How To Blend In When Travelling Solo

I learned a good lesson on travelling solo and travelling safely when I visited Morocco some time ago. Morocco as a country, and in particular the many souks you find in any town or city, get a bad name for hassling people, tourists as a whole and women in particular. It’s not easy to visit foreign countries and not stand out and look like a tourist. The fact that you will never quite dress like the locals and most likely have the facial features of someone from an entirely different continent, doesn’t help. I was certainly aware of the warnings given when I planned my solo trip to Tetouan, a smaller town in the north of Morocco.

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When I first arrived, I was intrigued to be in a country so different from my own for the first time. But I was very aware that I was travelling on my own, and I was adamant not to make my stay more daunting by moving around and actively looking like a curious tourist. That night, I made my way to my hotel and, even though I was taking in all the sights from the corner of my eyes, I kept my head down to make it look like I knew exactly where I was going, even if I had no clue whatsoever. People looked at me, the way they looked at anyone different from them, but no one hassled me. I had come to Morrocco to immerse myself into an Arabic speaking country, and I was following an Arabic language course for the week at a local language centre.

The first morning I exited the hotel I was staying at, which was deeply hidden inside the walled medina, the old town which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. I thought I knew how to trace back my steps from the night before and find my way to the school. I resolutely walked through any alley I deemed familiar, which was just about all of them as they all looked exactly the same. I walked and walked and walked.

I saw nothing but strange faces and even though some people paid attention to me, I appeared to know where I was going and everyone let me get on with it, not even bothering to try and sell me a thing. After a long hasty walk, I found the exit to the walled medina, only to find it was an entirely different exit from the one I had entered through the night before. I had no idea where to go. By that time I was so desperate I asked someone for directions by speaking in bad classical Arabic and shoving a piece of paper with an address on it in front of them. They showed me a general direction and again, I was on my way. By now, I was late for class, the sun had risen and got significantly stronger and I was a lost, sweaty mess. I was so desolate I called the school, who told me I was nowhere near their part of town, but I could easily jump in a taxi and get there in no time. They were right.

IMG_4848The following days in Tetouan proved a great lesson for blending in. Not too many tourists were in town at that time of year, and all the men stared at me and any other foreign woman wherever I walked down the street. But I was in a certain element – I went to class and I belonged there, I had a purpose. I didn’t stop in the middle of a street to gape at a building, or behave like an inquisitive tourist when picking up an item at a market stall. I was looked at, but I felt entirely safe. I had my place. I knew where I was going and never dawdled. Locals must have thought I lived there, despite clearly being foreign. Little did they know I was so scared of walking into a cafe for food (imagine walking into a cafe when five men in front of it are staring at you walking past?) that it took me about three days to find a place where I could comfortably sit and eat food for the first time. I don’t think I have ever been more happy in my life than when I walked into that cafe and ordered two meals. But looking at me from the outside, no one would have known.

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It wasn’t until the last day when I wandered through town to take some picture when I began to feel hassled. I was exploring the souk and the medina and was taking pictures, of the architecture, the trees, whatever caught my eye. For the first time, I looked like a tourist. People started to hassle me and follow me into alleyways. It didn’t exactly feel unsafe, but I definitely felt uncomfortable.

IMG_4843To me, it was a great lesson in how to behave in foreign countries. People will always react to you in a certain way, and it largely depends on how you hold yourself and the attitude you exude. If you walk around with a big camera and gape at every tote bag you see, I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone would try and see if they can make some extra money out of you. Personally, I prefer to keep my head down, and internalise my excitement a little more. Just to stay on the safe side and not get bothered. Travelling solo as a female is possibly more tricky than travelling solo as a male, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. You just have to be smart.

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ABOUT ROAMING WILD ROSIE

Hi! I’m Rosie, or Cosmo, a long distance hiking enthusiast based in Europe. My unexpected love for exploring nature has taken me all over the world, and I’m always searching for new hikes and new ideas. My website is all about the trails I have walked and any advice I can give you so that you can do the same. I love photographing so expect a lot of pictures and long stories!

ABOUT ROAMING WILD ROSIE

Hi! I’m Rosie, or Cosmo, a long distance hiking enthusiast based in Europe. My unexpected love for exploring nature has taken me all over the world, and I’m always searching for new hikes and new ideas. My website is all about the trails I have walked and any advice I can give you so that you can do the same. I love photographing so expect a lot of pictures and long stories!

2 Responses

  1. Its always a great experience to go to some entirely different place and blend amongst those entirely different people. Glad to have read yua experience.

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