After a long journey we finally arrived in London at the start of a new day and an amazing adventure. During the flight/layovers we met some very nice people which was a great start to a year abroad. When we first exited the train we caught from Heathrow we were delighted at the differences between…

After leaving London late we found a place to park in Basingstoke so we could spend our first night in our new home. It was one of the best sleeps we had had so far due to no late night interruptions. Unfortunately, we had left the fridge on overnight, being accustomed to having one run 24/7 which…

After finding a service station to stop and have dinner at, a nice quiet street to sleep in and another service station to have breakfast, we made our way to Kenilworth Castle. Being our first castle we were taken back by the size, something you don't appreciate until you see it with your own eyes…

Englands motorways gave way to Scotlands highways and the views just kept getting better as we drove to Edinburgh. On the way we had a brief stop over at the border which wasn't brief enough due to howling winds and freezing temperatures. Next we called in at Jedburgh to view a ruined cathedral and…

Our drive to Inverness (Inver or Aber: Mouth of a river i.e. Inverness and Aberdeen being towns on the mouths of the rivers Ness or Deen, repectively) was initially meant to start with a layover in a town on the way then continued the following morning so we could appreciate some of the countryside…

After spending a nice relaxing Christmas in Fort William we headed to Kinlochleven to spend the day at the Ice Factor adventure centre. We started with some indoor rock climbing followed by an outside adventure course which involved traversing an obstacle course suspended 10 metres off the ground…

After arriving on the ferry from Dover our first port of call was to get internet access, forgetting that it was New Years day in Dunkerque and everything was shut. We decided to head to Paris in the hopes that a city of it's size something would be open. Unfortunately not only were we wrong but…

Following the traffic difficulties we experienced entering the heart of Paris, we had told google maps to lead us to a suburb a little out of Barcelona. Unfortunately it wasn't far enough, so once again we found ourselves lost in the streets of a large foreign city. Being unable to enter a new…

One of the first things we noticed about Tarragona was how clean it was. The people here seem to take cleanliness to a new level. First thing every day the beaches would be "swept" with a machine picking up unwanted items and making the beaches smooth and white. Street sweepers went past regularly…

We had been heading south for the warmer weather and Almeria was the first place we had arrived at that was close to warm at 18 degrees. We couldn't wait to get into the sea even if it was a little fresh. To the locals we must have looked mad who were all dressed in jumpers while we were running…

Upon arriving to Granada we were shocked at what we saw. We had heard wonderful reports of the city and yet everywhere we looked there was rubbish. Bins were overflowing and extra rubbish was dumped along side. After visiting the tourist information and then continueing to walk the main streets it…

Our drive to Tarifa was full of hope. We loved our time in Spain but yearned for a different country with a warmer climate. Tarifa turned out to be a small little town that we could explore while we waited for the ferry. We had a fantastic lunch in a small vegetarian restaurant, wandered the small…

After the dramas of Marrakech we had searched for a riad in Essaouira that had onsite parking and was away from the medina. This turned out a lot easier due to Essaouiras smaller size and we arrived safely at the riad where we were pleasantly surprised by a charming little hotel offering excellent…

Upon waking all we could think of was what was ahead. We prepared ourselves eagerly and waited at the camp gates in anticipation for our ride. We were aware of the difficulty finding our campsite (turn left 5 times) but became concerned as we were still left standing 20minutes after the allocated…

After a good night sleep in The Van we hit the road for another look at Rabat, however apon arrival the caravan parks we were intending to stay at had since closed down. We tried searching for alternative sites to no avail and after assistance from some locals we were pointed in the direction…

We arrived early in Lisboa at the city campsite and after a quick coffee/wifi break we jumped on the bus headed for the city centre with the intention of going on the cities Yellow Hop on/Hop off tourist bus to figure out what attractions interested us. After arriving and purchasing a ticket we sat…

Coimbra turned out to be an amazing little city where we spent the first couple of days relaxing, surrounded by alpine hills and trying as many of the local pastries as we could find :) On the third day we walked the streets of the high town past the venue for the Fado concert we were going to see…

We arrived at Montpellier late in the afternoon and plotted a course for McDonalds to connect to the internet. Along the way our GPS dropped out and as we made our way through the city centre we started following another van to ensure we weren't going to head anywhere we couldn't fit. We quickly…

Leaving Avignon we had plotted a course to Gorge du Verdon via Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, a town just to the north of the lake the gorge empties into, with the hope of finding a spot to camp for the night. As we drove closer to our destination it was obvious that the journey on the following day would…

Our initial experience in Italy was that of winding roads and views of the blue Mediterranean. The drivers were crazy but I was too exhausted from our trek through the Gorge du Verdon that I didn't care... besides our car was bigger!! We had headed for Sanremo because it was the only Italian name…

We woke early and headed down to the provided breakfast. This consisted of a voucher which we took down to a local patisserie for coffee and a croissant which we would soon discover was the breakfast that is provided in Rome. After checking out we jumped on the metro heading to the hostel we would…

After an uneventful train ride to Napoli, we arrived in the city centre shortly after noon. Checking into the hotel we found that our room contained the worlds smallest bathroom with the worlds biggest basin. After using the toilet, you could wash your hands right where you were seated or with half…

After beginning our train journey at 8:30am, we arrived at the Venice Mestre train station at 9:30pm before walking the short distance to our hotel. We were up early the next day and back at the station to catch the local train the single leg to the island of Venice. Upon exiting the train we were…

We caught the early train from Venice to Florence so we could start exploring the city as soon as we arrived. After an hour of train delays, each time the train stopping inside the dark tunnels obscuring our view of Tuscany, we arrived in Florence around 2pm. The hostel we had booked was warm and…

As we crossed the border from Italy to Switzerland we were stopped at the border control to purchase our motorway sticker. Unlike France and Italy where you would pay as you go to use the motorway, often exorbitant amounts, in Switzerland we were charged a one of fee of 35 euro allowing us access…

Arriving in Amsterdam we followed the directions to the campsite until we came to a sign with the words "Peace to the world" with psychedelically coloured vans within. Although we were open to a more laid back lifestyle in Amsterdam this came as a shock and we braced ourselves for our hippy hosts…

Leaving Amsterdam we were disappointed. We expected the Cannabis culture and the Red Light District but not the lack of any other stimulus. Our opinions may have been jaded by the cold but, even in the summer, swimming in the polluted canals would have been degrading unless you were smashed on beer…

We didn't know what to expect when we arrived in Antwerp, having only come here due to it being one of the top 4 places to see in Belgium plus only a short drive from Brussels. As we drove through the city in search of our campsite we discovered it wasn't especially remarkable and on a closer…

After staying in Europe for as long as our Visa's would allow, we returned to England to slow down, visit some new places and old, and for Kayla to start work. After leaving the ferry, we headed north from Dover to Dartford, London. Having been away for so long there was quite a bit of mail that we…

After leaving the hotel in ExCel we returned to the Astor Hyde park Hostel where our adventure had started. After storing our luggage we headed off intent on visiting Hyde Park and the adjoining Kensington Palace. Kayla, however, had other ideas, so off we went trekking in search of her new…

Flying into Iceland we were met with barren, cracked lava fields with the occasional plume of gas billowing from the earth. As we made our way through the airport way made a quick detour through duty-free (and tax-free in Iceland) where we came across the Iceland survival kit. This consisted of a…

With anticipation we had booked our tickets through the Chunnel to experience a train ride underground through the English tunnel. Unfortunately it happened too quickly, while we were engrossed in our books, that before we knew it we were in Paris. The trek from the station to the hotel turned out…

After a difficult night on the bus we arrived in Prague around 7am to Hostel ELF. Even though we were exhausted, we were also eager to explore, plus our rooms wouldn't be ready until after lunch. Leaving our gear in the storage room we headed in to the centre for our first look at the city. It…

After a difficult night on the bus from Bulgaria to Turkey, partially due to crossing the border in the wee hours of the morning where we all had to exit the bus to get processed and x-rayed, we entered Istanbul as the sun rose, mosques announced the call to prayer and the city awoke. Leaving the…

We finally arrived in India around 5am, stepping out into our first of many monsoon down pours. Piling our gear into a taxi, we at first thought we would never get to the hostel after becoming caught up in a parking lot traffic jam, surrounded by a cacophony of honking buses and taxis. Freeing us…

The journey from the train station took us through one small town after another, all merging together into one long main road. Finally, we turned off, heading up a steep hill to be delivered to the gates of the ashram on the banks of the Neyyer Dam. Being a Friday, which was the free day, the place…

The rickshaw ride from the train station was harrowing, with the driver more focused on us instead of the road, for most of the journey, while he tried to sell us a tour with him on the following day. Halfway to the hotel we unexpectedly stopped outside his home, with his wife and kids waiting on…

Flying into Mumbai we were given our first view of the slums that covered what seemed to be most of the city. When we finally arrived at our hotel we were lead to a room with a view of the adjacent buildings wall. Thankfully the place lived up to its reviews when it came to customer service and our…

With Bhopal now happily behind us we had our first experience in a chair car, which was a nice change. Not only was it air-conditioned, but for the first time the train ran on time and also announced the stops prior to reaching the station. This meant you weren't either dashing for the door when…

We arrived in Pathankot early in the morning and set off on the two-hour taxi ride to our final destination in India. When arriving in McLeod Ganj our first impressions were of a quiet and very scenic hillside village with plenty of cafes and restaurants overlooking the valley. As this was where…

Our time in India had finally come to an end. We were excited about heading to Nepal and the adventures this would bring, as we boarded the plane headed for Kathmandu. Upon arrival we discovered that our Nepal visas needed to be paid for in cash but the ATM in the arrival hall was broken. So off…

Day 1 - Kathmandu to Jiri The day had finally arrived to embark on our 25-day journey trekking to Mt Everest base camp. The plan was originally to fly to Lukla then do a 10-day trek to base camp but unfortunately, flights were going to cost us $600 return. So, in true Kayla and Glenn fashion, we…

Day 8 - Junbesi to Nunthala We were packed up and down stairs waiting for our porter at 6am. He came running up soon after and following a quick rundown of the situation by the guesthouse owner we were on our way. The first half of the days trek was very uneventful where we would walk along at a…

Day 14 - Tengboche to Dingboche Waking today we were met with one of the best views we had ever seen. Laying in our warm sleeping bags we had clear views of Mount Everest, reminding us why we were doing this hard work. We packed as usual but unfortunately there was a miscommunication between the…

Having returned from base camp the previous day, we were eager to continue our journey on to Laos but had to wait for money to clear to pay for flights. That morning, as soon as the funds were in our account, we jumped onto the airline website to book our flights out of Kathmandu for that…

We finally arrived in Hanoi after a 30-hour bus ride that was only suppose to take 24-hours and boy were we happy to get off that bus. So into a taxi we got and we were on our way to the hostel for a much needed hot shower, a comfy bed and a good night sleep. The next morning we woke early, ready…

We awoke to the sound of torrential rain failing outside. This changed our plan to walk to the bus stop, with a last minute call for a taxi. When we arrived at the bus stop, which had now turned into a small river, we grabbed our bags to find shelter while we waited for the bus to be ready for…