Rick Steves

Exactly, yeah. And I just felt responsible as an American taxpayer to know. I came to a conclusion then that every bullet that flies has my name on it. And we've got to kill innocent people occasionally to be safe. And I'm not idealistic that way. You've got to have a military. And there's collateral damage. But I'm responsible. And I wanted to get out there in person and see what's going on.

Exactly, yeah. And I just felt responsible as an American taxpayer to know. I came to a conclusion then that every bullet that flies has my name on it. And we've got to kill innocent people occasionally to be safe. And I'm not idealistic that way. You've got to have a military. And there's collateral damage. But I'm responsible. And I wanted to get out there in person and see what's going on.

And I started traveling with that in mind. And I realized, whoa, this is more complicated than I realized. And I was very inspired by Archbishop Oscar Romero, this liberation theology stuff.

And I started traveling with that in mind. And I realized, whoa, this is more complicated than I realized. And I was very inspired by Archbishop Oscar Romero, this liberation theology stuff.

Right. Well, I was due for a vacation. I was fried. I was tired. I wanted to go somewhere with my family, and we were going to dream in about Mazatlan. And to be honest, a pristine stretch of tropical beach swept free of local riffraff, little plastic straps on our wrists so we can get all the drinks we want without dirtying our fingers with the local currency.

Right. Well, I was due for a vacation. I was fried. I was tired. I wanted to go somewhere with my family, and we were going to dream in about Mazatlan. And to be honest, a pristine stretch of tropical beach swept free of local riffraff, little plastic straps on our wrists so we can get all the drinks we want without dirtying our fingers with the local currency.

It was going to be a beautiful, hedonistic, relaxing vacation on a beach in Mexico. And then my friend said, it's the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero. We're going to march on the streets of San Salvador. You want to join us? And I told my family, I'm going to be no fun on the beach.

It was going to be a beautiful, hedonistic, relaxing vacation on a beach in Mexico. And then my friend said, it's the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero. We're going to march on the streets of San Salvador. You want to join us? And I told my family, I'm going to be no fun on the beach.

And it was one of the most valuable travel experiences I've ever had to be there on the streets of San Salvador, eating beans and rice one day and rice and beans the next, covered with bug bites, marching with peasants to remember a slain leader. I was in my glory as a traveler there. It added so much to my enthusiasm for getting out and embracing the world in all of its truth.

And it was one of the most valuable travel experiences I've ever had to be there on the streets of San Salvador, eating beans and rice one day and rice and beans the next, covered with bug bites, marching with peasants to remember a slain leader. I was in my glory as a traveler there. It added so much to my enthusiasm for getting out and embracing the world in all of its truth.

But that's a choice you have to make. And these days, Lulu, I'm in this sort of thing in my teaching where I remind people there's three kinds of travel. You can travel as a tourist, a traveler, or a pilgrim. And you don't need to be all of one or all of the other. And what I like to do is free people and inspire people to mix it up.

But that's a choice you have to make. And these days, Lulu, I'm in this sort of thing in my teaching where I remind people there's three kinds of travel. You can travel as a tourist, a traveler, or a pilgrim. And you don't need to be all of one or all of the other. And what I like to do is free people and inspire people to mix it up.

And that's an opportunity that even tourist who's going to do all the silly Instagram posing that you were alluding to earlier, you can have a little bit of both. And that makes your trip much, much richer.

And that's an opportunity that even tourist who's going to do all the silly Instagram posing that you were alluding to earlier, you can have a little bit of both. And that makes your trip much, much richer.

Right.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay. Well... First of all, most travelers I know, they're proud to be known as a traveler as opposed to a tourist. So that's the big thing. I'm more thoughtful. I'm not just here to shop and get a selfie. I'm here to immerse myself in the culture and learn. That is a traveler, to become a temporary local. A traveler learns about the world, but I think a pilgrim learns about themself.

Okay. Well... First of all, most travelers I know, they're proud to be known as a traveler as opposed to a tourist. So that's the big thing. I'm more thoughtful. I'm not just here to shop and get a selfie. I'm here to immerse myself in the culture and learn. That is a traveler, to become a temporary local. A traveler learns about the world, but I think a pilgrim learns about themself.