2011… 1 year – Australia, South America, and Antarctica – that should be a breeze!
