This trip has been great, we are so thankful that we had the opportunity to do it, and we would encourage more people to do something like it. It’s really not as hard to do as it seems. We’re pretty much done now, but for anyone out there considering doing a big trip we are ready to help out in any way we can drop us a line.

And another answer to the question we started this post out with, “Where are they now?” – We’re still on the web. You can follow our continuing life adventures at davidhogge.com and leeanneadams.com respectively. So long for now, and thanks for everything.

In jet-setting around the world LeeAnne and I have done a lot of flying that we normally we wouldn’t have done. And all of those jets (and buses and trains and rental cars and scooters) run on fossil fuels that are turned into CO₂ and are in turn contributing to global warming. A quick estimate of our CO₂ footprint leads me to believe that LeeAnne and I have contributed about 21.23 tons of CO₂ emissions just from our Round the World Flights alone this year. So oddly, in trying to become better citizens of the world, we have become bad stewards too the world. A Catch-22 there.

Enter climatecare.org. This is a site that allows you to make Carbon Offsets for all of the emissions you are responsible for. The money you put in goes to fund sustainable energy projects around the world. The site has a Carbon Calculator where you can get an idea of your own carbon footprint, and you can then purchase your own offsets, or purchase them as gifts! Hey, just in time for Christmas!

Top Five Cities

1. Dunedin, New Zealand
2. Hong Kong
3. Istanbul, Turkey
4. Melbourne, Australia
5. Cape Town, South Africa

Top Five Towns

1. Litang, Sichuan, China
2. Mussoorie, Uttaranchal, India
3. Old Dali, Yunnan, China
4. Burra, South Australia, Australia
5. Kochi, Kerala, India

Top Five Sights

1. Tiger Leaping Gorge | China
2. Petra | Jordan
3. Sossusvlei Dunes | Namibia
4. Franz Josef Glacier | New Zealand
5. Caves at Ellora and Ajanta | India

Top Five Places to Get Away from it All

1. Anywhere in Mongolia
2. West Coast of New Zealand
3. Anywhere in Namibia
4. Western Sichuan, China
5. The Australian Outback

Top Five Markets or Bazaars

1. Bai Market, Jingwai, Yunnan, China
2. Main Bazaar (Paharganj), Delhi, India
3. Temple Street Night Market, Hong Kong
4. Rogers Mall, Rogers, Ohio, USA
5. Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Best Way to Get There

• Favorite Airport – Hong Kong | Hong Kong
• Favorite Airline – Qantas
• Favorite Train – Any Train in China
• Favorite Bus – InterCape | South Africa

Best Places to Stay

• Favorite Hostel – Sim’s Cozy Guesthouse | Chengdu, China
• Favorite Guest House – Bamu Tibetan Guesthouse | Xiangcheng, China
• Favorite Hotel – Side Hotel & Pension | Istanbul, Turkey

Best Eats

• Favorite Food – Indian Thali‘s (Preferably served on a Banana Leaf)
• Favorite Nachos – Mexican Kitchen | Cape Town, South Africa
• Favorite Pizza – Pizza Research Institute | Eugene, Oregon, USA
• Favorite Candy Bar – Alibi Bar | Mongolia
• Favorite Snack Food – Lays Masala Chips | India

Best Activities

• Favorite Day Hike – Cape of Good Hope, Table Mountain National Park, South Africa
• Favorite Trek – Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan, China
• Favorite Guide – Noemie Gay, Wind of Mongolia, Mongolia
• Favorite Cable Car – Table Mountain Cable Car, Cape Town, South Africa

Best Other Stuff

• Favorite Movie Theater – Raj Mandir Cinema, Jaipur, Rajastan, India
• Favorite Public Bathroom – Hundertwasser Toilets, Kawakawa, New Zealand
• Favorite Internet Cafe – City Hunter 2 | Sydney, Australia
• Favorite Propaganda – CCTV Channel 9, China

If you are as determined as we were to get out there and see the world, and the Dollar hasn’t yet recovered, here are a few things to consider:

• Stay Away from Western Europe – The Dollar to the Euro sucks. The Pound? Even worse. You will spend more money than you expect to here.
• Go to Countries with Good Exchange Rates – We spent about as much in a week in the United Kingdom as we did in two months in India without trying. You read that right – one week, two months.
• Get Out of the Big Cities – In our experience we spent about half as much in the country as we did in the cities. It may seem like there’s less to do, but there is a LOT less to spend money on.
• Buy Less Before You Leave – Ever heard of buying at the top? That’s what you’re doing ever time you buy something in the States. Example – We bought a months worth of anti-malarial medication in the states. Each pill cost about ten dollars a piece. That gave us enough to get “in country” and find some more, or cheap. The very first pharmacy we went to in Delhi sold the exact same malarial meds for about a dollar a pill – we saved nine dollars on every pill by getting the rest in India. That’s Med’s but the same goes for hiking shoes, quick dry clothes, etc.
• Avoid Whitey – When you do get out on the road, don’t go to Starbucks. It’s easy, it’s comfortable, and very expensive. In fact, when you’re out, ask locals where to eat. If you follow Lonely Planet all the time you’re going to get “Tourist Food” all the time. It’s cheaper, more fun and usually better quality to eat where the locals do.

US Dollar Exchange Rates

-1269

Lowest Altitude – The Dead Sea, Jordan

-46

Lowest Latitude in Degrees South – Invercargill, New Zealand

1

Movies Appeared In – Mumbai, India

2

Ferries Sailed Upon

3

“New” World Wonders Visited – Great Wall of China, Petra, Taj Mahal

8

Bikes Rode

9

Visa’s Obtained

12

Trains Boarded

13

Longest Flight (In Hours) – Hong Kong to Johanesburg

14

Countries Visited

15

Languages Spoken (Okay, Listened to)

17

Airports Visited

18

International Borders Crossed

20

Flights Boarded

30

Longest Bus Ride (In Hours) – Cape Town to Windhoek

34

Passport Stamps Received

37

Buses Boarded

42

Longest Train Ride (In Hours) – Trivandrum to Delhi

47

Highest Latitude in Degrees North – Ulaanbataar

115

Highest Temperature (in Ferenheit) – Agra, India

315

Days Traveled

994

Longest Bus Ride (In Distance by Miles) – Cape Town to Windhoek

1,926

Longest Train Ride (In Distance by Miles) – Trivandrum to Delhi

7,375

Longest Flight (In Distance by Miles) – Hong Kong to Cape Town

14,271

Highest Altitude – Litang, Sichuan, China

53,916

Total Miles Traveled