Misconceptions of Driving in an Unknown Country — Morocco
My husband and I set out on the road trip in Morocco. Since neither my husband nor I are big on Christmas we find a refuge in a muslim country. It’s wonderful not to see drunk Westerners stumbling in Covent Garden and then going on ‘dry January’ so they can all go back to drinking in February. Some think it’s healthy to do that, really?! I call it misconceptions of yourself.
It’s amazing how many misconceptions one might have about a country or, indeed, a person. I remember when I went to South Africa so many people told me, be careful, do you know the people you are going with, where are you staying, are you sure it’s the right thing to do. Have you ever been there before and so on. That trip was the best I have ever done at that point in my life.
It’s the same story in Morocco. If you ever meet people driving through Morocco most of them have drivers/tour guides. Rarely do you meet people like us, hiring a car and just drive through. People think because it’s Morocco and everyone has drivers/guides so should I. Have you ever asked the question why? Can I do it myself?
Following the crowds leads people nowhere. Discover the country first hand is the best you can do! You know why? Because it’s the best way to learn about the country and the people. You are not driven to the cafes because your driver/guide takes a cut at a certain cafe. You discover it yourself and create memories and opinions for yourself. This way seeing it through your own eyes not others.
The sum up of our road trip so far is this, we eaten the best Moroccan food, seen the best views of the country and we’ve created the best memories. I can tell you one thing for sure, Moroccans know how to eat! The road cafes serve amazing tajines! You will not find badly made food fit for a dog, for example, as the Western world is filled with cancerous meat (pork) in sandwiches on a road cafes.
People may not have much but they know how to eat, be clean and be nice. You will find, what the Moroccan’s call their tea the Moroccan Whiskey, which is served almost everywhere. The cost of this tea depends on where you are in the country! It may cost you €5 to €1 and for free. The Moroccan’s are cool people.
They will look at you and say hello but they leave you alone unless, of course, they want to sell you stuff. Moroccan people are relaxed and mind their own business. Anyone thinking it’s mad for us to hire a car and just drive through a country we don’t know, then you are wrong! We met a German woman who’s hired a car and doing the same as us, driving through Morocco.
She’s on her own. That’s not to say there’s no danger you’ve got to have your wits about you but it’s the same in any country. Driving around in Morocco is not more dangerous than driving around in Lithuania or Poland or England. I think we should always be aware of what misconceptions we have in our heads about people and countries.
If I think Indians are only good at tech and bad in art how wrong am I!?Don’t listen to other people misconceptions. Live by your own discoveries of the world, people, cultures, countries and the world. That’s not to say don’t lose your wits about you, be alert, curious and always learn so you can give back to the world.
