Travels, continued.

How does one get to know a place?

There is a clear distinction between visiting a country and getting to know that country. One is superficial; the other, quite difficult. A person can travel to a country and not know that country at all upon leaving it. Take, for example, a couple traveling to Jamaica on their honeymoon. They stay in a resort, swim in the waters, visit the tourist sites, interact with some native Jamaicans in a flea market, eat Jerk chicken at a 4-star restaurant, and go home. They would tell everyone that they had been to Jamaica, the weather was perfect, the scenery was beautiful, they got a great deal on this lovely pair of earrings, etc. But, did they really get to know that country? Or did they just visit it?

What does it take to get to know a country? Is it flitting from tourist attraction to tourist attraction? Performing extensive research regarding a country's history? Reading guidebooks on the most famous sites? Learning the language? Asking a random person on the street as to the location of the best restaurant? Striking up a conversation with a local to inquire about customs and culture? What does it take?

To answer those questions, one needs to consider what makes up the fiber of a country, that country's soul, that place's distinction from another place. Of what is that constructed? Local fare? Local inflection? Local history? Local dress?

How long does it take to get to know a country? A weeklong visit to the tourist attractions? A month in a hostel? A year in a host family's home? How long does it take?

Do we even know our own country? Think of all the places we have never been, never seen, never experienced. Most of us have probably not seen those things that a tourist would want to see. So, if we have experienced one but not the other, do we know our country?

I ask because I want to get to know places. I don't want to just visit them. I don't want to go to Paris, see the Eiffel Tower, laugh at my pathetic attempts at French, and go home. I don't want to go to Italy, float on a gondola, eat gelato and pasta, drink Tuscan wine, and go home. I think there's more to it than that. There is more to a country than these things. So how do I go about experiencing the country, and not just visiting it?

Hm.