Across America and the world people this month are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps.

Hi, I'm Rick Steve's. Noted travel writer Paul Thruu joins us in just a moment to share what it was like when he joined the Peace Corps back in 1963

to teach English to villagers in Africa.

It taught him more than a few unexpected lessons that he'd eventually put to good use in his career as a travel writer.

Join the Peace Corps, learn a language, live in a village for two years,

then tell me what your views are, and this is why I'm for the Peace Court.

Paul Tharu joins us from his home on Oahu in just a moment.

And the New York Times Frugal traveler Seth Kugel returns this time with suggestions for spending less to experience more across Latin America.

Spend less, live as much like the people of the country you're visiting,

and you're going to end up interacting with more actual residents than hotel staff and tour guides.

We're crossing borders to get better acquainted with ourselves in the hour ahead.

Stay with us.

It's Travel with Rick Steeves.

President Kennedy's called to ask what you can do for your country led to the founding of the Peace Corps in March of 1961.

Two years later, a student named Paul Thoreu signed up to teach English to villagers in Africa.

Now with the perspective of nearly five decades, Thoreu is a celebrated travel writer and novelist

with a reputation for having a keen eye on the world.

He's not known for being shy with his opinions, including what he thinks of today's foreign aid efforts,

so it promises to be an interesting journey in just a moment.

And for a perspective from a new generation of travel writers, Seth Kugel joins us later in the hour for tips for experiencing some unexpected corners of Spanish-speaking Latin America.

When he's not on the road or on assignment for the Frugal Traveler column for the New York Times, Seth

has a home base in New York and another in Brazil.

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