All of this from the stamped entry into the Kingdom of Morocco in a time where westerners weren't allowed entry - making you a rare exemption to the rule - and the relation to today and the "cabin fever" most people of western world are feeling is resonating deeply with me. As I am a fan of your work it can be assumed you and I are alike in ways. I am too from North America but I see the beauty in other worlds the average straight would not because I left politics some time ago. After disassociating from western politics and judging people for who they are as individuals (while not judging them for their faults because we all have faults - but learning to accept them for their strengths) - my life has dramatically changed in what I enjoy when people are lost without the direction of The Man... The Man doesn't run my life. Politics don't incite any feelings or emotions in me. My opinions are my own. My willing to accept other people despite cultures and backgrounds is in the 1%. And as for not panicking come time where the man puts one on lockdown where its up to them to figure out what they enjoy doing with their time - well, I am far from lost. I'm about three years on this part of the journey, so I keep pouring my heart and soul into researching the importance of common interests between all cultures, whether by faith or customs - despite political backgrounds and allegiances. It's helped me uncover places like Ceuta. It's helped me discover places on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar where different religions also have commonalities in shared territories once ruled in the past - to havens like Essaouira where you find a Carlos that has connections to both worlds within the Moroccan Kingdom and with westerners for a way to continue the "counterculture" ticking as you said - against the one-sided and globalized opinions westerners share about territories they know nothing about. Only within can we discover the beauty and things we appreciate about other nations and the cultures and values they hold within. To a lesser extant - I started to learn of Canada from within Canada when I first started spending summers there playing baseball. I carried that with me home and in the course of five years since I have adopted a viewpoint where USA is only as strong as its relationships with its neighboring countries. Call me a loyalist to the Queen, because she's a great example of my "Scipio Africanus respecting Hannibal" type respect I have for constitutional monarchs and how they are a spiritual guide to the people. The USA lacks that in any of its leaders. Trump is a glaring example of what our nation lacks by not having Elizabeth II as our monarch and spiritual leader (governess of the Church of England within the UK, but as a non-institutional example of spiritual leadership - her wise selection of words and inspiring addresses to the public are all based in good values and that resonates with her people - whereas Trumps bashing and fingerpointing at other cultures leads to a bad national response in our citizenry towards Asians and other populations that get generalized within Trump's words)... I think you get what I'm trying to say. I must be a hippie - despite not using drugs - I have no problems with their use and I have recreation-ally smoked in the past. Personally I prefer edibles. :)

Thank you for sharing this at this time in history. Helps me know I'm on the right path. I'm not a straight by any means and I'm proud of it!

P.S. Thanks for reminding me of the movie "Blow" with the connected Carlos character and the ideas to get that blonde hash home to the jurisdiction of "The Man" :)