Even in the city, walking without purpose can be done. During an unemployment spell in the 2008 meltdown, I did a lot of very long (2+ hour) walks with limited destinations in mind other than "Far North" or "Far South". I did them without soundtracks or texting. They gave me a much bigger appreciation for the city. Beauty doesn't just exist in the woods.
Cities are wonderful places for aimless walking! When I travel to a new city, my favorite thing to do is to leave 2-3 days at the beginning completely unplanned and just walk out the door of my room and start walking.
On a recent visit to SF, I was waiting for a friend to finish with work. He invited me to stay and hang out at his company cafeteria. When I declined, saying I'd rather go wandering, he and his friends looked at me like I was some kind of partially deranged maniac. I had a great time!
I can't agree more. Walking around a new city is a wonderful way to get to know and enjoy it. I worked for 2 weeks in Tokyo in the 80's, and I spent many summer nights just walking (3-4 hours a night).
Hell, that IS my vacation much of the time. I went to Osaka with no firm plans in mind, though I eventually checked out Kobe, Nara, and saw some of the local sights. It was a blast. I drank in some cool bars, chatted up cute Japanese girls, and ate in completely random, nearly hidden ramen shops. The same with Brisbane, Queensland a couple of years later.
When I was in college I'd go into New York City and just wander around. I walked from the Empire State Building to the World Trade Center (the original was still standing). A cool place to walk in (though overwhelming and a bit dangerous if you don't know where not to go).
It's gotten a lot safer - as long as you're in Manhattan you're pretty much fine unless you're drunk in the wrong spot at 3am.
I hear you on vacation walking. I never understood guided trips when there is so much fun to be had with random adventure. Similar to you I enjoyed both Japan and Australia quite a bit.
If anything, I think it's easier in the city. I don't really have to worry about walking back to my original location - wherever I end up, I can probably hop on public transportation and get back home.
I'm not sure the purposelessness is necessarily the main point. On vacations, my favourite way to get around cities is always to walk. Even if you have a map and want to go somewhere specific, walking there gives you much more of a feeling of exploration and actually getting to know the place.
I think being in the city actually enables me to walk more aimlessly than I would be able to elsewhere—several nights a week on my way home from the office I will walk somewhere at random, perhaps changing my path several times along the way, and when my legs are tired I can always get on the subway and ride home.
I love hiking in the mountains, but when I lived in the country I often wound up replacing aimless walking with aimless driving.
