One of my favorite travelogues is truly remarkable. It comes highly recommended, particularly if you have ever embarked on a journey on a whim or ventured into the unknown.

This travelogue offers a unique perspective that can resonate with those who have taken such spontaneous or adventurous trips. It might even have a special charm for those who have been in a state of being stoned while traveling.

The author's vivid descriptions and engaging storytelling bring the experiences to life, allowing readers to vicariously experience the excitement, the surprises, and the beauty that comes with traveling without a fixed plan or into uncharted territories.

Whether you are a seasoned traveler looking for inspiration or someone who dreams of taking a leap of faith and exploring the world without inhibitions, this travelogue is definitely worth a read. It has the power to transport you to different places and inspire you to embrace the unknown in your own travels.

The charm of this book lies entirely in the author's ability to immerse the reader in the exotic, in the "different", in what is so far removed from the West to which we are all too accustomed.

While reading it, I often thought whether I, despite loving to travel alone, would ever be able to experience the same adventures as him, often without a pre-defined program, facing setbacks, difficulties and sleeping in very dirty beds or in more or less makeshift shelters. But this is precisely the beauty of this text, in which Morocco is described at length, but also with very pleasant digressions on India and Turkey. Thanks precisely to the non-programming of the journey, Bowles meets special people, with intense characters and colorful personalities, and even indulges in fascinating considerations on the Muslim world, on its peculiarities, which further increase the degree of beauty of this text.

It is a book that is a waking dream, from which first and foremost the love for travel shines through, or rather for the discovery of travel, and secondly the ability to fully immerse oneself in what the author experiences, with an ability to adapt to the "different" that is by no means indifferent.

I truly relished this piece to a far greater extent than his highly renowned work, 'The Sheltering Sky'.

'The Sheltering Sky' was exquisitely written and utterly convincing, yet it was also depressingly so. I can only surmise that this was Bowles' deliberate intention.

This particular book, in contrast, centered around road trips, drugs, and music. Consequently, in my opinion, it was a far more pleasurable read.

Bowles has rightfully earned his reputation. He writes with a piercing clarity, and the majority of what he pen down is extraordinarily captivating.

His works have the power to transport readers into different worlds and experiences, making them a must-read for any literature enthusiast.

Whether it's the dark and brooding 'The Sheltering Sky' or the more vibrant and engaging book I just mentioned, Bowles' writing always manages to leave a lasting impression.

It's no wonder that he is considered one of the greats in the literary world.

His ability to craft stories that are both thought-provoking and entertaining is truly remarkable.

I have been wanting to read more from Bowles ever since I found this quote cited somewhere.

It states that in a Western country, if a whole segment of the population desires, for reasons of protest, to isolate itself in a radical fashion from the society around it, the quickest and surest way is for it to replace alcohol with cannabis.

This quote presents an interesting perspective on the role of substances in social protest. It implies that cannabis can be used as a means to distance oneself from mainstream society in a more extreme way than alcohol.

However, it also raises questions about the potential consequences of such a choice. What are the implications for the individuals who make this substitution? How does it affect their relationships, health, and overall well-being?

Furthermore, this quote highlights the importance of understanding the social and cultural context in which such statements are made. In a Western country, the use and perception of alcohol and cannabis may vary significantly depending on factors such as legal status, cultural norms, and personal beliefs.

Overall, this quote from Bowles has piqued my interest and has made me eager to explore his work further to gain a deeper understanding of his views on society, protest, and the role of substances.

After reading a significant portion of Bowles's body of work, I have to admit that this collection of his travel essays left me somewhat disappointed.

Bowles is, without a doubt, right in his disapproval of colonialism. However, when it comes to his descriptions of non-Western societies, he leans too heavily on orientalist stereotyping.

Of course, everyone has these kinds of disappointing contradictions. But in a writer like Bowles, whose strong sense of personal ethics and delicate understanding of the intricacies of intercultural and interpersonal relationships are so prominently on display in his fiction, it is especially disconcerting.

In other words, I find Bowles far more captivating when he writes about cultural interactions at the personal level rather than at the societal level. His ability to explore the nuances of individual experiences within different cultural contexts is truly remarkable.

It is a pity that this same depth and sensitivity are not as evident in his travel essays. I had hoped for a more nuanced and less stereotypical portrayal of the non-Western world.

Perhaps Bowles was influenced by the prevailing attitudes and biases of his time. Or maybe he was simply trying to make his writing more accessible to a Western audience.

Whatever the reason, the result is a collection of essays that, while interesting in parts, ultimately fall short of the high standards set by his fiction.

In "Cabezas verdes, manos azules", there is something of both types of chronicles, perhaps more of the second than the first. Paul Bowles, first an indefatigable traveler and then a permanent resident of the city of Tangier, had the genius to know how to tell unknown or singular details of the places he visited, of their people and customs, without falling into the bias of hiding more unpleasant or ugly aspects. This increases the credibility of his texts, although it must be taken into account that, more than half a century after they were written, those places and those people no longer exist. This does not detract from the value, quite the contrary, of his observations.

I really enjoyed reading this book. In works like this one realizes the importance of the travel chronicle. It allows us to peek into the past, to see how different places and cultures were at a certain moment in time. Bowles' descriptions are so vivid that one can almost imagine oneself there, experiencing everything he did. His ability to capture the essence of a place and its people is truly remarkable. Through his words, we are able to learn about the unique traditions, the daily lives, and the hidden corners of the places he visited. The travel chronicle is not just a record of a journey; it is a window into a different world.

Paul Bowels is truly awesome.

His works have a profound impact on readers, making them think deeply about life and human nature.

Everyone, including me, should experience the baptism of solitude.

Solitude allows us to reflect on our lives, understand our true selves, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around us.

When we are alone, we can focus on our inner thoughts and feelings, without being distracted by the outside world.

This can help us to grow and develop as individuals, and become more independent and self-reliant.

Paul Bowels' works can help us to experience this sense of solitude and gain a new perspective on life.

We should all take the time to read his works and explore the depths of our own souls.

A Baptism of Solitude

Solitude can be a powerful and profound experience, a true baptism of the soul. It is a time when we are alone with our thoughts, our emotions, and ourselves. There is no one to distract us, no one to tell us what to do or how to feel. It is just us and the silence.

During this time of solitude, we can reflect on our lives, our relationships, and our goals. We can explore our inner selves and discover things about ourselves that we never knew before. We can face our fears and insecurities and find the strength to overcome them.

Solitude can also be a time of creativity and inspiration. When we are alone, our minds are free to wander and explore new ideas. We can write, paint, draw, or create in any way that we choose. We can let our imaginations run wild and see where they take us.

In the end, a baptism of solitude is all there is to it. It is a time to be alone with ourselves, to face our demons, and to find our true selves. It may not be easy, but it is an experience that can change our lives forever.

In the Western World, there is a continuous need to dispose of vast amounts of waste, which unfortunately impacts less fortunate peoples. Travel reveals to us our own garbage, as if it were flung in the face of humanity. The Western Man seems to have always desired to isolate himself from the planet, exhibiting symptoms of paranoia towards an assumed hostile environment. Uncomfortable in the heart of nature, he has labored to create a self-made jungle with its own codes, odors, pains, humanities, atrocities, and especially noise. In the cities, which are far from the earth, nature, and life, we find a false and precarious sense of security. It is a self-contemplative isolation and a noisy self-satisfaction, but not true solitude. Paul Bowles' book is a collection of essays documenting his travels to places where less fortunate and isolated populations live, such as North Africa and the Sahara Desert. In the desert, one can find their way by observing the curve of the horizon, but only if the desert is an ally and nature offers cooperation. The first contact with the desert is the baptism of solitude, not isolation. The stillness in the Sahara is incredible, and the sky is compared to all others, it seems faint-hearted. At sunset, the shadow of the earth cuts the sky into light and dark sections. When you leave the town and stand alone in the dunes or on the plain, something peculiar happens, a process of reintegration. It remains to be seen whether one will fight against it or let it take its course. For those who have stayed in the Sahara, they are never the same as when they came.

« In order for the Western World to continue to function properly it must constantly get rid of vast quantities of waste matter, which it inflicts on less fortunate peoples. What travel discloses to us first of all is our own garbage, flung in the face of humanity”.

When you look at it, it seems that the Western Man has always wanted to isolate himself from his own planet, showing all the symptoms of paranoia in the face of an environment that he assumes to be hostile. Always feeling uncomfortable in the heart of Nature, he fearfully laboured at surrounding himself with a jungle made in his image, with its codes, its odours, its pains, its humanities, its atrocities and above all its noise.

As if to ward off the non-human terrestrial animal and vegetal worlds that surround him, he had found only noise to establish his protective isolation. And here we are in the cities; places of Man, places as far away as possible from the Earth, the Nature and the Life, places of false and precarious security.

A self-contemplative isolation, a noisy self-satisfaction.

But not solitude.

The above are just my own thoughts, by the way, triggered by reading this book from Paul Bowles.

Paul Bowles' book is a collection of essays that report on his travels to the places where these less fortunate populations live. North Africa and the Sahara Desert is one such destination.

Just by observing the curve of the horizon it is possible to find your way through the desert. But on one condition, that the desert itself is your ally, that nature offers you its cooperation. If the desert is your enemy it then makes sense that you won't get anywhere, that you won't survive. The first contact with the desert is the baptism of solitude.

But not isolation.

« Immediately when you arrive in the Sahara, for the first of the tenth time, you notice the stillness. An incredible, absolute silence prevails outside the towns […] then there is the sky, compared to which all other skies seem faint-hearted efforts. At sunset, the precise, curved shadow of the earth rises into it swiftly from the horizon, cutting it into light section and dark section.

You leave the gate of the fort or the town behind, pass the camels lying outside, go up into the dunes, or out onto the hard, stony plain and stand a while, alone. Presently you will either shiver and hurry back inside the walls, or you will go on standing there and let something very peculiar happen to you, something that everyone who lives there has undergone, and which the French call Le Baptême de la Solitude.

It is a unique sensation, and it has nothing to do with loneliness, for loneliness presupposes memory. Here, in this wholly mineral landscape lighted by stars like flares, even memory disappears; nothing is left but your own breathing and the sound of your heart beating. A strange, and by no means pleasant, process of reintegration begins inside you, and it remains to be seen whether you will fight against it, and insist on remaining the person you have always been, or whether you will let it take its course. For no one who has stayed in the Sahara for a while is quite the same as when he came.”

(Paintings by Brion Gysin)

A le regarder, il semble que depuis toujours l’homme occidental a voulu s’isoler de sa propre planète, en montrant tous les symptômes de la paranoïa face à un environnement qu’il suppose hostile. Inconfortable au cœur de la nature véritable, il s’est alors entouré d’une jungle faite a son image, avec ses codes, ses odeurs, ses douleurs, ses humanités, ses atrocités et surtout son bruit.

Comme si pour conjurer le monde terrestre animal et végétal, non-humain, qui l’entoure, il n’avait trouvé que le bruit pour asseoir son isolement protecteur. Et nous voici dans les villes ; lieux de l’homme, lieux aussi éloignés que possible de la Terre, de la Nature et de la Vie, lieux de la prétention a une sécurité précaire.

Un isolement auto-contemplatif, une autosatisfaction bruyante.

Mais pas la solitude.

Le livre de Paul Bowles est une collection d’essais qui rapportent ses voyages dans les endroits où habitent des populations moins fortunées, plus isolées. L’Afrique du Nord et le désert du Sahara est l’une de ces destinations.

Rien qu’en observant la courbe de l’horizon il est possible de trouver son chemin au travers du désert. Mais à une seule condition, que le désert lui-même soit votre allié, que la nature vous offre sa coopération. Si le désert est votre ennemi il tombe sous le sens que vous n’arriverez nulle part, que vous ne survivrez pas. Le premier contact avec le désert c’est le baptême de la solitude.

Mais pas l’isolement.

This is a compilation that consists of nine travel essays. These essays detail the author's journeys to Central America, followed by Ceylon, India, Turkey, and Morocco, where he resided for numerous years.

Particularly outstanding are his pieces on the Sahara and the Rif, which is the mountainous region in north Morocco. This is because he was proficient in French and had some knowledge of Tamazight, enabling him to better communicate and empathize with the locals.

Anyone who has read his highly believable novel, The Sheltering Sky, will be aware that Bowles is an astute observer. However, he leaves it to the reader to form their own conclusions. This approach adds an element of mystery and engages the reader on a deeper level, allowing them to explore and interpret the experiences and landscapes described in the essays through their own lens.

Overall, this collection offers a unique and captivating perspective on travel and exploration in these diverse regions.

What a wonderful book!

It is filled with so many beautiful descriptions of different cultures.

The author has done an amazing job of bringing to life the unique traditions, beliefs, and ways of life of various societies.

From the colorful festivals and ceremonies to the delicious cuisine and traditional clothing, every aspect of these cultures is vividly portrayed.

Reading this book is like taking a journey around the world, experiencing the richness and diversity of human culture.

It broadens our horizons and helps us to understand and appreciate the differences between people.

Whether you are interested in history, anthropology, or simply learning about new cultures, this book is a must-read.

It will leave you with a deeper understanding and respect for the world we live in.

I first became acquainted with Paul Bowles through his remarkable recordings of diverse Moroccan music and the field recordings he undertook for the Library of Congress. The music he captured has the power to transport me to strange and fantastical lands, evoking a sense of wonder and mystery.

However, his writing has not had the same profound impact on me. In the process of recording all this music, there was undoubtedly a great deal of adventure in reaching those distant places.

This collection consists mostly of essays documenting his time and adventures in Northern Africa. Some of the essays I found more enjoyable than others. For instance, "The Rif, To Music" was a particular favorite of mine.

This is a book that I anticipate revisiting in a year or two. I had initially expected to have a greater affinity for it than I actually did. In moments like this, I sometimes wonder if the issue lies within me rather than with Paul Bowles.