The Chinese philosopher Lao Tse once said, “The more you know the less you understand.” It’s sort of a beautiful yet annoying paradigm.
This philosophy has never rung more true in my life than over the last week. I am on vacation from volunteering in Santiago right now, traveling through Peru and Bolivia. Lesson of the week: the more you see the more you realize you haven’t seen.
I have truly developed a new passion for traveling and seeing what the rest of the world has to offer, for better or worse. Originally the trip was going to consist of one destination, the infamous Machu Picchu. But I was going to be so close to the Uyuni Salt Flats, and to not stop would be a travesty. (Of course I wanted to get the oh so coveted pictures of the vast salt desert with the distorted depth perception.) Then one traveler recommended a couple of beautiful cities on the way to Machu Picchu that are a “must see,” Arequipa and Cusco in Peru. Another traveler recommended a stop in La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, on our way to Uyuni. Of course, there was a multitude of other suggestions but we had to be realistic with our time and money constraints.
Traveling to developing countries doesn’t come without sacrifices to your health, your pocket book and your well-being, but it is most definitely worth it. So far I have had bed bugs in Santiago, elevation sickness in Peru, and food poisoning in Bolivia. That alone sounds like enough to make someone run like Forrest Gump in the opposite direction to the conveniences and pleasantries of home in America. But it’s not. And let’s not forget the pleasure of drying your clothes after they’ve been washed, or a consistently hot shower. Or indoor heating. Or the convenience of putting your dirty toilet paper directly into the toilet. I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy these things, but it is still not enough to deter me from wanting more: the joy of helping people less fortunate than yourself, the rush of skiing in the Andes, the accomplishment of climbing Machu Picchu, and a view from the top that is more than enough. But even better, the thought of sharing it all with the person you love brings new meaning to the beauty.
It looks like my time in Chile, Peru and Bolivia is only the beginning of new discoveries. Thanks, Lao Tse for pointing out everything I don’t know.
Lindsey Chapman is currently traveling. When she returns, her next posts will cover things to see and do (and their cost) in Peru and Bolivia.
Latest posts by Lindsey
- Planning a Fund Raiser - January 6th, 2011
- Book Review: The Road Less Traveled - December 14th, 2010
- Weekday Veg - December 6th, 2010
- A Perfect Circle - November 23rd, 2010
- Life is Good - November 16th, 2010
- Misión Cumplida Chile (Mission Accomplished Chile!) - November 3rd, 2010
- Life and Death - October 19th, 2010
- "Follow Your Bliss" - September 14th, 2010
- Day in the Life: Olympiadas At Anakena - September 3rd, 2010
- Recognizing Difference - August 27th, 2010
