A Sola backpacker - Part IV

Monday February 2nd, 2017, today, finally, I hit the road.

According to my trip plan, My departure is from Agadir. I decided to arrive to Agadir on Monday afternoon, spend the night in Agadir so I could rest from the 7-hours trip from Salé to Casablanca to Agadir and start the journey early in the morning.

Silly me, I thought that watching backpackers videos on YouTube will make me get my pack right but nooo. From the start, I didn't have the necessary clothes and equipment so I had to buy things. I stopped in Casablanca to get supplies. As I was in a hurry, I didn't arrange my clothes as I should have. I just stuffed them into my pack.

Once I arrived to my hotel room I decided to arrange my pack. I have noticed that I've packed things I might not use. Useless things mean extra weight, mean lower pace and fatigue given that I will be trekking all the way up to Taghazout, about 20km on foot. I had an extra pair of hiking shoes, pretty heavy and pretty worn out, 4 books and a notebook (kept the notebook and one books), cosmetic products (what was I thinking?) I had three options: throw these things, give them away or send them to my hometown. As they were pretty special to me, first thing in the morning, I sent them home. They weighted 2.5kg, imagine! 2.5kg off my back. That matter delayed me about 1:30 from the time I have set. Lesson learnt.

Anyways, at 11:30am, I was on the national road. Though Google maps pointed out the way, I had to ask around, policemen mostly, to get it right. And off I went.

Ps. I am still growing my backpack

A Sola Backpacker - Part III

Many female travelers (to be) have addressed me with these questions: How did you manage? How did you convince your parents about traveling (alone or with others)? I guess I got lucky.

My father has a very different up-bringing method, unlike other family members. During my teens, I had total freedom or rather freedom-like freedom; i.e. I was given the illusion that I had the reins of my life between my hands. I was free to go out and do activities as long as my parents are informed of such. I grew up responsible for my behaviors, my surroundings, and my choices. I feared that if ever screw things up, I’d lose that freedom (-like). I had to behave. I did screw up a couple of times, surely, but my parents’ trust in me never faded; I never had to restore it.

As I said, I got lucky. In order to pursue my studies, I had to relocate in a 250km far away from hometown city. My parents encouraged me to go, and so I acquire full powers over my freedom. However before the relocation, I used to go on summer camps as an instructor; that too helped me and shaped who I am now.

What to do with your parents? All I can say is: make your parents trust you; trust is gained, not given; show them you are a responsible grown-up and that you can take care of yourself;

Doesn’t work? Try to volunteer to carry some domestic tasks to show you can handle responsibility, like paying the bills, requesting official documents, doing grocery shopping;

Doesn’t work? Try to hang out with a grown-up relative in whom your parents trust, that person will back you up in case you need some back-up to go on a trip;

Doesn’t work? Visit relatives in other cities on your own;

Doesn’t work? Participate in activities that would open up your fam mind, such as voluntary work, school/university extra activities,.. (two birds, one stone ;));

Doesn’t work? Take part-time jobs and pay for organized trips or weekend trips to nearby places like Ifrane, Chaouen..etc;

Doesn’t work? Nag until they beg to be your trip partner, make one of your siblings go with or understand that you need travelling because it makes you happy and more optimistic;

Doesn’t work? Wait till you grow a bit older, enough to handle your life, then travel as much as you can :D

A Sola Backpacker - Part II

*To go back to the “my own” thing;

Many advised me to look for a female trip partner I can get along with and can travel with. I have indeed tried to look for one but after weighing the pros and cos, it came to me that I am quite not sure if I truly wanted a trip partner. Well, why? simply because we, the "softest", "sensitive","to-be-treated-with-delicacy" fragile creatures of Mother Earth, though all are from Venus, are not quite on the same wavelength.

Hypothetically, I said hypothetically, I got lucky and  found a partner, as strong-headed, crazy, weirdo and "lovely" as myself, with or without prior experience in the field, met, spoke, agreed and set up things right; and she claims she is up to the trekking circuit and up to the challenge. We got going, packs on backs, foot on the road, off to a good start; the weather is fine; the walk is fine; the world is fine again. What if she tells me mid-way, after 2 days or so on the road, that she can no longer take it: cannot find her tiara, forgot her under-eye concealer in our starting point, fed up with sleeping in a bag (under a tent), her phone broke, her backpack is heavy, her feet hurt, her nails look disgusting and broken, her body stinks, a blister is killing her feet, yearning for a hot bubble bath and for whatever reason (any or all of the above) firmly decided to return home; I. what shall I do? Cry? Give up the trekking I had been preparing and dying for for so long and get back home or, go on leaving her nagging-ass behind. Uh, thanks, but no.

On the other hand, what if I found a male partner, with that complex attitude and thinking of most (I said MOST) of my fellow-citizens. As often mentioned in travelers forums, a male partner, perv’ as anyone but not everyone, who does not differentiate between sleeping in the same tent (given that I still haven’t got one yet) and “sleeping together”; A male partner who only sees a female body rather than a human being. I wonder, is it the case when guys travel together, does one see the other a body to fulfill some kinky desires? 

Either ways, I do not intend to delve into this matter. I set up my mind. I. Am. going. sola.

A Sola Backpacker - Part I

I miss summer. This year, heavyhearted-ly and feeling homesick, I contended myself with "safe trips" and "enjoy you sum-break" wishes to my traveling fam' and friends. Due/thanks to my new job, I had no right to take a summer break. Oh well! To my luck, I’ll be entitled to a one-week vacation by February. February? Definitely not a good timing for a break, true, yet I’ll make it unforgettable, as much as I can.

The idea of a trekking in some remotely secluded place in my beloved Morocco has lingered in my mind for so long. In many travelers/trippers Fb pages/websites, the idea of trekking, the risks, the dangers and the great moments have been discussed over and over, along with women travelers’ constant complaints about their deprivation from such privilege and the showing off of the male dominance of such. 

In my country, a girl is not that free. She cannot/mightn’t travel in peace, on her own. Actually, she can but will be put under a lot of pressures. Kinda depressing, isn't it? Fed up as I was, I've decided that this year (God willing) I will indulge in a  trekking journey on my own*. After major research**, I have found an interesting trekking circuit, in a dry region (given that I cannot tolerate cold weather, and that my trek is going to place in mi-February, I don’t wanna end up soaked).

So, I’ll be sharing how and why I made up my mind upon such and my travel preparation: trekking circuit, gear…etc and afterwards, my trip review.

#RIP dear uncle

I can't cry someone I haven't grown up or grew older around. I can't cry someone I share lil memos with. I can't cry someone with whom've never been in sorrow, in happiness, someone with whom've fought, laughed and cried. I can't cry someone I only see in occasions for a thinly tiny period of time. I can't feel the loss of that someone's death. I can't feel the emptiness that someone's death left in my heart. All I can is sympathize with whoever lived, laughed, fought, grew old, cried and shared moments with that someone. I can feel their loss because I had once lost a beloved. I can cry their loss and make it my.