My Arabic was virtually non-existent, but it wasn't difficult to figure out that I was most certainly in the wrong place, at the most wrong of all times. It should be first understood that on this final half of my journey, I used none of my suggested contacts that I have listed in this book. And, to say the least, in the following days, I learned quite a lot more about traveling in North Africa. By the time I had reached Tam, the silent crowds in front of the TV sets had acquired an unnerving muttering sound. By then, I did not look very American.
Nature has some special natural defense systems.
Everyone has observed how children, when the situation requires it, learn languages faster than adults. My French had improved, but anyone could spot that it was not my native language. My German was minimal, but everyone else knew even less German. Actually, under normal conditions, Germans get hassled in Algeria. However, at that time, dim memories of World War II seemed to kick in, with visions of Germans shooting down American bombers.