Picking up from yesterday –
So, this guide starts following me around. And then I try to stop and give him space, so he’ll go ahead or leave.
But whenever he does go ahead, he waits.
And then I start to feel bad, because it’s like “is he doing the normal ‘guide who won’t leave me alone’ thing? Or is he doing it because he thinks I’m deaf, and he feels bad?
He doesn’t speak sign language. So, I try to just do general signals that like, “No help, thanks. No help.” And he just keeps giving me the “come on, come this way,” signal.
Then I’m trying to communicate with him in the notes app, but he says he can’t totally read English.
I try to communicate no money, no money. I actually do have some money on the trail with me. But I really just wanted to be left alone for a hot second.
I just wanted to hike, and enjoy it, and not have another dude in Morocco coming on to me. [I mean, no offense, and I’m not saying I’m like the greatest thing since sliced bread. I was just exhausted from a number of encounters.]
So, he just kept coming along with me. And finally, I just let him walk with me.
But, because he thought I couldn’t hear, he didn’t actually say anything out loud to me. And no one was around, so it was really quiet, and beautiful. I loved just hearing the sounds of nature, and not having to fill the void with talking.
I heart little bugs and the wind and everything. It was so peaceful to just take it all in.
I also thought about what it really would be like to be deaf. Sounds helped me to know where I was, and where water was. It seemed I could hear insects in certain places (maybe?), and would avoid stepping or putting my hand in any place sounding too hissy.
I hadn’t really thought about how much I use sound even when I don’t realize I am.
And! I could hear dogs barking down toward the river. Terrifying.
But I’m not supposed to be able to hear! So, I have to like not really react to the dogs – which is fine, because they’re far away. But what happens if they get closer?
[Spoiler, I’m gonna be fine.] But I’ll pick up here tomorrow!