Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.
Well, I hardly even know where to start here, because this is slightly embarrassing, but it’s a story I feel like I just gotta share with y’all.
As I mentioned yesterday, the catcalling was like out of control in Morocco. And then, not only the catcalling, but tour guides who just would NOT leave me alone no matter how many times I said no, or I didn’t need a guide.
Mohammed wasn’t allowed to go with me, because drivers aren’t allowed to go as guides. It’s like rules of Morocco with how people are licensed or whatever.
So…
Oh boy.
I just – I felt really desperately in need of having some alone time and not being hassled this whole time. So… I pretended to be deaf.
Obviously, in general, I think it’s not really a great (nor super ethical) thing to pretend you have a disability!
But I just thought hopefully it would get people to leave me alone if I made it harder for them to communicate with me. I didn’t want any special treatment. And I wasn’t going to pretend outside of trying to be left alone on a hike, like when I got back to the car, obviously I was gonna drop it.)
(I wanted to pretend I spoke another language, but I don’t speak any other language nearly enough to get by even a little – especially because many people in Morocco speak Spanish, French, and Arabic. There are fluent languages galore in Morocco!)
So, I pretended to be deaf, hoping no one really knew American sign language. And knowing even if they did, I’d hopefully remember enough to get by enough to get out of the situation.
[I feel like this is the plot to a Seinfeld episode, as it seems like a ridiculous thing I could see one them getting caught up in. Aye, aye, aye. Anyway -]
So, I walk from the parking lot out to the area where the waterfall is. And when people pressure me to be my guide, I just act like I can’t hear.
Try to go on my merry way. And most people let me!
For the most part, this is working fine. People are indeed leaving me alone.
I think I’ve cracked the code….
Until a guide comes along who won’t take no for an answer.
And this is where I’ll pick up tomrorow!