BootsnAll Travel Community

Im planning to travel the middle east beginning in Feb 2009 for 1 year approx.
I am undecided as whether to start in Morocco-across North Africa to Egypt then up through the Levant and possibly across Turkey if I have money leftover.The other option is start in Turkey and work my way back towards Morocco in the other direction.Any hints welcome..has anyone ever done this?.Pitfalls to look out for in any country you visited welcome.I know its a bit away but Im planning trip in detail to ensure it works out.Part of the reason for going is I speak arabic and want to improve.Should I spend time on language courses or would everyday interaction suffice? Thanks folks

Couple of things. Lets start with logistics.
It is fairly impossible to travel totally across N. Africa. One reason being that Algeria has a closed border wtih Morocco so you cannot legaly travel to Morocco from Algeria and vis versa. You can go around. It's legnthy but you can do it. Also let me give you a forward on crossing illegally because yours truley has done it:
Not a great idea unless you have someone (pref. a N. African with strings he can pull) with you. I did. It made a lot of difference. But still there are ...how to best describe...miltias in a way. Anyway they will probably stop you and try to bribe you. Unless you have someone helping you out you might be in big ol'trouble.

Second: You need Visas for Algeria and I believe, Libya. Each visa need an in-out proof of paperwork (i.e. ferry/airplane ticket that says when you're comming and going) each only takes 40 days to expire. So getting one in a whim at the border is not the same as say...Egypt which has a huge tourist infostructure.

Third: What kind of Arabic do you speak? Because I spoke Leventine and that was completely useless in Morocco and Algeria and most of Tunisia. Maghreb Arabic is very different. I understood little of what was being said to me.

I did learn Maghreb Arabic while I lived there (Morocco) but it took some time. And still I used and still use Leventinian Arabic a lot with the Moroccans I know and they just shrug when I do. You probably know allready that Arabic changes a lot even within one country. In N. Syria they use a dif. diallect then S. Syria. Same in Morocco/Algeria/Tunisia. Me thinking I knew Maghreb Arabic enough after Morocco had to have a conversation with a Tunisian bellhop about Bush (as in, I dont like Bush) and he stared at my blankly.

Most understand MSA, or Al Jazeera Arabic, but not so much in an informal basis. And, as you might allready know, without colloquial terms, MSA sounds really odd and makes not as much sense when spoken. i.e. incredibly formal, almost laughably so.

Also Egyptian Arabic is widely understood in the Arab world and might be your best bet. But, you also probably know, that Egyptian Arabic is very different then Leventine or Maghreb. More on this in a second...

If you need any help with colloquial words you might need to use in Morocco (I cant speak as highly for Algerian or Tunisian) PM me and I'll come up with some stuff.

Fourth: If you need a good place to study Arabic on the cheap I will recomend Nawafir in Damascus at the University of Damascus. They will teach you colloquial Syrian, and it's a 2-6 week course (depending on what you want to buy) and they will set you up with a translator (when you first arrive) and housing should you stay a long time. If you want to learn Egyptian the Cairo University comes highly regarded but because it is accreditied and so highly regarded it is not cheap. So prepare for some pretty serious expenses if you want to go there.

Make sure you dont have any Israeli passport stamps. They are prohibited in Syria and i believe, Jordan. Also possibly Lebanon. dont pass up Lebanon either! Def. try to see that.

Gender Fun:
I'm assuming your a guy travelling alone. If I am wrong, feel free to correct me. As such be incredibly careful when you interact with local girls. There may be serious (and I mean, very very serious) consiquences should you cross the line you never knew existed. If you talk to a woman make sure it is in public, make sure you keep a respectful distance, do not touch her and try to arrainge it so she has a mahreym with her. A relative of some sort. Male. If that's not possible (and dont get me wrong, there are plenty of woman there who talk to men without trouble, but there are some that do and I'd hate to think of anything that could come of an innocent interaction).

Cultural Fun:
When you get invited into a house. And you probably will, compliment the food and say you're full about 30 minutes before you start to actually feel full at all. They will make sure you clean the plate. Also remember to be wary of complimenting anything in their houses. Most Middle Easterners are the most hospitable people on the planet. If you compliment a vase in their livingroom they might just insist you have it. If you compliment a painting they might insist you take it...ect. That will put you in the awkward situation of having to refuse a gift, or having to pack around a huge vase through Egypt. Because believe me, we Arabs can insist you take something like you would not believe. We will make sure you walk out the door with it. Trust me.

Also a traveller is considered a gift from Allah. So many devout Muslims feel that the better they treat a guest the better it will please Allah. Be aware of your manners. Do not eat with your left hand EVER. Take off your shoes in the rooms (not corridores) and if you spend the night...and this is oddly huge...wash your face in the morning. If you dont it's a cultural foux pas that will make them think you're dirty. Remember most devout Muslims wash 5 times a day so make sure they know you're clean.

Also go to the hamams.

Anything else, ask and I'll let you know what I know.