Last year I trekked into the Moroccan Sahara desert on a very trusty camel named Aszu. In the evening, my guide, Jusef, a sixth grade educated Berber nomad, surprisingly fluent in six languages, fixed me a tantalizing chicken tangine. All that it lacked was a glass of wine, unfortunately verboten for Muslims just days before Ramadan. At night we slept under the incredible desert night skies. Never before had I seen so many stars, stretching from one horizon to the other – the stars so bright and numerous, it was difficult to make out the constellations. That was Morocco, a kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells, and experiences. From Morocco I traveled on through much of Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, and finally concluding my trip in Japan. This year's trip will take me to Romania, Ukraine, Georgia, Central Asia, India, Nepal, Southwest China, and Indochina. At times I hope to report back on my experiences and observations, perhaps posting a few pictures and videos that may be of interest. I've posted below a few pictures and videos from some past trips. For my blog on my travels through East Europe check out my blog at http://tallinntovarna.blogspot.com.

I’ve been asking myself lately, is there a theme to all this? Maybe not, but one thing I can say that piques my interest, is the dangerous nexus between religion and politics that engulfs the world today. In Morocco, where the King is both the head of Mosque and State, a Muslim, during Ramadan, can end up in jail for doing nothing more than drinking a glass of water under the scorching daytime heat – his crime, the thirsty Muslim broke the fast. Imams in Morocco claim that such an abhorrent act defies the teachings of God, infringes on the religious liberties of practicing Muslims, and is deserving of serious sanction. Of course, such a violation of an individual’s personal freedom could never happen in America. Or could it? As I write this, the U.S. Catholic Bishops are ferociously attacking President Obama’s Affordable Care Act for requiring institutions to provide birth control under their insurance policies. Like the Imams, the Bishops consider it not just an affront, but an existential threat, to their religious liberties. A poor woman, without the means to support a family, let alone a brutally raped woman, should not expect any sympathy from these Catholic institutions, as they, like their Muslim brothers, are scripturally bound to impose their beliefs on others. Does it matter that no one is telling Muslims that they cannot fast or Catholics that they cannot abstain from sex?

Now that I think of it, I’d like to dedicate this blog to Americans United, a terrific nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to preserving the principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom. Before I move on though, I’d like to share with you this political satire piece I wrote a few months ago when Senator Rick Santorum had a chance of being the Republican nominee. It pretty much sums up my take on what a large segment of the American population would like to see should their wildest dreams come true. Finally, I begin this blog with three postings from last year’s trip just to give you an idea of who I am and what you may or may not come to expect as I embark on this year's trip. If you have something nice to say, I'd love to hear from you.

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Bucharest, Romania

The most frequently asked question I get is: aren’t you lonely when you travel alone? My answer is that I’m always bumping into someone with whom I can have a conversation and that often makes me feel more alive than talking with people I’ve known all my life. Today was a good example. After tramping through much of Bucharest alone, I stopped to get some lunch. The tables were full, so I asked a young man if I might share his table. His name turned out to be Marius and five hours later, after he had given me an extensive tour of the city, disabused me of most of my original impressions of Bucharest, and shared with me his opinions on everything from the Orange Revolution to Count Dracula, we parted company, each assuring the other that we would stay in touch. Because of Marius’ difficulty with English, I won’t attempt to capture all that we talked about and that had convinced me of his rich knowledge of history, philosophy, politics, and culture; I’ll just report on a few of the things he said that now stand out in my mind.


Marius
Orange Revolution: The West doesn’t understand what’s going on here. The current president, Traian Băsescu, is very corrupt and has mismanaged the economy. He bought $2 billon worth of used F-16s that are now mostly worthless and sold out our navy as well. Next to the President of Moldova, Băsescu is the last Orange Revolution president remaining. In two weeks we will have a referendum and he will be voted out. 75% of the people want him out. We are not like Ukraine; we are a democracy and will remain a democracy regardless of who our president is. The West needs to know this.


On America: America is the model of democracy for the rest of the world, but Obama is not a strong leader. On paper, of course, he is, but he doesn’t project this power to the rest of the world. I like him and think that he’s very smart, smarter than Bush. In the end, I think the American people will choose well whether it’s Obama or not. This is how democracy works. But for me America is inaccessible. I tried to get an America visa once, but the American consulate here in Bucharest turned me down. I guess I need to know someone in America.


Personal Situation: I have a Bachelors degree in social work, but not a paying job as a social worker. I volunteer my time helping disabled children. To put food on the table, I own a small distributorship while my wife works as an English language translator. Together we make 1,000 Euro per month, hardly enough for a family of three to live on. Unfortunately, although we’re a part of the European Union, it’s impossible for us to get a job in another European country. They think we’re gypsies. I’m not, but that’s what they think, and they don’t like gypsies. Not all gypsies are bad, just as not all Romanians are good. I don’t understand why people don’t get that.

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