And finally ...

We're home and it feels like we've never been away - in fact if it wasn't for the cobwebs in our empty flat, the new £20 notes and the 61 stamps in our previously empty passports we'd feel a bit like Pam Ewing when she woke up to discover Bobby was in the shower all along!

We've taken 37 flights, 11 boats, 10 trains, 46 long distance buses, 2 campervans, 4 hired cars, several forms of taxi (from tuk-tuks to collectivos) and have travelled across 5 continents and 15 countries to see some amazing sights and share some fabulous experiences. We've had some great times and some nightmares - all of which we're sure we'll look back on one day with fond memories and lots of laughs.

We've met some wonderful people who we hope to meet again and we've had a lot of help to make our trip possible - our families and friends at home who have supported us throughout and followed our trials and tribulations on the blog, and our families and friends around the world who have fed, watered and housed us so well along the way - especially Dan in Tokyo, Joan & Graeme in New Zealand, Frank in LA, John in Chicago, Lauren and Sandrine in Boston and Jean, Eamon and Sophie in New York. Thanks again everyone - we couldn't have done it without you.

We've also learnt some invaluable lessons:

How to push the boundaries of your comfort zone
The idea is simple, place 22 tourists with giant rucksacks on a minibus that would comfortable seat 12, add scorching heat and humidity, make multiple unnecessary stops and hold them captive for 17 hours - would you believe us if we told you the journey from Bangkok to Siem Reap in Cambodia is considered a must-do on the backpackers trial?!

How to perfect your manners
Book a window seat and attempt to smile politely as people repeatedly lean over you to spit or throw rubbish out of the window.

How to manage your money
When £100 converts to just over 3.3 million Vietnamese Dong it takes diligence and perseverance to stuff that many bills into your wallets, money belts, secret pockets, backpacks etc!

How to hold your alcohol (or other strange brews)
Accept an invitation to a village party on a Fijian Island and watch in horror as the locals merrily ply you with homemade cava and dance (in drag) to Britney Spears!

How to discard modesty
In China, doorless public squat toilets separated only by waist high dividers are the norm. Keep in mind that, in a country of over 1 billion, you rarely have the bathroom to yourself and there is an awful lot of interest in a Western bum!

How to appreciate foreign cuisine
Spider, cockroach, grasshopper, iguana, armadillo, rat and dog - all the rumours are true. But don't worry - you can always find banana pancakes (or in Steve's case tripe tacos)!

How to make peace with the animal kingdom
More specifically, animals of the insect variety. Pack DEET, use a net, shake out your shoes in the morning and hope for the best, and whatever you do, don't forget the anti-histamine!

How to get in shape
Climb not one but every ancient temple you come across - normally perched precariously on mountaintops or at the top of overly deep, underly wide steps - in the soaring heat. Our favourite was Angkor in Cambodia - a series of ancient temples and buildings spread across around 30 kilometres.

How to embrace cross cultural exchanges
Instead of avoiding potentially explosive situations, arrange to visit Argentina during the 25th anniversary of the Falklands (and pretend you're Australian)!

How to become a sparkling conversationalist
The best stories rarely stem from buses that ran on time, beautifully clean guest houses or identifiable food. To have people hanging off your every word at dinner parties, you'll need a near slip in an Asian squat toilet, a 17 hour 150km bus journey through pot-holed countryside in Mr T's A-team constructed jeep, cockroaches in the cabin of your 'deluxe' Chinese junk, bedbugs at base camp in the Amazon, an aggressive seal who thought you were dinner in Antarctica and a meal you hoped was chicken in Vietnam!

IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK.........