Day 1: Portland to Casablanca

From Seth's notebook:

The sun has just risen before us - filling the cabin with a pink-to-orange-to-red glow at 30,000 feet - minutes before we're to land in Morocco.

What a welcome to Africa. And what a way to shake off the groginess from 24 hours of travel. We left our doorstep at 3:40 a.m. Saturday, lifted off the ground at PDX at 6:10 and now are about to touch down in Casablanca around 7 a.m. the next day. It's sure to be a whole new world to us.

I've been reading the 9/11 issue of The New Yorker on and off during the trans-Atlantic flight. We've heard a lot of subtle and not-so-subtle concerns from people about this vacation. And the international terminal of JFK might well have been the most diverse place this Oklahoma kid's been until, well, a few more minutes from now. I've started into a timely article by George Packer, who is also from Oklahoma if I remember right. It includes this passage to bear in mind as we start this trip:

"Islamism has taken on the frightening and faceless aspect of the masked jihadi, the full-length veil, the religious militia, the blurred figure in a security video, the messianic head of state, the anti-American mob. At Islam's core, in the countries of the Middle East from Egypt to Iran, tajdid and islah (revivial and reform) have helped push societies toward extremes of fervor, repression and violence.

But on the periphery, from Senegal to Indonesia - where the vast majority of Muslims live - Islamic reform comes in more varieties than most Westerners imagine. At the edges, the influence of American policy and the Israeli-Palestinian siege is less overwhelming; and it is easier to see that the real drama in Islam is the essential dilemma addressed by (Mahmoud Muhammed) Taha [whom the article is about]: how to revive ancient sacred texts in a way that allows one to live in a modern world."

Judging from what I've seen so far -- from the adorable boy wearing a "soccer champ" shirt sitting with his mother and grandmother, both with heads covered and wearing full-length jalabas, or the woman in the flowing sunny yellow robes and head scarf complete with the Georgia Tech logo - I have to agree.

Here's to the beginning of what's sure to be an amazing and eye-opening two weeks, for us and others, I hope.

Meet our guides and driver:

MOUDEN ABDESLAM
A childhood friend of Abdul's from Chefchaouen, we call him Abdeslam. He is president of a professional guide association in Chefchaouen, where he still lives. In his late 30s, he's married with one child, a son. He speaks Arabic, Berber, Spanish, French, English, for starters.

ABDELMOUGHIG AKDI
Our friend in Vancouver, the inspiration behind this trip, goes by Abdul. He owns the Mint Tea import store in our neighborhood with his wife, Jenna. In his late 30s, he's married with one child, a son. He speaks Arabic, French, English, and maybe a little Berber and Spanish.

OMAR
A friend of Abdeslam's who lives in Tangier, he is our driver for the trip. Abdeslam wanted him, in particular, behind the wheel after working with him in the past. He's married with one child, a son, whom we'll meet along the way. He speaks Arabic and French, and a little Spanish.