…or was I? (Indonesia to Turkey)
I WAS BUT A HUMBLE WAYWARD WANDERER in search of natural wonder and cultural stimulation… or was I? Some have suggested my feckless circumambulations were anything but aimless. Perhaps I was gainfully employed after all. Would I have the audacity to suggest what I am about to suggest, given the consequences? I’m nothing if not insolent… or am I?
The power of language is undeniable. How evocative the act of arranging letters in a particular order can be. CIA. FBI. NSA. DIA. AIA. ASA. NRO. Betcha you’re not sure what all of those represent. Don’t beat yourself up. It doesn’t reflect poorly on your intelligence.
If what I am intimating has even a modicum of veracity, I’d be out of my fucking gourd to write about it… or would I? Everyone has a breaking point, a point when one can no longer swallow the bullshit and finds themselves compelled to speak. Perhaps I’d reached that stage… or did I?
Who likes timelines? From January to August 2009, I was in Indonesia. Curious timing, wouldn’t you say? On July 17th, 2009, two separate bombs exploded at the JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton in Jakarta, killing seven and wounding over fifty others. How frustrating would it be to spend six months trying to identify potential targets only to be one step behind? Ever heard of Noordin Mohammed Top? On September 17, 2009, he was hunted down and killed in the city of Solo on the island of Java, Indonesia. He may or may not have been positively identified as the perpetrator of the aforementioned bombings.
Sri Lanka was lovely in September 2009. This visit was a mere four months after the defeat of the Tamil Tigers and the death of their leader, Prabhakaran. Hmm… I wonder if a certain world power would’ve mounted a covert operation to confirm his death. Dunno.
October 2009 was an excellent time to be in Northern Vietnam. A motorcycle trip through Ha Giang and Cao Bang provinces would be sublime during the fall. Do those provinces border China? I think they do.
And who could deny the allure of the former Himalayan kingdom of Nepal? The word “former” is telling. Once the Maoists laid down their arms and became a legitimate part of the government, they helped abolish the monarchy. The Maoists are communists. Need I say more?
On to Bangladesh in January 2010. This predominantly Muslim country has somehow managed to eschew fanatical tendencies. Still, certain elements in the developed world might want to send monitors on occasion (posing as tourists?) to make sure all is calm.
May to August 2010. Dubai-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Denmark-Germany-Czech Republic. Hmm… almost like I was chasing somebody… or was I? Azerbaijan? Yeah, lots and lots of Americans go there on holiday.
And on to Africa. In August 2010, I arrived in what was to become, three months after my departure, the flashpoint of the Arab world, better known as Tunisia. Nobody could have seen that coming… or could they? Never hurts to fan the flames of democracy… or does it?
Next? How about Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, and Mali from October to December 2010? Familiar with the Polisario Front? Or Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb? We might just want to keep an eye on them, wouldn’t you say… or would you?
Everyone needs a vacation, so it might be the case that in consideration for two years of clandestine service, someone was granted a two-month vacation in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. Even 007 needs a respite… or does he?
On to Istanbul. Turkey doesn't border Syria, Iraq, or Iran… or does it?
I returned home four days after Osama bin Laden’s assassination. That’s one hell of a coincidence... or is it?
A travel blog would make an interesting cover, as would a sweet, innocent red-headed companion from Portland, Oregon. Nah, that’s just crazy… or is it?
It’s not like I spent time in the military or “worked” in Baghdad for over two years. Oh, wait, I did do that… or did I? Peculiar. Very peculiar indeed.
And writing about this? Well, it could’ve been (a) a brazen act of defiance from a recently discharged ex-employee borne from an ingrained sense of disenchantment with the “system”, (b) an ingenious way of throwing folks off the scent, or (c) the mad ravings of a harmless, yet mischievously roguish, ignoramus.
Hard to tell… or is it?