Carol and I set out in September 2002, landing first in Bangkok, Thailand and exploring from there.  By the time we returned home to Canada at the end of April, we had visited 11 countries and crossed the equator eight times.

Our trip had been five years in the planning stages, and our itinerary and destinations had changed several times along the way.  At one point we even had air tickets to Kathmandu, but that will now have to wait till our next trip.

Eight months on the road though is not so much a holiday as an adopted lifestyle.  Turns out there are many independent travelers doing much the same as us.  Every day was a learning experience, and though far from family and friends, we were not without community.  We met some great folks along the way, both locals and international travelers, and through the magic of e-mail and the Internet, have been able to keep in touch with many of our new friends.  It's been fun.

We spent our first four months in southeast Asia, heading over to Australia for Christmas and the New Year, then to Bali for some very quiet times, back across the Pacific and down into South America for a couple more months.  We were often tempted to keep going, sometimes it's nice just to wander...

We've often been asked which was our favourite country.  That's hard to say, there isn't a country we visited that we wouldn't like to go back to.  Each had its own little charms and surprises.  Although it had not been a conscious part of our plan, we ended up visiting 15 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and they were all really interesting, both visually and culturally.  We returned with a fine pile of photographs.

We also returned with a greater appreciation of Canada's role in the world.  We live in a wealthy and for the most part, compassionate, country, but we were always impressed with the warmth, generosity and awareness of so many people throughout the Third World.  There's always more to explore, with adventures waiting to unfold.

Come on along and explore it with us...