I hope no one is too offended by it. It’s the kind of thing you don’t get to see every day.
Morocco Escalator fun. When we met, I was surprised to find my wife had never been on an escalator…turns out she isn’t the only one, we sat next to one for about 45 minutes and watched people trip, encourage their mothers and children and circle and ride it again and again and again.
The reason I post this is because I think it serves as a good reminder that things that we take for granted in this world aren’t always understood or seen in the same way. Sure, I’m talking about an escalator – but I could just as easily be talking about the stock market, mortgages, 501 k plans, life insurance, health insurance, family planning, or the monument at ground zero in New York City and how it’s going to cost billions of dollars to operate and why that is worth paying.
The same can be said on the other side too. Obligations of faith, cooking techniques, family ties or even the use of donkeys – these are things that may seem clear to you but which in a different cultural context certainly are about as well understood as well…as an old Moroccan woman from a tiny village in the Sahara understands an escalator.
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About Vago Damitio
Vago Damitio (@vagodamitio) is the Editor-in-Chief for Vagobond. He jumped ship from a sinking dotcom in 2000 and decided to reclaim his most valuable commodity, time. He bought a VW bus for $100, moved into it and set out on a journey to show the world that it was possible to live life on your own terms. That journey took him from waking up under icy blankets in the Pacific Northwest to waking up under palm tress in Southeast Asia. Three years later, his first book, Rough Living: Tips and Tales of a Vagabond was published. After diving into the Anthropology of Tourism and Electronic Anthropology at the University of Hawaii (with undeclared minors in film and surf) he hit the road again in 2008. Since that time,he's lived primarily in Morocco and Turkey, married a Moroccan girl he couchsurfed with, and become a proud father. He's been to more than 40 countries, founded a successful online travel magazine (this one!), and still doesn't have a boss. Life is good. You can also find him on Google+ and at Facebook