(In English — Chinese - hanyu pinyin - French)
Whether you travel as a monk, a hedonist, or somewhere in between, you can come home better friends with our world. 无论您以僧侣、享乐主义者还是介于两者之间的身份旅行，回家时您都可以与我们的世界成为更好的朋友。Wúlùn nín yǐ sēnglǚ, xiǎnglè zhǔyì zhě háishìjiè yú liǎng zhě zhī jiān de shēnfèn lǚxíng, huí jiā shí nín dōu kěyǐ yǔ wǒmen de shì jiè chéngwéi gèng hǎo de péngyǒu. (French) Que vous voyagiez en tant que moine, hédoniste ou quelque part entre les deux, vous pouvez rentrer chez vous en meilleur ami avec notre monde.
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Social Activism & Philanthropy /
How to Travel as a Political Act
[Rick Steves with female students in Iran]
Whether you travel as a monk, a hedonist, or somewhere in between, you can come home better friends with our world. By Rick Steves
To get the most value out of your travels, plan to get out of your comfort zone, meet the people, and view other cultures — as well as our own — with an open mind. Here's how I do it.
●Part 1 : Travel like a Medieval Jester
I'm a travel writer. According to conventional wisdom, injecting politics into your travel writing is not good for business. Isn't travel, after all, a form of recreational escapism? Yes…but it can be much more.
For me, since about 9/12, the role of a travel writer has changed. I see the travel writer of the 21st century like the court jester of the Middle Ages. While thought of as a jokester, the jester was in a unique position to tell truth to power without being punished. Back then, kings were absolute rulers — detached from the lives of their subjects. The court jester would mix it up with people that the king would never meet. That was his job. The jester would play in the gutter with the riffraff. Then, having fingered the gritty pulse of society, he'd come back into the court and tell the king the truth. "Your Highness, the people are angered by the cost of mead. They are offended by the queen's parties. The pope has more influence than you. Everybody is reading the heretics' pamphlets. Your stutter is the butt of many rude jokes." The king didn't kill the jester. In order to rule smarter, the king needed the jester's insights.
Many of today's elected leaders have no better connection with real people (especially outside their borders) than those "divinely ordained" kings did centuries ago. And while I'm fortunate to have a built-in platform, I believe that any traveler can play jester to their own communities. Whether visiting El Salvador (where people don't dream of having two cars in every garage), Denmark (where they pay high taxes with high expectations and are satisfied), or Iran (where many willingly compromised their freedom to be ruled by clerics out of fear that, as they explained to me, "their little girls would be raised to be like Britney Spears"), any traveler can bring back valuable insights. And, just like those truths were needed in the Middle Ages, this understanding is needed in our age.
Part 2: Choosing to Travel on Purpose
You can experience a dervish-whirling session as mere entertainment — or, by learning a little of the tradition's rich symbolism, a moving encounter with someone connecting with the divine.
Ideally, travel broadens our perspectives personally, culturally, and politically. Suddenly, the palette with which we paint the story of our lives has more colors. We realize there are exciting options to the social and community norms that our less traveled neighbors may never consider. Imagine not knowing you could eat "ethnic." Imagine suddenly realizing there were different genres of music. Imagine you loved books and one day the librarian mentioned there was an upstairs.
But you can only reap these rewards of travel if you're open to them. Watching a dervish whirl can be a cruise-ship entertainment option…or a spiritual awakening. You can travel to relax and have fun. You can travel to learn and broaden your perspective. Or, best of all, you can do both at once. Make a decision that on any trip you take, you'll make a point to be open to new experiences, seek options that get you out of your comfort zones, and be a cultural chameleon — trying on new ways of looking at things and striving to become a "temporary local."
Assuming they want to learn, both monks and hedonists can stretch their perspectives through travel. While your choice of destination has a huge impact on the potential for learning, you don't need to visit refugee camps to gain political insight. With the right approach, meeting people over beer in an Irish pub, while hiking Himalayan ridges, or sharing a hookah in Cairo can all connect you more thoughtfully with our world.
My best vacations have been both fun and intensely educational. Seeing how smart people overseas come up with fresh new solutions to the same old problems makes me more humble, open to creative solutions, and ready to question traditional ways of thinking. We understand how our worldview is both shaped and limited by our family, friends, media, and cultural environment. We become more able to respectfully coexist with people with different "norms" and values.
Travel challenges truths we were raised thinking were self-evident and God-given. Leaving home, we learn other people find different truths to be self-evident. We realize that it just makes sense to give everyone a little wiggle room.
Traveling in Bulgaria, you learn that shaking your head "no" means yes, and giving an affirmative nod can mean no. In restaurants in France, many travelers, initially upset that "you can't even get the bill," learn that slow service is respectful service — you've got the table all night…please take your time. And, learning how Atatürk heroically and almost single-handedly pulled Turkey out of the Middle Ages and into the modern world in the 1920s explains why today's Turks are quick to see his features in passing clouds.
Traveling thoughtfully, we are inspired by the accomplishments of other people, communities, and nations. And getting away from our home turf and looking back at America from a distant vantage point, we see ourselves as others see us — an enlightening if not always flattering view.
Part 3: Connect with People
Ireland gives me the sensation of understanding a foreign language with people who love to talk.
Looking at him, it was clear he didn't need me to tell him about fulfillment. When I asked if I could buy a piece of his art, he said, "For a man my age to know that my work will go back to the United States and be appreciated, that's payment enough. Please take this home with you, and remember me."
I traveled through Afghanistan long before the word Taliban entered our lexicon. While there, I enjoyed lessons highlighting the pride and diversity you'll find across the globe. I was sitting in a Kabul cafeteria popular with backpacking travelers. I was just minding my own business when a local man sat next to me. He said, "Can I join you?" I said, "You already have." He said, "You're an American, aren't you?" I said yes, and he said, "Well, I'm a professor here in Afghanistan. I want you to know that a third of the people on this planet eat with their spoons and forks like you, a third of the people eat with chopsticks, and a third of the people eat with fingers like me. And we're all just as civilized."
As he clearly had a chip on his shoulder about this, I simply thought, "Okay, okay, I get it." But I didn't get it...at least, not right away. After leaving Afghanistan, I traveled through South Asia, and his message stayed with me. I went to fancy restaurants filled with well-dressed local professionals. Rather than providing silverware, they had a ceremonial sink in the middle of the room. People would wash their hands and use their fingers for what God made them for. I did the same. Eventually eating with my fingers became quite natural. (I had to be retrained when I got home.)
Next is Part 4: Stow Your Preconceptions and Be Open to New Experiences
If they're evangelical about cheese, raise your hands and say hallelujah.
Along with the rest of our baggage, we tend to bring along knee-jerk assumptions about what we expect to encounter abroad. Sometimes these can be helpful (remember to drive on the left in Britain). Other times, they can interfere with our ability to fully engage with the culture on its own terms.
People tell me that they enjoy my TV shows and my guidebooks because I seem like just a normal guy. I'll take that as a compliment. What can I say? I'm simple. I was raised thinking cheese is orange and the shape of the bread. Slap it on and — voilà!…cheese sandwich.
But in Europe, I quickly learned that cheese is not orange nor the shape of the bread. In France alone, you could eat a different cheese every day of the year. And it wouldn't surprise me if people did. The French are passionate about their cheese.
接下来是第 4 部分：收起您的成见并接受新体验 Jiē xiàlái shì dì 4 bùfèn: Shōu qǐ nín de chéngjiàn bìng jiēshòu xīn tǐyàn
如果他们对奶酪很热衷，请举起手说哈利路亚。rúguǒ tāmen duì nǎilào hěn rèzhōng, qǐng jǔ qǐ shǒu shuō hā lì lù yà.
除了我们的其他行李之外，我们还倾向于对我们期望在国外遇到的情况做出下意识的假设。 有时这些可能会有帮助（记住在英国靠左行驶）。 其他时候，它们可能会干扰我们按照文化本身的方式充分融入文化的能力。Chú le wǒ men de qítā xínglǐ zhī wài, wǒ men hái qīngxiàng yú duì wǒ men qīwàng zài guówài yù dào de qíngkuàng zuò chū xiàyìshí de jiǎshè. Yǒushí zhèxiē kěnéng huì yǒu bāngzhù (jì zhù zài yīngguó kào zuǒ xíngshǐ). Qítā shíhòu, tāmen kěnéng huì gānrǎo wǒmen ànzhào wénhuà běnshēn de fāngshì chōngfèn róngrù wénhuà de nénglì.
人们告诉我，他们喜欢我的电视节目和旅游指南，因为我看起来只是一个普通人。 我会把这当作一种恭维。 我能说什么？ 我很简单。 我从小就认为奶酪是橙色的，而且形状像面包。 拍上它——瞧！……奶酪三明治。Rénmen gàosù wǒ, tāmen xǐhuān wǒ de diànshì jiémù hé lǚyóu zhǐnán, yīnwèi wǒ kàn qǐlái zhǐshì yīgè pǔtōng rén. Wǒ huì bǎ zhè dàng zuò yī zhǒng gōngwéi. Wǒ néng shuō shénme? Wǒ hěn jiǎndān. Wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù rènwéi nǎilào shì chéngsè de, érqiě xíngzhuàng xiàng miànbāo. Pāi shàng tā——qiáo!……Nǎilào sānmíngzhì.
但在欧洲，我很快了解到奶酪不是橙色的，也不是面包的形状。 仅在法国，您一年中的每一天都可以吃不同的奶酪。 如果人们这样做，我也不会感到惊讶。 法国人对奶酪充满热情。Dàn zài ōuzhōu, wǒ hěn kuài liǎojiě dào nǎilào bùshì chéngsè de, yě bùshì miànbāo de xíngzhuàng. Jǐn zài fàguó, nín yī nián zhōng de měi yītiān dū kěyǐ chī bùtóng de nǎilào. Rúguǒ rénmen zhèyàng zuò, wǒ yě bù huì gǎndào jīngyà. Fàguó rén duì nǎilào chōngmǎn rèqíng.
(French) Vient ensuite la partie 4 : Rangez vos idées préconçues et soyez ouvert à de nouvelles expériences
S'ils sont évangéliques à propos du fromage, levez la main et dites alléluia.
Avec le reste de nos bagages, nous avons tendance à emporter avec nous des hypothèses irréfléchies sur ce que nous nous attendons à rencontrer à l’étranger. Parfois, ceux-ci peuvent être utiles (n'oubliez pas de conduire à gauche en Grande-Bretagne). D’autres fois, ils peuvent interférer avec notre capacité à nous impliquer pleinement dans la culture selon ses propres conditions.
Les gens me disent qu’ils aiment mes émissions de télévision et mes guides parce que j’ai l’air d’un gars normal. Je le prends comme un compliment. Que puis-je dire ? Je suis simple. J'ai été élevé en pensant que le fromage est orange et qu'il a la forme du pain. Mettez-le et voilà !… un sandwich au fromage.
Mais en Europe, j'ai vite appris que le fromage n'est pas orange ni la forme du pain. Rien qu'en France, on pouvait manger un fromage différent chaque jour de l'année. Et cela ne me surprendrait pas si les gens le faisaient. Les Français sont passionnés par leur fromage.
I used to be put off by sophisticates in Europe. Those snobs were so enamored with their fine wine and stinky cheese, and even the terroir ¹ that created it all. But now I see that, rather than showing off, they're simply proud and eager to share. By stowing my preconceptions and opening myself up to new experiences, I've achieved a new appreciation for all sorts of highbrow stuff I thought I'd never really "get." Thankfully, people are sophisticated about different things, and I relish the opportunity to meet and learn from an expert while traveling. I'm the wide-eyed bumpkin…and it's a cultural show-and-tell. 我曾经对欧洲的老练之人望而却步。 那些势利小人非常迷恋他们的美酒和臭奶酪，甚至是创造这一切的风土。 但现在我发现，他们不是炫耀，而是自豪并渴望分享。 通过隐藏我的成见并开放自己接受新的经历，我对各种我认为我永远不会真正“理解”的高雅事物有了新的认识。 值得庆幸的是，人们对不同的事情都很复杂，我很高兴有机会在旅行时结识专家并向他们学习。 我是一个睁大眼睛的乡巴佬……这是一场文化表演和讲述。Wǒ céngjīng duì ōuzhōu de lǎoliàn zhī rén wàng'érquèbù. Nàxiē shìlì xiǎo rén fēicháng míliàn tāmen dì měijiǔ hé chòu nǎilào, shènzhì shì chuàngzào zhè yīqiè de fēngtǔ. Dàn xiànzài wǒ fāxiàn, tāmen bùshì xuànyào, ér shì zìháo bìng kěwàng fēnxiǎng. Tōngguò yǐncáng wǒ de chéngjiàn bìng kāifàng zìjǐ jiēshòu xīn de jīnglì, wǒ duì gè zhǒng wǒ rènwéi wǒ yǒngyuǎn bù huì zhēnzhèng “lǐjiě” de gāoyǎ shìwù yǒule xīn de rènshí. Zhídé qìngxìng de shì, rénmen duì bùtóng de shìqíng dōu hěn fùzá, wǒ hěn gāoxìng yǒu jīhuì zài lǚxíng shí jiéshì zhuānjiā bìng xiàng tāmen xuéxí. Wǒ shì yīgè zhēng dà yǎnjīng de xiāngbālǎo……zhè shì yī chǎng wénhuà biǎoyǎn hé jiǎngshù. (French) J'étais rebuté par les gens sophistiqués en Europe. Ces snobs étaient tellement amoureux de leur bon vin et de leur fromage puant, et même du terroir¹ qui a créé tout cela. Mais maintenant, je vois que, plutôt que de se montrer, ils sont simplement fiers et désireux de partager. En rangeant mes idées préconçues et en m'ouvrant à de nouvelles expériences, j'ai acquis une nouvelle appréciation pour toutes sortes de choses intellectuelles que je pensais ne jamais vraiment « comprendre ». Heureusement, les gens sont avertis sur différentes choses et j'apprécie l'opportunité de rencontrer et d'apprendre d'un expert lors d'un voyage. Je suis le rustre aux yeux écarquillés… et c'est une démonstration culturelle.
(Note :¹ terroir meaning watch here )
[Terroir = Climate + soil ; watch YouTube here ]
For example, I love it when my favorite restaurateur in Paris, Marie-Alice, takes me shopping in the morning and shows me what's going to shape her menu that night. We enter her favorite cheese shop — a fragrant festival of mold. Picking up the moldiest, gooiest wad, Marie-Alice takes a deep whiff, and whispers, "Oh, Rick, smell zees cheese. It smells like zee feet of angels." 例如，我喜欢我最喜欢的巴黎餐馆老板玛丽-爱丽丝早上带我去购物，并向我展示她那天晚上的菜单。 我们走进她最喜欢的奶酪店——一场芬芳的霉菌节日。 玛丽-爱丽丝拿起最发霉、最粘稠的一团，深深地吸了一口，低声说道：“哦，瑞克，闻一闻泽斯奶酪。它闻起来像天使的泽斯脚。” Lìrú, wǒ xǐhuān wǒ zuì xǐhuān de bālí cānguǎn lǎobǎn mǎlì-àilì sī zǎoshang dài wǒ qù gòuwù, bìng xiàng wǒ zhǎnshì tā nèitiān wǎnshàng de càidān. Wǒmen zǒu jìn tā zuì xǐhuān de nǎilào diàn——yī chǎng fēnfāng de méijūn jiérì. Mǎlì-àilì sī ná qǐ zuì fāméi, zuì zhān chóu de yī tuán, shēn shēn de xīle yīkǒu, dī shēng shuōdao:“Ó, ruì kè, wén yī wén zé sī nǎilào. Tā wén qǐlái xiàng tiānshǐ de zé sī jiǎo.” (French) :Par exemple, j'adore quand ma restauratrice préférée à Paris, Marie-Alice, m'emmène faire les courses le matin et me montre ce qui va façonner son menu ce soir-là. Nous entrons dans sa fromagerie préférée, un festival parfumé de moisissures. Ramassant la liasse la plus moisie et la plus gluante, Marie-Alice prend une profonde bouffée et murmure : "Oh, Rick, tu sens le fromage. Ça sent les pieds d'anges."
Part 5 :
Take History Seriously — Don’t Be Dumbed Down
Contrary to conventional wisdom, a history degree is practical. Back when I got my degree, I was encouraged to also earn a business degree, so I'd leave the university with something "useful." I believe now that if more people had a history degree and put it to good use, this world would be better off. Yesterday's history informs today's news…which becomes tomorrow's history. Those with a knowledge of history can understand today's news in a broader context and respond to it more thoughtfully.
As you travel, opportunities to enjoy history are everywhere. Work on cultivating a general grasp of the sweep of history, and you'll be able to inform your sightseeing with more meaning.
与传统观点相反，历史学位是实用的。 当我获得学位时，我被鼓励去获得商业学位，所以我会带着一些“有用的”东西离开大学。 我现在相信，如果更多的人拥有历史学位并好好利用它，这个世界将会变得更好。 昨天的历史告诉今天的新闻……这将成为明天的历史。 了解历史的人可以在更广阔的背景下理解今天的新闻，并做出更深思熟虑的回应。Yǔ chuántǒng guāndiǎn xiāngfǎn, lìshǐ xuéwèi shì shíyòng de. Dāng wǒ huòdé xuéwèi shí, wǒ bèi gǔlì qù huòdé shāngyè xuéwèi, suǒyǐ wǒ huì dàizhe yīxiē “yǒuyòng de” dōngxī líkāi dàxué. Wǒ xiànzài xiāngxìn, rúguǒ gèng duō de rén yǒngyǒu lìshǐ xuéwèi bìng hǎo hào lìyòng tā, zhège shìjiè jiāng huì biàn dé gèng hǎo. Zuótiān de lìshǐ gàosù jīntiān de xīnwén……zhè jiāng chéngwéi míngtiān de lìshǐ. Liǎojiě lìshǐ de rén kěyǐ zài gèng guǎngkuò de bèijǐng xià lǐjiě jīntiān de xīnwén, bìng zuò chū gēng shēnsīshúlǜ de huíyīng.
当您旅行时，享受历史的机会随处可见。 努力培养对历史的总体把握，你就能让你的观光之旅变得更有意义。Dāng nín lǚxíng shí, xiǎngshòu lìshǐ de jīhuì suíchù kějiàn. Nǔlì péiyǎng duì lìshǐ de zǒngtǐ bǎwò, nǐ jiù néng ràng nǐ de guānguāng zhī lǚ biàn dé gèng yǒu yìyì.
(French) Contrairement aux idées reçues, un diplôme d’histoire est pratique. À l'époque où j'ai obtenu mon diplôme, on m'a encouragé à obtenir également un diplôme en commerce, afin de quitter l'université avec quelque chose d'« utile ». Je crois maintenant que si davantage de personnes possédaient un diplôme d’histoire et l’utilisaient à bon escient, ce monde se porterait mieux. L'histoire d'hier façonne l'actualité d'aujourd'hui… qui devient l'histoire de demain. Ceux qui ont une connaissance de l'histoire peuvent comprendre l'actualité d'aujourd'hui dans un contexte plus large et y réagir de manière plus réfléchie.
Lorsque vous voyagez, les occasions de profiter de l’histoire sont partout. Travaillez à cultiver une compréhension générale de l'histoire et vous serez en mesure de donner plus de sens à vos visites touristiques.
I was sitting on the summit of the Rock of Gibraltar, looking out at Africa. It's the only place on earth where you can see two continents and two seas at the same time. The straits were churning with action. Where bodies of water meet, they create tide rips — confused, choppy teepee seas that stir up plankton, attracting little fish, birds, bigger fish…and fishermen balancing the risks and rewards of working those churning waters. The fertile straits are also busy with hungry whales, dolphins, and lots of ferries and maritime traffic. Boats cut through feeding grounds, angering environmentalists. And windsurfers catch a stiff breeze, oblivious to it all.
Looking out over the action, with the Pillars of Hercules in the misty Moroccan distance, I realized that there was an historical element in this combustible mix. Along with seas and continents, this is also where, for many centuries, two great civilizations — Islam and Christendom — have come together, creating cultural tide rips. Centuries after Muslims from North Africa conquered Catholic Spain, Spain eventually triumphed, but was irrevocably changed in the process. Where civilizations meet, there are risks…and rewards. It can be dangerous, it can be fertile, and it shapes history.
我坐在直布罗陀岩顶上，眺望非洲。 这是地球上唯一可以同时看到两块大陆和两片海洋的地方。 海峡上演着激烈的行动。 在水体交汇处，它们会产生潮汐撕裂——混乱、波涛汹涌的圆锥形海洋搅动浮游生物，吸引小鱼、鸟类、更大的鱼……渔民在这些翻腾的水域中平衡工作的风险和回报。 肥沃的海峡也充满了饥饿的鲸鱼、海豚，以及大量的渡轮和海上交通。 船只穿过觅食地，激怒了环保人士。 风帆冲浪者迎着凛冽的微风，对这一切浑然不觉。Wǒ zuò zài zhíbùluōtuó yán dǐng shàng, tiàowàng fēizhōu. Zhè shì dìqiú shàng wéiyī kěyǐ tóngshí kàn dào liǎng kuài dàlù hé liǎng piàn hǎiyáng dì dìfāng. Hǎixiá shàngyǎnzhe jīliè de xíngdòng. Zài shuǐtǐ jiāohuì chù, tāmen huì chǎnshēng cháoxī sī liè——hǔnluàn, bōtāoxiōngyǒng de yuánzhuī xíng hǎiyáng jiǎodòng fúyóu shēngwù, xīyǐn xiǎo yú, niǎo lèi, gèng dà de yú……yúmín zài zhèxiē fānténg de shuǐyù zhōng pínghéng gōngzuò de fēngxiǎn hé huíbào. Féiwò dì hǎixiá yě chōngmǎnle jī'è de jīngyú, hǎitún, yǐjí dàliàng de dùlún hé hǎishàng jiāotōng. Chuánzhī chuānguò mì shí de, jīnùle huánbǎo rénshì. Fēngfān chōnglàng zhě yíngzhe lǐnliè de wéifēng, duì zhè yīqiè húnrán bù jué.
眺望远处，远处是摩洛哥雾蒙蒙的赫拉克勒斯之柱，我意识到这种可燃混合物中蕴含着历史元素。 几个世纪以来，这里与海洋和大陆一样，是两个伟大文明——伊斯兰教和基督教世界——汇聚的地方，创造了文化浪潮。 来自北非的穆斯林征服天主教西班牙几个世纪后，西班牙最终取得了胜利，但在此过程中发生了不可逆转的改变。 文明相遇之处，就有风险……也有回报。 它可能是危险的，它可能是肥沃的，并且它塑造了历史。Tiàowàng yuǎn chù, yuǎn chù shì móluògē wù méngméng de hè lākè lè sī zhī zhù, wǒ yìshí dào zhè zhǒng kěrán hùnhéwù zhòng yùnhánzhe lìshǐ yuánsù. Jǐ gè shìjì yǐlái, zhèlǐ yǔ hǎiyáng hé dàlù yīyàng, shì liǎng gè wěidà wénmíng——yīsīlán jiào hé jīdūjiào shìjiè——huìjù dì dìfāng, chuàngzàole wénhuà làngcháo. Láizì běifēi de mùsīlín zhēngfú tiānzhǔjiào xībānyá jǐ gè shìjì hòu, xībānyá zuìzhōng qǔdéle shènglì, dàn zài cǐ guòchéng zhōng fā shēng liǎo bùkě nìzhuǎn de gǎibiàn. Wénmíng xiāngyù zhī chù, jiù yǒu fēngxiǎn……yěyǒu huíbào. Tā kěnéng shì wéixiǎn de, tā kěnéng shì féiwò de, bìngqiě tā sùzàole lìshǐ.
(French): J'étais assis au sommet du rocher de Gibraltar, regardant l'Afrique. C'est le seul endroit sur terre où l'on peut voir deux continents et deux mers en même temps. Les détroits grouillaient d’action. Là où les plans d’eau se rencontrent, ils créent des vagues de marée – des mers de tipis confuses et agitées qui remuent le plancton, attirant les petits poissons, les oiseaux, les plus gros poissons… et les pêcheurs équilibrant les risques et les récompenses du travail dans ces eaux agitées. Les détroits fertiles regorgent également de baleines affamées, de dauphins et de nombreux ferries et trafic maritime. Les bateaux traversent les aires d'alimentation, provoquant la colère des écologistes. Et les véliplanchistes captent une brise forte, inconscients de tout cela.
En regardant l'action, avec les colonnes d'Hercule dans le lointain marocain brumeux, j'ai réalisé qu'il y avait un élément historique dans ce mélange combustible. Avec les mers et les continents, c’est également là que, pendant de nombreux siècles, deux grandes civilisations – l’Islam et la chrétienté – se sont rencontrées, créant des courants culturels. Des siècles après que les musulmans d’Afrique du Nord ont conquis l’Espagne catholique, l’Espagne a finalement triomphé, mais a été irrévocablement transformée au cours du processus. Là où les civilisations se rencontrent, il y a des risques… et des récompenses. Cela peut être dangereux, cela peut être fertile et cela façonne l’histoire.
Later that day — still pondering Islam and Christendom rubbing like tectonic plates — I stepped into a small Catholic church. Throughout Spain, churches display statues of a hero called "St. James the Moor-Slayer." And every Sunday, good 21st-century Christians sit — probably listening to sermons about tolerance — under this statue of James, his sword raised, heroic on his rearing horse, with the severed heads of Muslims tumbling all around him. It becomes even more poignant when you realize that the church is built upon on the ruins of a mosque, which was built on the ruins of a church, which was built on the ruins of a Roman temple, which was built on the ruin of an earlier pagan holy place. Standing there, it occurred to me that the recent friction between Christendom and Islam is nothing new and nothing we can't overcome. But it's more than the simple shoot-'em-up with good guys and bad guys, as often presented to us by politicians and the media. Travel, along with a sense of history, helps us better understand its full complexity. 那天晚些时候，我仍然在思考伊斯兰教和基督教世界像地壳板块一样的摩擦——我走进了一座小型天主教堂。 西班牙各地的教堂都展示着英雄“摩尔杀手圣詹姆斯”的雕像。 每个周日，优秀的 21 世纪基督徒都会坐在詹姆斯的雕像下——可能正在听关于宽容的布道——他举起剑，英勇地骑在马上，穆斯林的头颅在他周围翻滚。 当你意识到教堂是建在清真寺的废墟上，清真寺是建在教堂的废墟上，教堂是建在罗马神庙的废墟上，教堂是建在一座寺庙的废墟上时，你会感到更加心酸。 早期的异教圣地。 站在那里，我突然想到，最近基督教世界和伊斯兰教之间的摩擦并不是什么新鲜事，也不是我们无法克服的。 但这不仅仅是政客和媒体经常向我们呈现的简单的好人与坏人的射击游戏。 旅行和历史感可以帮助我们更好地理解它的复杂性。Nèitiān wǎn xiē shíhòu, wǒ réngrán zài sīkǎo yīsīlán jiào hé jīdūjiào shìjiè xiàng dìqiào bǎnkuài yīyàng de mócā——wǒ zǒu jìnle yīzuò xiǎoxíng tiānzhǔ jiàotáng. Xībānyá gèdì de jiàotáng dōu zhǎnshìzhe yīngxióng “mó'ěr shāshǒu shèng zhānmǔsī” de diāoxiàng. Měi gè zhōu rì, yōuxiù de 21 shìjì jīdū tú dūhuì zuò zài zhānmǔsī de diāoxiàng xià——kěnéng zhèngzài tīng guānyú kuānróng de bùdào——tā jǔ qǐ jiàn, yīngyǒng de qí zài mǎshàng, mùsīlín de tóulú zài tā zhōuwéi fāngǔn. Dāng nǐ yìshí dào jiàotáng shì jiàn zài qīngzhēnsì de fèixū shàng, qīngzhēnsì shì jiàn zài jiàotáng de fèixū shàng, jiàotáng shì jiàn zài luómǎ shén miào de fèixū shàng, jiàotáng shì jiàn zài yīzuò sìmiào de fèixū shàng shí, nǐ huì gǎndào gèngjiā xīnsuān. Zǎoqí de yì jiào shèngdì. Zhàn zài nàlǐ, wǒ túrán xiǎngdào, zuìjìn jīdūjiào shìjiè hé yīsīlán jiàozhī jiān de mócā bìng bùshì shénme xīnxiān shì, yě bùshì wǒmen wúfǎ kèfú de. Dàn zhè bùjǐn jǐn shì zhèngkè hé méitǐ jīngcháng xiàng wǒmen chéngxiàn de jiǎndān de hǎorén yǔ huàirén de shèjí yóuxì. Lǚxíng hé lìshǐ gǎn kěyǐ bāngzhù wǒmen gèng hǎo dì lǐjiě tā de fùzá xìng.
(French): Plus tard dans la journée, réfléchissant toujours à l’Islam et à la chrétienté qui se frottaient comme des plaques tectoniques, je suis entré dans une petite église catholique. Dans toute l'Espagne, les églises exposent des statues d'un héros appelé « Saint Jacques le Tueur de Maures ». Et chaque dimanche, de bons chrétiens du XXIe siècle s’assoient – probablement pour écouter des sermons sur la tolérance – sous cette statue de Jacques, son épée levée, héroïque sur son cheval cabré, avec les têtes coupées de musulmans tombant tout autour de lui. Cela devient encore plus poignant quand on réalise que l'église est construite sur les ruines d'une mosquée, qui a été construite sur les ruines d'une église, qui a été construite sur les ruines d'un temple romain, qui a été construite sur les ruines d'un lieu saint païen antérieur. Là, je me suis rendu compte que les récentes frictions entre la chrétienté et l’islam n’avaient rien de nouveau et que nous ne pouvions pas les surmonter. Mais il ne s'agit pas simplement d'une simple fusillade entre les bons et les méchants, comme nous le présentent souvent les politiciens et les médias. Les voyages, ainsi que le sens de l’histoire, nous aident à mieux comprendre toute sa complexité.
News in modern times is history in the making, and travelers can actually be eyewitnesses to history as it unfolds. I was in Berlin in 1999, just as their renovated parliament building re-opened to the public. For a generation, this historic Reichstag building — where some of the last fighting of World War II occurred on its rooftop — was a bombed-out and blackened hulk, overlooking the no-man's-land between East and West Berlin. After unification, Germany's government returned from Bonn to Berlin. And, in good European style, the Germans didn't bulldoze their historic capitol building. Instead, recognizing the building's cultural roots, they renovated it — incorporating modern architectural design, and capping it with a glorious glass dome.
Germany's old/new parliament building comes with powerful architectural symbolism. It's free to enter, open long hours, and designed for German citizens to climb its long spiral ramp to the very top and literally look down (through a glass ceiling) over the shoulders of their legislators to see what's on their desks. The Germans, who feel they've been manipulated by too many self-serving politicians over the last century, are determined to keep a closer eye on their leaders from now on.
Spiraling slowly up the ramp to the top of that dome during that festive opening week, I was surrounded by teary-eyed Germans. Now, anytime you're surrounded by teary-eyed Germans…something exceptional is going on. Most of those teary eyes were old enough to remember the difficult times after World War II, when their city lay in rubble. For these people, the opening of this grand building was the symbolic closing of a difficult chapter in the history of a great nation. No more division. No more fascism. No more communism. They had a united government and were entering a new century with a new capitol.
It was a thrill to be there. I was caught up in it. But then, as I looked around at the other travelers up there with me, I realized that only some of us fully grasped what was going on. Some tourists seemed so preoccupied with trivialities — forgotten camera batteries, needing a Coke, the lack of air-conditioning — that they were missing out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to celebrate a great moment with the German people. And it saddened me. I thought, "I don't want to be part of a dumbed-down society."
I worry that the mainstream tourism industry encourages us be dumbed down. To many people, travel is only about having fun in the sun, shopping duty-free, and cashing in frequent-flyer miles. But to me, that stuff distracts us from the real thrills, rewards, and value of travel. In our travels — and in our everyday lives — we should become more educated about and engaged with challenging issues, using the past to understand the present. The more you know, and the more you strive to learn, the richer your travels and your life become.
In my own realm as a travel teacher, if I have the opportunity to lead a tour, write a guidebook, or make a TV show, I take it with the responsibility to respect and challenge the intellect of my travelers, readers, or viewers. All of us will gain more from our travels if we refuse to be dumbed down. Promise yourself and challenge your travel partners to be engaged and grapple with the challenging issues while on the road. Your experience will be richer for it.
Part 1: Travel like a Medieval Jester
Part 2: Choosing to Travel on Purpose
Part 3: Connect with People
Part 4: Stow Your Preconceptions and Be Open to New Experiences
Part 5: Take History Seriously — Don't Be Dumbed Down
Part 6: Overcome Fear
Part 7: The American Dream, Bulgarian Dream, Sri Lankan Dream: Celebrate Them All
Part 8: Gimmie that Old-Time Religion...with an International Spin
Part 9: Get Beyond Your Comfort Zone — Choose to Be Challenged
Part 10: See the Rich/Poor Gap for Yourself
● Part 6 : Overcome Fear
😨 😟 😱 🙀 😢
Fear has always been a barrier to travel. And, after 9/11, the US became even more fearful…and more isolated. Of course, there are serious risks that deserve our careful attention. But it's all too easy to mistake fear for actual danger. Statistically, even in the most sobering days of post-9/11 anxiety, travel to most international destinations remained safer than a drive to your neighborhood grocery store. Franklin D. Roosevelt's assertion that we have nothing to fear but fear itself feels just as relevant today as when he first said it in 1933.
While I don't want to seem paranoid, I worry that people in positions of power have become expert at manipulating the fear of the American people. History is rife with examples of leaders who use fear to distract, mislead, and undermine the will of the very people who entrusted them with power. Our own recent history is no exception. If you want to sell weapons to Columbia, exaggerate the threat of drug lords. If you want to build a wall between the US and Mexico, trump up the fear of illegal immigrants. If you want to invade Iraq, you say you "don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud." If you want to build an expensive missile-defense system, terrify people with predictions of nuclear holocaust. My travels have taught me to have a healthy skepticism towards those who peddle fear. And in so many cases, I've learned that the flipside of fear is understanding.
I'm hardly a fearless traveler. I can think of many times I've been afraid before a trip. Years ago, I heard that in Egypt, the beggars were relentless, there were no maps, and it was so hot that car tires melted to the streets. For three years, I had plane tickets to India but bailed out, finding other places closer to my comfort zone. Before flying to Iran to film a public television show, I was so uneasy, I nearly left our big video camera in Greece for its own safety. But in each case, when I finally went to these countries, I realized my fears were unfounded.
I got an email recently from a man who wrote, "Thanks for the TV shows. They will provide a historical documentation of a time when Europe was white and not Muslim. Keep filming your beloved Europe before it's gone."
Reading this, I thought how feisty fear has become in our society. A fear of African Americans swept the USA in the 1960s. Jews have been feared in many places throughout history. And today, Muslims are feared. But we have a choice whether or not to be afraid.
Of course, terrorism — which, by its very nature, is designed to be emotional and frighten the masses — makes it more difficult to overcome fear. But my travels have helped me distinguish between the fear of terrorism…and the actual danger of terrorism. I was in London on 7/7/07…a date the Brits consider their 9/11. A series of devastating bombs ripped through the subway system, killing 52 and injuring about 700 people. Remembering the impact of 9/11 on the United States, I thought, "Oh my goodness, everything will be shut down."
Instead, I witnessed a country that, as a matter of principle, refused to be terrorized by the terrorists. The prime minister returned from meetings in Scotland to organize a smart response. Within a couple of days, he was back in Scotland, London was functioning as normal, and they set out to catch the bad guys — which they did. There was no lingering panic. People mourned the tragedy, even as they kept it in perspective. The terrorists were brought to justice, Britain made a point to learn from the event (by reviewing security on public transit and making an effort to deal more constructively with its Muslim minority)…and life went on.
The American reaction to the shocking and grotesque events of 9/11/2001¹ is understandable. But seeing another society respond so differently to its own disaster forced me to grapple with a new perspective. If the goal of terrorists is to terrify us into submission, then those who refuse to become fearful stand defiantly against them. [ Note : ¹ full details click here ]
Every time I'm stuck in a long security line at the airport, I reflect on one of the most disconcerting results of terrorism: The very people who would benefit most from international travel — those who needlessly fear people and places they don't understand — decide to stay home. I believe the most powerful things an individual of any citizenship can do to fight terrorism are to travel a lot, learn about the world, come home with a new perspective, and then work to help our country fit more comfortably and less fearfully into this planet.
●Part 7: The American Dream, Bulgarian Dream, Sri Lankan Dream: Celebrate Them All
Like every parent, this Moroccan mother wants the best for her son — but the future she envisions is still distinctly Moroccan.
I fondly remember the confusion I felt when I first met someone who wouldn't trade passports with me. I thought, "I've got more wealth, more freedom, more opportunity than you'll ever have — why wouldn't you want what I've got?" I assumed anyone with half a brain would aspire to the American Dream. But the vast majority of non-Americans don't. They have the Bulgarian Dream, or the Sri Lankan Dream, or the Moroccan Dream. Thanks to travel, this no longer surprises me. In fact, I celebrate it.
I was raised thinking the world is a pyramid with us on top and everybody else trying to get there. Well into my adulthood, I actually believed that if another country didn't understand that they should want to be like us, we had every right to go in and elect a government for them that did.
While I once unknowingly cheered on cultural imperialism, travel has taught me that one of the ugliest things one nation can do is write another nation's textbooks. Back in the Cold War, I had a Bulgarian friend who attended an English-language high school in Sofia. I read his Soviet-produced textbooks, which were more concerned about ideology than teaching. He learned about "economics" with no mention of Adam Smith. And I've seen what happens when the US funds the publishing of textbooks in places such as El Salvador and Nicaragua, with ideological strings attached. The economics of a banana republic are taught in a way that glorifies multinational corporation tactics and vilifies heroes of popular indigenous movements. I think most Americans would be appalled if we knew how many textbooks we're writing in the developing world.
On the road, you learn that ethnic underdogs everywhere are waging valiant but seemingly hopeless struggles. When assessing their tactics, I remind myself that every year on this planet many languages go extinct. That means that many heroic, irreplaceable little nations finally lose their struggle and die. There are no headlines — they just get weaker and weaker until that last person who speaks that language dies, and so does one little bit ethnic diversity on our planet.
I was raised so proud of Nathan Hale² and Patrick Henry ³ and Ethan Allen⁴ — patriotic heroes of America's Revolutionary War⁵ who wished they had more than one life to give for their country. Having traveled, I've learned that Patrick Henrys and Nathan Hales are a dime a dozen on this planet — each country has their own version.
[NOTE: ² Nathan Hale was an American Patriot, soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British and executed. Allegiance:United States. Active:1775–1776. Born:June 6, 1755, Coventry, Connecticut Colony, British America.
³ Patrick Henry was an American politician, planter and orator who declared to the Second Virginia Convention: "Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father of the United States (1736-1799) , he served as the first and sixth post-colonial Governor of Virginia, from 1776 to 1779 and from 1784 to 1786.
Born: Studley, Colony of Virginia, British America.
Died:June 6, 1799, Red Hill, Charlotte County, Virginia, U.S.
Political party: Anti-Federalist, Anti-Administration, Federalist.
⁴ Ethan Allen
American general (1738-1789)
Ethan Allen was an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician.
Born: January 21, 1738 at Litchfield, Connecticut.
Died: February 12, 1789, Burlington, Vermont.
Buried at Greenmount Cemetery, Burlington.
⁵ 1775–1783 war between Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies, which won independence as the United States of America. The American Revolutionary War, also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the military conflict of the American Revolution in which American Patriot forces under George Washington's command defeated the British, establishing and securing the independence of the United States. ]
I believe the US tends to underestimate the spine of other nations. It's comforting to think we can simply "shock-and-awe" our enemies into compliance. This is not only untrue…it's dangerous. Sure, we have the mightiest military in the world. But we don't have a monopoly on bravery or grit. In fact, in some ways, we might be less feisty than hardscrabble, emerging nations that feel they have to scratch and claw for their very survival.
We're comfortable, secure, beyond our revolutionary stage…and well into our Redcoat stage. Regardless of our strength and our righteousness, as long as we have a foreign policy stance that requires a military presence in 130 countries, we will be confronting determined adversaries. We must choose our battles carefully. Travel can help us understand that our potential enemies are not cut-and-run mercenaries, but people with spine motivated by passions and beliefs we didn't even know existed, much less understand.
Growing up in the US, I was told over and over how smart, generous, and free we were. Travel has taught me that the vast majority of humanity is raised with a different view of America. Travelers have a priceless opportunity to see our country through the eyes of other people. I still have the American Dream. But I also respect and celebrate other dreams.
●Part 8: Give me that Old-Time Religion...with an International Spin
Gimmie that Old-Time Religion...with an International Spin
Travel where few of your country men / women venture...and locals find you exotic, too.
The United States may be a Christian nation, but we're certainly not the Christian nation. Nor do our Christian values set the worldwide standard for Christian values. As a Lutheran, I was surprised to learn that there are more Lutherans in Namibia than in the US. Even though they wouldn't know what to do with the standard American "green hymnal" and don't bring Jell-O molds to their church picnics, they are as Lutheran as I am. They practice the same faith through a different cultural lens.
While European Christians have similar beliefs to ours, travel in the developing world opens your eyes to new ways of interpreting the Bible. An American or European Christian might define Christ's "preferential option for the poor" or the notion of "sanctity of life" differently from someone who has to put their children to bed hungry every night. While a US Christian may be more concerned about abortion than economic injustice, a Namibian Christian likely has the opposite priorities. As for the Biblical Jubilee Year concept (where God — in the Book of Leviticus — calls for the forgiveness of debts and the redistribution of land every fifty years), what rich Christian takes it seriously?
Travel beyond the Christian world offers us invaluable opportunities to be exposed to other, sometimes uncomfortable, perspectives. As an American who understands that we have a solemn commitment to protect Israel's security, I am unlikely able to sympathize with the Palestinian perspective…unless I see the issue from outside my home culture. In Iran recently, I watched an Al-Jazeera report on the American-funded wall being built by Israel around a Palestinian community. Politically, I may understand the rationale and need for this wall. But even without understanding the words of that TV documentary, I could also empathize with the visceral anger Muslims might feel — observing as, brick by brick, their fellow Muslims had their sunlight literally walled out.
I come away from experiences like this one, not suddenly convinced of an opposing viewpoint…but with a creeping discomfort about my confidence in the way I've always viewed the world. Whether reading the Bible through the eyes of other Christians, or having your hometown blinders wedged open by looking at another religion a new way, travel can be a powerfully spiritual experience.
●Part 9: Get Beyond Your Comfort Zone — Choose to Be Challenged
I've long been enthusiastic about how travel can broaden your perspective. But I didn't always preach this gospel very smartly. Back in the 1970s, in my early days as a tour organizer and guide, I drove 50 or so people each year around Europe in little minibuses. I had a passion for getting my travelers beyond their comfort zones. Looking back, I cringe at the crudeness, or even cruelty, of my techniques.
As a 25-year-old hippie-backpacker-turned-tour-organizer, I had a notion that soft and spoiled American travelers would benefit from a little hardship. I'd run tours with no hotel reservations and observe the irony of my tour members (who I cynically suspected were unconcerned about homelessness issues in their own communities) being nervous at the prospect of a night without a bed. If, by mid-afternoon, I hadn't arranged for a hotel, they couldn't focus on my guided town walks. In a wrong-headed attempt to force empathy on my flock, I made a point to let them feel the anxiety of the real possibility of no roof over their heads.
Back when I was almost always younger than anyone on my tour, I made my groups sleep in Munich's huge hippie circus tent. With simple mattresses on a wooden floor and 400 roommates, it was like a cross between Woodstock and a slumber party. One night I was stirred out of my sleep by a woman sitting up and sobbing. With the sound of backpackers rutting in the distance, she whispered, apologetically, "Rick, I'm not taking this so very well."
Of course, I eventually learned that you can't just force people into a rough situation and expect it to be constructive. Today, I am still driven to get people out of their comfort zones and into the real world. But, now in our tour program, we do it more gently and in a way that keeps our travelers coming back for more.
For me, seeing towering stacks of wood in Belfast destined to be anti-Catholic bonfires, and talking with locals about sectarian hatred helps make a trip to Ireland more than just Guinness and traditional music sessions in pubs. Taking groups to Turkey during the Iraq wars has helped me share a Muslim perspective on that conflict. And I consider visiting a concentration camp memorial a required element of any trip we lead through Germany.
As a tour guide, I make a point to follow up these harsh and perplexing experiences with a "reflections time" where I only facilitate the discussion and let tour members share and sort out their feelings and observations. I've learned that, even with the comfortable refuge of a good hotel, you can choose to travel to complicated places and have a valuable and learning experience.
A few years ago, I had an opportunity to hang out on the beach for a vacation in the ritzy Mexican resort of Mazatlan. The enticing beach break coincided with an invitation to go to San Salvador (the capital of El Salvador) to remember Archbishop Oscar Romero on the 25th anniversary of his assassination.
For my vacation, I opted for El Salvador — to share a muggy dorm room, eat rice and beans, be covered in bug bites, and march with people in honor of their martyred hero who stood up to what they consider American imperialism. The march passed a long, shiny, black monument that looks just like our Vietnam memorial. It was busy with mourners and etched with countless names — each a casualty of a civil war their loved ones believed was fought against American interests and American-funded troops.
It's not a matter of whether America is good or bad in a certain instance. The fact is, the popular patriotic sentiment "my country right or wrong" — while embraced by many Americans — is by no means unique to our country. There are good people waging heroic struggles all over the world… against our country.
If you've got a week to spend in Latin America, you can lie on a beach in Mazatlan, you can commune with nature in Costa Rica, or you can grapple with our nation's complex role in a country like El Salvador. I've done all three, and enjoyed each type of trip. But El Salvador was far more memorable than the others. The tourism industry has its own priorities. But as a traveler, you always have the option to choose challenging and educational destinations.
●Part 10: See the Rich/Poor Gap for Yourself
You're sitting in a car with children looking through the window
You can travel with your window rolled up…or your window rolled down.
People gathered at a village hut in Ethiopia
Mothers who walk for water love their children as much as mothers with running water.
Girls pouring water from a tap, Guatemala.
Imagine the power of a well which, with each pump and gush of water, an otherwise thirsty villager thinks, “Thank you, America.”
After traveling the world, you come home recognizing how the people of America are good people with big hearts. We are compassionate and kind, and operate with the best of intentions. But as citizens of a giant, powerful nation — isolated from the rest of the world by geography, as much as by our wealth — it can be challenging for many Americans to understand that poverty across the sea is as real as poverty across the street. We struggle to grasp the huge gap between the wealthy and the poor. While it may be human nature to choose ignorance when it comes to this reality, it's better character to reckon with it honestly.
Anyone can learn that half of the people on this planet are trying to live on $2 a day and a billion people are trying to live on $1 a day. You can read that the average lot in life for women on this planet is to spend a good part of their waking hours every day walking for water and firewood. But when you travel to the developing world, you meet those "statistics" face-to-face…and the problem becomes more real.
In San Salvador, I met Beatriz, a mother who lives in a cinderblock house with a corrugated tin roof. From the scavenged two-by-four that holds up her roof, a single wire arcs up to a power line that she tapped into to steal electricity for the bare bulb that lights her world each night. She lives in a ravine the city considers "unfit for habitation." She's there not by choice, but because it's near her work and she can't afford bus fare to live beyond walking distance to the place that pays $6 a day for her labor. Apart from her time at work, she spends half the remaining hours of her day walking to fetch water. Her husband is gone, and she's raising a child. Beatriz is not unusual on this planet. In fact, among women, she's closer to the norm than most women in the United States.
I went home from that trip and spent $5,000 to pay for my daughter Jackie's braces. I had money left over for whitener. I noticed every kid in Jackie's class has a family that can pay $5,000 for braces. This is not a guilt trip. I work hard and am part of a winning economic system in a stable land that makes this possible. I love my daughter and am proud to give her straight and white teeth.
But I have an appetite to understand Beatriz's world and the reality of structural poverty. I know that for the price of two sets of braces ($10,000), a well could be dug and a thirsty village of women like Beatriz would not have to walk for water. They would have far more time to spend with their children. I advocate within my world on Beatriz's behalf, and enthusiastically support relief work in the developing world. This is not because I am a particularly good person…but because I have met Beatriz.
Traveling in places like El Salvador enables you to appreciate the gap between rich and poor. And having met those people makes it all the more gratifying to help out as you can.
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