Frequently asked.
Twenty years on, people still write in. The same questions come up.
What was your favourite country?
Every country had something. If pressed: Laos, New Zealand, Ireland, Greece, Morocco, Czech Republic, Spain. Choosing is hard.
What was the hardest country to travel through?
Northern Vietnam — the border crossing story alone made it one of the scariest 72 hours of the trip. Constant bill-checking wore us down. The south was more relaxed. Spain was a close second — peninsular Spanish is a different beast from Latin American Spanish, and fast.
Did you buy an around-the-world ticket for the entire trip?
Partial RTW ticket. Des Moines → LA on miles. LA → Auckland (first leg of RTW). Christchurch → Melbourne. Brisbane → Bangkok. Bangkok → Athens (final leg). Last flight Dublin → Chicago was bought later. Keeping the final leg open was one of our best decisions.
What was your favourite airline?
Emirates (service, food, IFE), Thai Air (fresh orchids, smiles), Virgin Blue / Nok Air (cheap and cheerful), Air Pacific (decent), Aer Lingus (cheap but awful support), United (mediocre).
How much did you spend on the trip?
Enough to have a smashing time and still come back with a cushion so we didn't have to take the first job we saw.
How did you pack?
One large backpack each plus a daypack for guidebooks, camera, documents, food. Minimal clothes. Laundry everywhere.
What did you regret not bringing?
The 35mm digital camera (Craig packed light, then we missed shots). Long johns (sent home before Europe got cold). A hand-held audio recorder — the sounds of a place matter as much as the photos.
How much weight did you lose?
Craig dropped close to 40 pounds. Tina's weight held but her calves could kick down doors.
What did you miss most?
Family, friends, Marley & Corky, our couch, a proper toilet, a kitchen, a bed, fast internet, Mexican food.
What didn't you miss?
Traffic, cell phones, work, bills, the rat race.
Which country had the best food?
Greece (pitas, falafel, olives, cheese, wine); Morocco (the bread alone); Italy (everything); Ireland (we drank a few dinners); Thailand (pad thai, papaya salad, lychees, spring rolls).
Which city freaked you out?
Naples — dodgy, trashed, and the train station is best avoided day or night. When we see a wrecked car now we say it's "been Napled."
Did you get sick a lot?
Neither of us needed a doctor. Craig caught the occasional bus-and-hostel cold. Tina got Montezuma's Revenge once in Koh Tao — the ice in a G&T.
Any celebrity sightings?
Julia Stiles in Prague. Rudy Boesch at a New Zealand gas station. John de Lancie in Venice.