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101 " The forest did not tolerate frailty of body or mind. Show your weakness, and it would consume you without hesitation. "
― Tahir Shah , House of the Tiger King: The Quest for a Lost City
102 " In any case, a little danger is a small price to pay for ridding a place of tourists. "
― Tahir Shah , In Search of King Solomon's Mines
103 " As far as I was concerned, a little danger of head-shrinking is a small price to pay in return for a people who have remained true to an ancient code. "
104 " As the man was bundled into an armoured police van, he turned and shouted: ‘Don’t waste your life following others! Be individual! Live your dreams!’I stood there thinking. He was right. Ours is a society of followers, trapped by an island mentality. "
― Tahir Shah , The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca
105 " Visit Cape Town and history is never far from your grasp. It lingers in the air, a scent on the breezy, an explanation of circumstance that shaped the Rainbow People. Stroll around the old downtown and it's impossible not to be affected by the trials and tribulations of the struggle. But, in many ways, it is the sense of triumph in the face of such adversity that makes the experience all the more poignant. "
― Tahir Shah , Travels With Myself
106 " As I see the world, there's one element that's even more corrosive than missionaries: tourists. It's not that I feel above them in any way, but that the very places they patronize are destroyed by their affection. "
107 " Because there is no challenge, there is no reason to work hard. And with no reason to work hard, we all have become lazy. Lazy people are like cancer. They spread. Before you know it, the entire country is destroyed. "
― Tahir Shah , In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams
108 " There is nothing like a train journey for reflection. "
109 " The pursuit of illusion is not about studying for prizes, or for study's sake. There's no right or wrong, no pass or fail. "
― Tahir Shah , Sorcerer's Apprentice
110 " My father looked on in disbelief, overwhelmed that his son had been taught to eat glass and relish it. "
111 " It is almost impossible to overemphasize the importance with which ancestry is held in the Middle East and North Africa. "
112 " At the last moment, the fish and I exchange a troubled glance. The murrel seems to be demanding an explanation. Alas, I am in no position to start justifying the unusual treatment. What comes next is a new experience for both the fish and me. "
113 " Prideep pointed to the flames of paraffin lamps as they came alive in the distance and cackled in awe at the experience. (…) I was to discover that making tasty soup with one carrot, ten peas and a little dishwater, was his greatest skill. One wondered what the man would be capable of creating with a blender and a non-stick frying-pan. "
― Tahir Shah , Beyond The Devil's Teeth
114 " Bombay is a city where gossip is treated as a commodity. "
115 " Explorers like to pretend that they are a select breed of people with iron nerve and an ability to endure terrible hardship. "
116 " These days no one challenges us,' he said. 'And because there is no challenge, there is no reason to work hard. And with no reason to work hard, we have all become lazy. "
117 " During the days I felt myself slipping into a kind of madness. Solitary confinement has an astonishing effect on the mind. The trip was to stay calm and keep myself occupied. I spent hours working out how to break free. But trying to escape would have been instant suicide. "
118 " The first few hours in the cell were quite stimulating. I'd never been in a prison cell before and was quite enjoying the experience. "
119 " Stories are not like the real world; they aren't held back by what we know is false or true. What's important is how a story makes you feel inside. "
120 " The backstreet cafe in Casablanca was for me a place of mystery, a place with a soul, a place with danger. There was a sense that the safety nets had been cut away, that each citizen walked upon the high wire of this, the real world. I longed not merely to travel through it, but to live in such a city. "