1Passageone（Theonlywaytotravelisonfoot）Thepastagesofmanhaveallbeencarefullylabeledbyanthropologists.Descriptionslike„PalaeolithicMan‟,„NeolithicMan‟,etc.,neatlysumupwholeperiods.Whenthetimecomesforanthropologiststoturntheirattentiontothetwentiethcentury,theywillsurelychoosethelabel„LeglessMan‟.Historiesofthetimewillgosomethinglikethis:„inthetwentiethcentury,peopleforgothowtousetheirlegs.Menandwomenmovedaboutincars,busesandtrainsfromaveryearlyage.Therewereliftsandescalatorsinalllargebuildingstopreventpeoplefromwalking.Thissituationwasforceduponearthdwellersofthattimebecauseofmileseachday.Butthesurprisingthingisthattheydidn‟tusetheirlegsevenwhentheywentonholiday.Theybuiltcablerailways,ski-liftsandroadstothetopofeveryhugemountain.Allthebeautyspotsonearthweremarredbythepresenceoflargecarparks.‟Thefuturehistorybooksmightalsorecordthatweweredeprivedoftheuseofoureyes.Inourhurrytogetfromoneplacetoanother,wefailedtoseeanythingontheway.Airtravelgivesyouabird‟s-eyeviewoftheworld–orevenlessifthewingoftheaircrafthappenstogetinyourway.Whenyoutravelbycarortrainablurredimageofthecountrysideconstantlysmearsthewindows.Cardrivers,inparticular,areforeverobsessedwiththeurgetogoonandon:theyneverwanttostop.Isitthelureofthegreatmotorways,orwhat?Andasforseatravel,ithardlydeservesmention.Itisperfectlysummedupinthewordsoftheoldsong:„Ijoinedthenavytoseetheworld,andwhatdidIsee?Isawthesea.‟Thetypicaltwentieth-centurytraveleristhemanwhoalwayssays„I‟vebeenthere.‟Youmentiontheremotest,mostevocativeplace-namesintheworldlikeElDorado,Kabul,Irkutskandsomeoneisboundtosay„I‟vebeenthere‟–meaning,„Idrovethroughitat100milesanhouronthewaytosomewhereelse.‟Whenyoutravelathighspeeds,thepresentmeansnothing:youlivemainlyinthefuturebecauseyouspendmostofyourtimelookingforwardtoarrivingatsomeotherplace.Butactualarrival,whenitisachieved,ismeaningless.Youwanttomoveonagain.Bytravelinglikethis,yoususpendallexperience;thepresentceasestobeareality:youmightjustaswellbedead.Thetraveleronfoot,onthe...
