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.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Sex Tourism


Pattaya Night Scene
“No, she doesn’t know. She thinks I work at a 7-Eleven,” the smartly dressed lady in her early thirties tells me as she pulls out a picture of her daughter. “She looks Caucasian.” “Her father’s from Texas. Now, do you want to go boom boom or not?” “No, as I said, I just want to ask you some questions.” “Then buy me a beer.” “How much?” “110 Baht.” “I just bought a beer for 55.” “It’s 110 for us girls.” “Can I ask you some more questions then?” “Okay, but better we go to your hotel room and spend the night. I treat you real well. You see.” “How much?” “One thousand for me and three hundred for my boss [about $43]” “No, I’ll buy you a drink instead and we’ll talk.” She motions to one of the ladies sitting in the bar to bring her a beer. “Your English is very good. How is it you speak such good English?” “I lived in Texas for two years before I left my husband who was too weird for me.” “You have just the one daughter?” “Yes.” “And this is your only job?” “Yes, but it’s really slow right now. I have had only three men this month.” “Why is that?” “It’s not the season and there’s just so many girls working now. Too much competition.” “How many women would you say do this sort of thing?” “Hmm, thousands.” “Can you be more exact?” “Well, let’s see, there are maybe 120,000 people living in Pattaya, half of them are women, and at least half of them work in this business.” “So about 30,000?” “Yes, I’d say, at least that many. Can we go now to your hotel?” “No, I’m sorry,” I lie, “My wife is waiting for me back there and I need to go.” I finish my beer and as I leave, she smiles and gives me a little wave goodbye.
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