Colombia: A History of Violence, A Country Renewed

Colombia is a country still recovering from a violent past, with children looking forward to a more vibrant and better future. Nowhere was this more visible than in District 13 in Medellin, where we visited people and saw vestiges of the drug cartel days alongside the much newer and certainly more vibrant public transportation system of tramways. But Colombia’s violent past can be seen everywhere.  I learned all about this country, its history, and its various cultures on the Overseas Adventure Travel trip Colombia's Colonial Jewels and Coffee Triangle.

Special Moments in Morocco’s Sahara

Dromedary Central

There are special moments on every trip. Times that you never forget, and which you cannot always capture in any cameras.  They are moments to just enjoy and savor, like the people I saw in Southern India counting buckets of money. The Overseas AdventureTravel trip Morocco Sahara Odyssey is one of those trips that was filled with these moments.

The day we left for our two days on the Sahara was as rich in travel texture, as the variety of spices on that night’s tagine. We left our desert castle hotel, which was really in the middle of an oasis. Even the swimming pool there looked like it could be a mirage. As we drove through the desert in 4-wheel drive vehicles, it was impossible to know how the drivers could find their way to the camp. Even tire tracks and rocks get blown away by the wind and sandstorms, and we passed one mirage after another...we kept thinking there was water.

The day was rife with human interaction, the kind a traveler never forgets. On the way here, we visited a Berber woman and saw how she lived. She's married her first cousin thru an arranged marriage. One of her children suffers the consequences of that and is extremely mentally ill. In Morocco, they still hide mentally ill children as a disgrace to the family, even abusing them and chaining them to the room. But this is their tradition and custom, and even future generations will not change It we were told. I wanted to hug that woman and give her money above what our trip leader was giving her. It was wrenching to hear her story.

Explore the Cultural Crossroads of Morocco

Morocco has more cultures to explore then the average tourist is aware of. In fact, I traveled there solo a few years ago and noticed bits of it. But it wasn't until I took Morocco Sahara Odyssey with Overseas Adventure Travel, that I was able to truly experience the country and learn about all the cultural influences. And to me, this was pure bliss.

Ritual public  bathing before call ot prayer

Cultural variances can be seen as soon as arrival in Casablanca. Although the language there is French and Arabic, Casablanca is clearly Spanish for "white house". In fact, the white house from which the city derives its name is located on the coast. I saw it when I arrived a couple of days early and had a driver and guide take me up the coast to the once Portuguese occupied town of Al Jedda among others. The Portuguese cannons facing the water can be seen in various parts of the country up and down the coast.