365

365 days, 16 countries and a full circumference of the globe. So how much would a trip like this cost? The tickets, 20 flights, cost almost exactly £2000. We bought a couple more, at about £120 each, along the way. A long van rental in Australia? Just over 50 days in the off season cost us about £1500 between us. Considering that was our accommodation as well it wasn't too bad. But if anyone if staying longer than a couple of months then buying a vehicle is the way to go.
Our American Subaru set us back a couple of thousand quid and we sold it in a rush for about £900 with it's nagging new fault!


So the real cost it just living. All in all I probably spent about £12,000 just on food, getting around and sightseeing. I bought only a couple of momentous from the trip as carrying the newly purchased items or sending them back expensively is a hassle I can live without. It was enough to carry a backpack and another bag in my hand on those long travelling days, not that they were packed with clothes. For the first 6 months I survived on one pair of boxer shorts!
Since I've been back in the world of odd new phrases like 'credit crunch' many people have asked me what my favourite country is. I've not even scratched the surface as far as world travel goes but I'd definitely like to see more of Japan and New Zealand. America's landscape is amazing and just everyday living in South America was for me the true spirit of what a trip like this is all about.

One person has asked me what my worst country is and to be honest that's an even harder question. I plumped for Bolivia because the people were miserable, there was a lot of civil unrest once we left, but there's some truly beautiful scenery there. The unwanted attention in China and the annoying con-men in Bangkok were only minor bugs in an otherwise exceptional trip. We spent a year almost constantly travelling and encountered only one dodgy situation and even that was not a full week into the trip.
Would I do it all again? Well, yes. I'm not sure if I'd stay away for as long as a year again but six months definitely. Although, for anyone who hasn't already done the year trip then I would recommend it unquestionably.


I've been set a back and left speechless soo many times along the way with soo many memories that keep coming back to me that will stay stored away in a dusty corner of my brain forever. I've come back a red wine and green tea drinker but other than that nothing has changed except for my massive appreciation for the great country of my birth. It's funny how much things about your own country you miss, good British ales for one, and how much the people who live here take everything for granted and really do a good job of putting it all down.
As I go about my daily business I often think that at this very moment there's guys in flip-flops and shades doing some welding in China. There's a bronzed, beer bellied 50 year old guy catching a few waves on his surf board. There's a tour guide explaining the Inca ruins in three different languages. There's a perfect Argentinian steak being served, a stunning American mountain range being snowboarded, a huge New Zealand glacier being explored inside and a funk band playing in the dark clubs of the white city of San Francisco. Whatever it is, wherever it is, when you're travelling there's always something going on and it's almost impossible not to love it.

I can see Mexico from ere!

Heading east from San Diego takes us along the border of Mexico. A couple of points on the way you can see the rolling patchwork of hills that are the beginnings of Mexico.
A couple of times on the freeway we have to pass through border control, not that we've crossed it, that stops cars on the suspicion they've got over the border illegally. Clearly we couldn't look less Mexican if we tried so we get waved through both times.
There's a dusty heat around here and for a couple of hours we don't see a town or village just scarcely bushy hills with scattered rocks as far as the eye can see.
It's beaming sunshine and a slight haze covers distant mountains. The air conditioning is on full pelt and it's still February. We approach a sand covered town that's typically sprawling for no good reason and get out of the car for supplies. Blimey it's hot. It's like the frickin desert out here. Wait a minute I think it is desert.
Back on the road we pass lemon, orange and palm trees growing in plantations at the side of the road and what seem like abandoned shacks scattered in amongst the fields. Again in the middle of nowhere springs an overly large uninteresting sprawl in which we attempt to get a motel for the night. It's then we find out that prices are sky-high due to the annual Date Festival. This confused me, I wondered why people would want to go out on a date at a festival and make it an annual event. I was confused even further when I found out that it meant a Date, as in the fruit, Festival. We drive on passing a large salty lake, named the Salton Sea, along the road.
We drive up to it through a strange neighbourhood. Sparse landscape and spread out wooden houses with not a soul around next to a deadly quiet lake with a slight haze hanging over it. Due to the salinity it's fairly white and has an eerie quality about it.
It's dark by the time we reach Palm Springs but even now you can tell it's a better place to be. From the desert landscapes of the day it's strange to see such abundance that exists in-between such baron these places. There's a wealth of motels and I soon realise why there's soo many golf related things dotted around the place. It's home of one of part of the PGA tour, no wonder the name rang a bell. How the hell they manage to water the golf courses around here is a miracle, it's as dry as a bone.
Thankfully they must have reserves of it somewhere as our motel pool and hot jacuzzi are full. That night was spent in both the warm pool and steaming jacuzzi under clear skies, a bright full moon and sloping palm trees.


In the morning we have a quick look around town and it's clear the PGA tour brings serious cash as there's plenty of flash restaurants and a fake Spanish colonial crossed with an old style west look to the main street.


From the slightly unreal back to the real of the desert heat and overall sparseness of the land out here. Then into the seemingly unreal environment of the Joshua Tree National Park.


This place is full of Joshua Trees and large Yuccas along with large smoothed rocks giving it a slightly out of this world look. The skies turn grey and the whole place has an evil look to it. Classic. This looks like a movie set but clearly larger.
This is clearly still the desert but the odd bit of rain tries to spoil our day but doesn't quite make it. The icy wind higher up is a chiller though as we walk to a small pond surrounded by yet more huge boulders and twisted trees. Up to a look out point for sunset and the sight of what looks like an oncoming storm but it never materialises.
A stunning view of the sun trying to burst through the thick cloud onto the vast curved landscape. This place is huge and another view shows the desert Joshua trees going on and on into the distance. It reminds me of views I've seen of African plains on TV, sort of. A stunning place.
We pass through a place called Pioneertown along the way which has in fact been the film set for over 200 films and TV series. It was built by Hollywood stars and still runs to this day for various filming projects requiring an old west look for cowboy films and the such.
A disappointing night's stay in the grim 29 Palms, of which the only highlight it there's Subway sandwich place in town.


Although Joshua Tree is considered desert it didn't seem like the archetypal desert I'd seen pictures off. The next day we drive through the Mojave Desert to see the real deal. All this and we're still in California. I think we've now spent as long in California as we did in Peru, crazy.