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.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Feodosia, Ukraine


Vladimir & Igor
It looked like a great chance to get the inside street scoop on Ukraine and Russian politics, but Vladimir and Igor, my drinking buddies, didn’t have any interest in politics – they say they don’t even vote. Vladimir owns a trucking company, a total of seven trucks, running between Moscow and Yekaterinburg, and Igor, a retired Russian army doctor, owns the hotel/spa where I’m staying. Their English was virtually non-existent so what I learned about them, between drinking wine and downing vodka shots, was through Veronica, my trusty eleven-year old translator, who you met in my last blog. Igor who’s originally from Vilnius, Lithuania, has lived for extended periods in Russia and Poland. He bought the hotel five years ago because taxes here are ten times less than what they are in Lithuania. That is about the extent of the information I could glean from the two of them, not all that interesting, but then I didn’t understand a word of what they were saying as they chatted amongst themselves and the other guests and relatives as they came and went. What I did learn was how to drink Russian style, where before every sip you clink your glasses and toast to whatever: love, good health, long life, happiness, etc. And I learned to eat a piece of cucumber after every shot of vodka. Not sure what the purpose of that was, but it didn’t taste that bad, so what the heck. I also learned a few words in Russian: thank you, hello, goodbye, yes, no, and water without gas. “Water without gas” has become a very useful phrase, as people here prefer water with gas – ugh! The one phrase I have not been able to master is “good morning.” Whenever I try saying it, I get a puzzled look or a head shaking, “No speak English.”
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