The ninth of February marks our first anniversary of travelling together. In twelve months we have had some great adventures, laughs and most certainly tears. We have slept in some questionable lodgings, met some amazing, funny and downright strange people and of course experienced things that will remain with us forever.

I have compiled a summary list in no particular order.`

We have:

  • Had a massage by a transvestite in Thailand.
  • Been given three haircuts (Bangkok Thailand, Granada Spain and Mysore India).
  • Cycled over 15,000kms.
  • Slept in more than 200 different beds (the majority with very uncomfortable pillows – this phenomenon particularly rampant in South-East Asia.)
  • Taken 6 long distance trains.
  • Seen thousands of dead, cats, toads, dogs, lizards, monkeys, snakes, frogs and a scorpion.
  • Had 3 cooking classes – two in Thailand, one in Morocco (and one future one in India).
  • Visited 10 countries on three continents.
  • Eaten a camel burger.
  • Ridden a camel (not the same camel).
  • Were blessed by an elephant.
  • Celebrated two birthdays and one wedding anniversary.
  • Learned around 40 yoga asanas.
  • Eaten in a three Michelin Star Restaurant.
  • Learned how to facilitate healing through Himalayan Singing Bowls.
  • Purified around 840 litres of water and used camelpacks or platypus bottles for another 547. That equals hundreds of plastic bottles that we did not use.
  • Slept in the desert under the stars.
  • Slept on the beach under the stars (with bugs).
  • Slept in tree houses 30 meters off the ground – and also peed through the floor!
  • Swam in a pool at the foot of a waterfall which was full of nibbling fish.
  • Took our bikes on planes, longtail boats, tuk tuks, cars, busses, trains, ferries and vans.
  • Designed, wrote and built one website.
  • Talked to a blind cat.
  • Walked 800km in 32 days.
  • Read some pretty good books.
  • Planned hundreds of incarnations of our future including our future menagerie.
  • Took 12,428 photographs (and counting).
  • Collected a raft of favourite dishes. (Grilled squid with Greek salad, Masala Dosa, Raj Katchori, Pulpo a la Gallega, Nasi Lemak, Roti Channai, Phad Thai, Som Tum, dumplings of any creed, BBQed pork – actually any kind of street meat in South-East Asia, (almost) any tapa in the whole of Spain, especially San Sebastian, Pamplona and Santiago de Compostela).

We are so lucky to have shared this wonderful time together and look forward to gazillions of equally as amazing things in the future (and obviously eating a huge amount of really great food).

More delectable food porn here.