"Flying from one capital city to another is not travel to me. Travel, especially in Africa, must be overland and must involve the crossing of borders — negotiating on land, usually on foot, the national frontier. That experience teaches a great deal about the state of the country."
This is an excerpt from an interview with former PCV and travel writer extroadinaire Paul Theroux. You can find the whole interview on the Peace Corps Writers site.
I love Paul Theroux and as such, I've read most of his books (O-Zone, My Secret History, Jungle Lovers, Chicago, The Mosquito Coast, etc.). Fabulous travel writer! Sometimes I wish I were as adventurous as he.