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루시의 길을 더듬은 지리학자의 지구 여행 기록
이 책은 아프리카 사바나에서 남태평양 뉴질랜드까지, 루시의 길을 더듬은 지리학자의 지구 여행 기록이다. 도대체 여행을 향한 우리의 목마름은 어디까지일까? 무엇이 이토록 우리를 떠나고 싶게 하는 것일까? 21세기를 살아가지만 우리 몸속에는 여전히 구석기 시대 유랑민의 피가 흐르고 있는 것은 아닐까? 어쩌면 우리 조상은 호모 사피엔스(지혜로운 자)가 아닌 호모 위아토르(유랑하는 자)였을지도 모른다.
미야자키 마사카츠에 따르면 400만 년 전 아프리카 대초원에서 태어난 최초의 인류 루시는 100만 년 전 아프리카 지도 밖으로 걸어 나왔다. 길고도 긴 지구 여행을 시작한 것이다.
저자는 여행을 위해 지리학을 공부했고 지리를 위해 여행했다. 반평생을 지리학자로 그리고 여행자로 살았다. 초등학생까지 횡성과 평창이 저자가 알고 지내던 세상의 전부였다. 중학생이 되어서야 치악산맥을 넘었고 대학생이 되어서 서울을 알게 되었다. 저자는 직접 돈을 벌게 되자 비행기를 타고 동해를 건넜다. 그리고는 태평양과 대서양을 차례로 넘어 아프리카 사바나에 닿았다. 100만 년 전 루시가 세상을 향해 발을 내딛은 땅, 바로 그곳이다.
자연 지리학의 아버지로 불리는 훔볼트는 ‘자연은 하나의 유기체이며 이는 통합된 전체’라고 했고, 국립 공원의 아버지 존 뮤어는 요세미티 계곡에서 자연이라는 1,000개의 창을 통해 신을 보았다고 했다. 저자에게 훔볼트는 멘토 그 이상의 존재였고, 뮤어, 소로, 다윈이 그랬듯이 훔볼트처럼 보고 생각하려 애썼다. 이 책은 그렇게 이어진 40년의 지리 여행을 12개의 창으로 들여다본 지리학자의 세상보기이다.

『여행의 지리학』은 1부 ‘여행의 발견’, 2부 ‘지리의 발견’ 으로 나뉘어져 있다.
1부 ‘여행의 발견’에서는 사람에게 여행이 왜 필요한지, 여행을 하면서 어떻게 인식하느냐에 따라 세상을 얼마나 다채롭게 볼 수 있는지를 훔볼트, 다윈, 이-푸 투안, 재레드 다이아몬드 등 수많은 지리학자들을 소환하여 설명하고 있다.
환갑이 넘은 나이에 이스탄불에서 시안에 이르는 길고도 험한 길을 오로지 두 다리로 정복한 베르나르 올리비에는 말한다. “나를 떠나게 부추긴 것은 너무 오래도록 얌전히 생활하면서 억눌러 온 모험에 대한 갈증이었다.” -본문 21쪽에서 -
소설가 마크 트웨인은 ‘여행은 편견, 고집불통, 편협한 정신에는 치명적인 법이어서 우리들 중 많은 이들이 이러한 이유로 여행을 필요로 한다. 사람과 사물에 대한 따뜻하면서도 해박한 견해는 평생 지구의 한구석에 처박혀 있어서는 얻어질 수 없다.’고 했다. 지리학자 하름 데 블레이는 ‘세계 이웃에 대한 이해가 선행될 때 세계 평화가 한걸음 다가온다.‘고 강조한다. 지역 이해는 지리학의 핵심 과제며, 지리 여행은 소통의 출발점이다. -본문 29쪽에서 -
2부 ‘지리의 발견’에서는 12개의 창으로 들여다본 여행지의 이야기가 들어 있다. 루시의 고향 아프리카에서 시작하여 터키, 크로아티아·슬로베니아, 스위스, 아이슬란드, 캄보디아, 중국, 일본, 알래스카, 모하비 사막, 남아메리카를 거쳐 인류가 마지막으로 가 닿은 뉴질랜드까지의 여행기이다. 여행기에 구술된 지역에 대한 해박한 이해와 남다른 시선은 평생을 지리학자로 살아온 저자가 여행을 하는 사람들이 무엇을 보았으면 좋을지를 넌지시 안내하고 있다.
아프리카는 지리적으로 아주 특별한 땅이다. 이 거대한 대륙은 지브롤터 해협에서 시작해 대서양, 인도양, 홍해, 수에즈 운하 그리고 지중해에 이르기까지 완벽하게 바다로 둘러싸여 있다. 지구상에 존재하는 모든 자연이 존재하고, 가장 오래된 땅 순상지와 가장 젊은 동아프리카 지구대가 공존한다. 세계에서 가장 긴 강 중 하나인 나일강이 남반구 빅토리아 일대에서 발원해 적도를 지나 북반구 수단 남부 습지대와 사하라 사막을 차례로 관통해 지중해로 흘러든다. 콩고 동부 니라공고 화산에는 세계 최대의 용암호가 끓고 있고, 킬리만자로산 꼭대기에는 빙하가 존재한다. 대륙 서쪽으로는 지구의 표준 경선이 지나고 대륙 한 가운데를 가로지르는 적도 주변으로는 세계 최대의 사바나 지대가 펼쳐져 있다. 한마디로 아프리카는 ‘압축된 지구’다. - 본문 75쪽에서 -
드디어 동아프리카 지구대를 가로질러 세렝게티 평원 인근의 응고롱고로 분화구에 도착했다. 분화구를 빙 두르고 있는 외륜산의 림(rim) 중 가장 높은 곳에 올라 봐도 분화구는 한눈에 다 들어오지 않는다. 응고롱고로는 그 형태가 원형 그대로 보존되어 있는 세계 최대의 함몰 칼데라다. 우리나라 울릉도 나라분지와 그 형성 메커니즘이 같다. 분지는 아프리카 최고봉인 킬리만자로산과 아프리카 최대 호수인 빅토리아호 중간쯤이다. 인도양으로부터는 560km 떨어진 지점이다. ··· ··· 거대한 분화구 안에는 구릉, 급사면, 초지, 하천, 늪, 호수, 산림 등 다양한 자연 경관이 존재하고 여기에 2만여 마리의 야생동물이 각자의 방식으로 살아가고 있다. - 본문 88쪽에서 -
아이슬란드는 지구에서 판구조 운동을 눈으로 볼 수 있는 유일한 창이다. 그 창은 싱벨리어 국립 공원의 지구대 한가운데에 활짝 열려 있다. 해저에 있어야 할 열곡대가 아이슬란드에서는 섬의 가운데를 가르고 지난다. 그리고 그 열곡대는 유럽 대륙과 아메리카 대륙을 나누는 경계선이 되기도 한다. - 본문 217쪽에서 -
앙코르 양식은 역사적이지만 이 스토리를 담는 앙코르 유적은 지리적이다. 세상의 모든 건축 재료는 그 지역의 자연환경을 반영한다. 앙코르 유적 건축의 비밀은 겉과 속이 다르다는 데 있다. 사원 건축물의 외벽은 사암이고 그 안은 붉은색의 흙벽돌로 채워 넣었다. 흙벽돌은 열대 기후 지역에서 쉽게 구할 수 있는 라테라이트라 불리는 붉은색 흙을 빚어 만든 것이다. ··· ··· 사원의 바깥 성벽은 장식보다는 방어 목적이 주였으므로 거친 흙벽돌을 그대로 사용해도 문제없었다. 상대적으로 사암은 입자가 곱기 때문에 세밀한 조각으로 벽면을 장식하기에는 안성맞춤이다. - 본문 263쪽에서 -
모하비는 미국 서부 시에라네바다산맥 남쪽에서 콜로라도고원에 이르는 거대한 사막 지대다. 행정적으로는 캘리포니아주, 네바다주, 유타주, 애리조나주 등 4개 주에 걸쳐 있다. 국내 기업 자동차 모델명으로 인해 우리 귀에 제법 익숙한 사막이다. 혹독한 환경에서 실시되는 자동차 주행 시험장도 이곳에 있다. 미국에서는 알래스카와 대비되는 극단적인 기후 환경을 경험할 수 있는 곳이다. 사막 한가운데에 아주 특별한 도시 라스베이거스가 있고, 그 서쪽 언저리로 미국 서부를 대표하는 로스앤젤레스와 샌프란시스코가 위치한다. 그랜드 캐니언, 요세미티, 킹스 캐니언·세쿼이아 같은 미국의 대표적 국립 공원도 품고 있다. ··· ··· 그런데 자세히 살펴보니 콜로라도강이 흐르는 가장 깊은 협곡 주변 지층은 수평층이 아니고 거의 수직에 가깝게 경사져 있다. 암석 색깔도 다르다. 바로 이곳이 그랜드 캐니언 속에 숨겨진 또 하나의 캐니언, 즉 이너 캐니언이다. 이곳의 기반암은 그랜드 캐니언에서 가장 오래된 17억 년 전의 편암과 화강암으로 되어 있다. ··· ··· 아이슬란드의 싱벨리어 국립 공원이 지구 내부를 들여다보는 창이라면 그랜드 캐니언 국립 공원은 지구의 껍질을 들여다보는 또 다른 창이라고 할 수 있다. -본문 349쪽에서 -
팀 마셜은 남아메리카를 두고 ‘내륙이 텅 빈 대륙’이라고 했다. ‘지리 감옥에 갇힌 대륙’의 또 다른 말이다. 남아메리카는 지리적으로 아프리카와 동일한 유전자를 공유한다. 우선 지질하적으로 두 대륙은 고생대까지만 해도 서로 한 몸이었다. 판게아 시절 이야기다. 약 2억 5천만 년 전 세계의 대륙은 하나의 거대한 땅덩어리였다. 이게 바로 판탈라사라는 거대한 바다로 둘러싸인 단일 대륙 판게아였다. 이후 두 대륙은 지구 판구조 운동에 의해 두 몸이 되었다. 한 몸 시절에 새겨진 증표만 양 대륙 동, 서쪽에 지질학적 흔적으로 남아 있을 뿐이다. 브라질의 리우데자네이루, 남아프리카 공화국의 케이프타운이 바로 그 곳이다. 아프리카를 벗어난 루시의 후손 호모 사피엔스가 베링 해협을 건너 남아메리카로 흘러들어오기까지는 대략 199만 년이 걸렸다. - 본문 422쪽에서 -
우리는 여행을 하면서 많은 것들을 보고, 듣고, 느끼고 온다. 장소를 인식하는 데는 5감(시각, 청각과 촉감, 후각 그리고 미각)이 모두 필요하다고 한다. 5감을 통해 여행지의 경관, 도시의 역사, 사람들의 생활 모습, 색다른 음식 문화를 체험한다. 보는 데서 행동으로, 관광이 여행(旅行, travel)으로 업그레이드되는 것이다. 깨어 있는 여행자만이 그 특권을 누릴 수 있다고 말하는 지리학자의 시선으로 함께 여행을 떠나보자. 지금껏 경험하지 못했던 여행을 통해 마음 속의 여행 지도를 얻을 수 있을 것이다.

프롤로그 ·································································································································································· 5

1부 여행의 발견
자유 ······································································································································································· 13
보물찾기 ······························································································································································ 15
소유냐 존재냐 ··················································································································································· 18
모험과 생존 ························································································································································ 20
먹을까 말까 ························································································································································ 23
W.C. ········································································································································································ 26
패션과 컴패션 ···················································································································································· 28
행복만들기 ····························································································································································· 30
누드 비치의 규칙 ············································································································································· 34
다녀왔어요? ························································································································································· 37
영혼 학교 ······························································································································································ 40
통찰 ········································································································································································· 43
균형 감각 ······························································································································································ 46
자연과 풍경 ·························································································································································· 49
생각하고 질문하기 ·············································································································································· 51
가상 현실 ······························································································································································ 54
관찰과 창조 ························································································································································· 57
내 마음의 여행 지도 ········································································································································· 60
나의 보물 지도 ···················································································································································· 62

2부 지리의 발견
루시의 고향 아프리카 ······································································································································· 73
아나톨리아의 외로운 나라 터키 ·················································································································· 105
카르스트의 성지 크로아티아·슬로베니아 ································································································· 135
알프스의 보석 스위스 ······································································································································ 173
지구의 속살 아이슬란드 ·································································································································· 215
또 다른 인도 캄보디아 ···································································································································· 247
중국을 움직이는 힘 - 황제, 먼지, 물 ········································································································· 273
일본인도 잘 모르는 일본 - 이시가키 ········································································································· 299
빙하 지형의 메카 알래스카 ··························································································································· 317
모하비 사막의 기적 ··········································································································································· 347
지리 감옥에 갇힌 남아메리카 ······················································································································ 383
마오리의 타향 뉴질랜드 ································································································································· 423

에필로그 ·································································································································································· 449