First let me say that your site is terrific. Wonderful writing, amazing pictures, and I really appreciate the details in your background, gear, and costs.

My fiance and I are planning to embark on a RTW trip in February, and much like yourselves, our focus is more around being able to immerse ourselves in different cultures then just madly running from one tourist attraction to another. So we would like to spend several weeks in each place we visit, but are a little concerned about what we're going to do to fill our time. If you don't have a job to fill 10 hours of your day every day (which is in part why we're going on this trip), what is it that you... do?

Not sure if you've had a similar experience, but I've found that even though I've never been more excited about anything in my life, my friends and family quickly have a glassed over look if I start to talk about it in any great detail. So if there's anything else you'd like to share with me about anything at all with your travels, I would love to hear it!

--Laura; Jul 21, 2007

About filling your time... well, we didn't have any problem. We always found a lot to do, and once in a while we just kinda' hung out and did nothing, preferably in a place where locals were doing the same. So while it might seem like you're going to have free time, we don't think you'll be bored at all. And if you are, just go to the next place!

About talking to your friends/family... this will sound harsh, but get used to it. Some people are really interested, but frankly, most people aren't. Even when you get home, the amount of time that people will listen to you yammer on about this place or that place isn't really that long. That said, it will still probably be one of the most amazing, perspective-changing thing you'll do, so don't worry about the fact that not everybody is riveted.

--Grace & Susan; Jul 3, 2007

A friend directed me to your site and I love it! I am busy catching up on your travels. Again, fantastic job!

--Ian D. (Newfoundland, Canada); Jul 20, 2007

Thank you for doing this for all of us your site is so helpful, honest and truly amazing. I found you guys by luck as I was so scared about booking a safari for my family in Tanzania. You gave me such good advice, ideas and the know-how to do it that I am now booked on Safari with Roy's and we hope to have your guide Thomas Mosha along side us. We have our children who are 8 and 10 years travelling with us for 8 weeks, we have used so much of your advice not only on the Safari but for Paris and Oxford. I just wanted to say thanks you just put my mind at ease with all the planning. Many thanks Louise J and family.

--Louise (Australia); Jul 7, 2007

I found your site when I was searching for something to send my neice about Colonia del Sacramento (one of my favorite little towns). Your trip took me to places I've never been and now reeeeally want to go, e.g., Cambodia and Ljubjana. You're both so cute. Thank you for sharing your trip with me.

sent later the same day: OK, now I've gone through all the photos in all the cities. Good thing there's not much to do at work, today. I'm seriously considering copying your entire trip. I know that sounds lazy and not very creative but that's how much you both have 'captured' me. I feel like I know you. In any event, I would like to. Congratulations on fabulous planning and very impressive communicating, post trip. Who-hooo!

--Janice (Dallas, Texas, United States); Jun 6, 2007

Hi! I'm a student and an aspiring writer. I would love to travel all over the world, but I'm broke! So I satisfy my craving to see the world by looking at your pictures and reading about your adventures. I love your site!

--Maria (Chicago, Illinois, United States); Jun 1, 2007

I love your site! My husband and I are thinking of doing the same thing in a few years, and all the details are incredibly helpful. I had a question, though. Why did you stop writing? There are still three countries in "future" - is this all we get? :-)

--Kendra S. (Japan); May 17, 2007

Sorry! We've been really swamped with real life, but we're planning on finishing the site over the next few months. At the moment, we're in Taiwan on semi-vacation, so hopefully we'll have a bit of free time. Thanks for reading!

--Grace & Susan; Jul 3, 2007

Your web site is GREAT! The information and photos are stunning: full of practical info, how much did it cost...., what did you take....all of the questions folks have about a trip like this. I am in the throws of planning a RTW trip with my 3 kids (ages: 16, 14, 12) leaving Feb. 08. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on and just finished a travel book on SE Asia by "Rough Guide". I closed the book feeling like I was making a huge mistake taking my kids to these places and putting them in harm's way (getting ripped off, diseases, dangers of tuk tuks, etc)........then I found your site and I am inspired again......the smiling faces of the locals clearly makes it seem worth it. I have a huge admiration for your web site.

--Pauline Y. (Redmond, Washington, USA); May 25, 2007

Kudos to you! Your kids are lucky to have such a great mom!

--Grace & Susan; Jun 20, 2007

hey guys. i've known about your site for a while through my fiancé. we're traveling as well for a while. so far been through india, la, ny, london, paris... i am working on the rest of the travel and i so appreciate your site. i am looking into africa now and also asia and am getting a lot of info, ideas from your site. a big thank you is what i want you to take away from this email. peace.

--Monique D. (Los Angeles, California, USA - currently in London, United Kingdom); Mar 25, 2007

I would have to write several paragraphs of praises to fully honor your website, but I'll leave it with this one sentence: You have created a truly and absolutely wonderful website! Thanks for sharing your experiences and giving so many helpful tips!

--Arnold F.; Mar 12, 2007

We're actually in the midst of planning a 1-month excursion to Argentina and my husband happened to mention that we might want to visit Uruguay on the same trip. I saw a post you made on frommers, subsequently went to your website, looked at a bunch of your photos, especially from Vietnam and relived our trip there (also) in December 04! I love your photos and comments. I then found your homepage and read about the planning of the trip. I am enthralled because that is something I would really enjoy, even though I am quite a bit older than you! Anyway, we've traveled a great deal and I think it's a great idea to set up a website such as yours.

--Ginny S. (Los Angeles, California, USA); Feb 8, 2007

You guys are simply awesome.. Along with a close friend of mine we're heading to Japan late May for two weeks..I was just wondering what camera you used? ..seriously your pictures are amazing!!

--Jenn (Hawaii, USA); Feb 3, 2007

Thanks for your kind words! All our camera info is here.

--Grace & Susan; Feb 12, 2007

Love the site! Very inspirational.

--Anonymous (New York, USA); Jan 27, 2007

This is so cool website. It's so great watching and reading your stories especially when I vistsed some of these places myself.

--Peter (Poland); Oct 4, 2006

Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful safari photos and videos. Next year we will be visiting Kenya and Tanzania. Just spent a wonderful afternoon with my 9 year old grandson showing your photos of where we will be travelling next. Again thank you very much for sharing and keep on having a lovely life together.

--Marie (Gatineau, Québec, Canada); Sep 23, 2006

I absolutely loved what you have done. I have been spending a little time everyday for over a week going through it and now that I have finally come to the end I am sad, like seeing a good friend go. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I too have done a lot of travelling and wish that I had done something like this to record my experiences. Your website, though, has inspired me to continue on with my travels and I will be sure to do something like this too. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

--Tammy (Kelowna BC, Canada); Sep 17, 2006

Thank you for making the time to do this and sharing it. My husband and I are food lovers and search the world for wonderful things to eat. I am planning our 5-week Asia trip and stumbled upon your site. I especially like your random section's commentary on food. EXCELLENT job!

--Jenn (Toronto, Canada); Sep 16, 2006

I would just like to say thank you for not only have a very informative site but also for having such an amazing layout. It is very easy to navigate! I have really enjoyed reading about your travels (especially your New Zealand entries, I am leaving for Auckland in 3 months) and am looking forward to hearing about the rest of your trip.

--Alicia R. (Vancouver Island, Canada); Aug 24, 2006

What a tremendous site! I just realized I've been wandering through it for about three hours now... Tons of really outstanding photos, very engaging writing, useful info, and absolutely first-rate web design. If you write a how-to on website production or travel photography, let me know.

--David K. (Ko Sichang, Thailand); Jul 26, 2006

Wow, great website you guys have. Very informative and I love your photos. Keep up the good work and enjoy the rest of your journey.

--Kash (United Kingdom); Jul 15, 2006

Great website and GREAT trip. Congrats. Julie, my son and I took an RTW trip for 12 months back in 2000. Its amazing how many of your comments/responses would mirror mine. Your diary has inspired me to plan a trip to Africa, but we will be going to Brazil first, in November. Stay safe and beware of the re-tox when you return.

--Mark L. (Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA); Jul 8, 2006

You have a most amazing website! So informative and so entertaining! :)

--Christine; Jul 6, 2006

Firstly, I was searching for an information about Bangkok to write an essay and I found your website by chance. But it took me many hours to read and see your photos. How wonderful photos you have got! I really love all of your photos. I would love to travel around the world as you but have to wait til I graduated (and of course, have to find someone to share the incredible trip like this.) I am sure that your information will be very helpful to me in the nearly future. Thank You!

--Noei (Thailand); Jul 2, 2006

love your site guys...great work! we have bookmarked thirteen months as we plan our trip to slovenia next month. we love to travel, too, but our longest trip together was only 3 months backpacking through europe after college and the longest since then was our 1 month honeymoon in new zealand (10 years later!) :) we are wondering, are you still on the road? or have you just not updated your site in awhile.

--Andrea & Bill (Brooklyn, New York, USA); Jun 29, 2006

Thanks for your kind compliments! We hope you enjoy Slovenia - it's hard for us to imagine that anyone wouldn't since we thought it was so beautiful. We wish we had also made time to go to Lake Bled and we hope to return there one day.

We are indeed back home in San Francisco now but work and regular life have kept us from doing timely updates. We are working on the next release and hope to publish that soon. Happy Travels!

--Grace & Susan; Jul 10, 2006

Planning a trip as a couple it was lovely to stumble upon your site and see an alternative way of seeing the world! It looks like an amazing trip and I only hope we manage the same (whilst keeping the big smiles!). Congratulations and thank you!

--Shelley (United Kingdom); Jun 14, 2006

It is just more than amazing to hear about all of your trip. So wonderful! One thing I'd like to know from you is about getting around the world ticket. Thank you so much for reminding me some places I've been (Paris, HCMC, BKK, Angkor Wat > homeland). I loved all of your pictures, they are so beautiful, especially I loved the lego couple. Are you on honeymoon trip??? I just wonder :)

--Chhaya (Minnesota, USA); Jun 7, 2006

Yes, we were on our honeymoon and we had a great time! Our lego couple also enjoyed the trip very much. :) For more information on our round-the-world ticket, check out the cost: tickets page..

--Grace & Susan; Jun 26, 2006

Just want to say thank you for sharing your trip around the world with everyone. I love your site and I definitely would like to travel like the both of you are doing but I have to wait until my kids are a little older. The pictures are incredible and I hope they keep coming. Thank you again for your generosity!!!

--Jennie L. (New York, New York, USA); Jun 6, 2006

hi there may be u remember me im the mexican guy the one who use to work selling leather jackets in florence i was wondering if u are back home or where hahaha i hope u still have the jacket and the coat ohh yea matrix coat and can u tell me when u will show Italy?? thanx 4 read this hope to see u soon here in mexico, bye bye

--Jorge (Mexico); May 18, 2006

Sorry we're so behind with the site - we're trying to catch up and show Italy very soon! Thanks again for the great leather coat in Florence, and thanks even more for visiting the site!

--Grace & Susan; Jun 2, 2006

Your site has proved invaluable to us with not only the pictures and chronicles of your amazing adventure, but also with the packing lists, technology to bring (not to bring), etc. Your site is always the first place I go for advice and answers. Thank you!

--Bryan; Apr 28, 2006

This is a wonderful site and gives kids like me an opportunity to research more on these topics.

--Shona (United Arab Emirates); Apr 7, 2006

What a wonderful lifetime experience. Congratulations on a fantastic trip, wonderful photos, and the effort you put into recording it all. Some of the photos brought back warm memories. Particularly, the New Zealand (there in November), and Paris pictures.

--Rob B. (Arizona, United States); Apr 6, 2006

Hey guys, thanks for updating the site. I got my thirteenmonths.com fix! The pictures are amazing and your upbeat and sensitive style of writing is a rare treat.

--Gonzalo (Montevideo, Uruguay); Apr 3, 2006

Hi, love your site. The blog that you have is really awesome. The layout, nice pics and the way everything fits in. I have read many others and oneday, like you, would love to travel freely and spread my wings. My question is - This blog that you are using to write in, was it created by you or is there a way others can use this site to write? It is far more superior than the ones i have come across. Other sites that travellers use have not appealed to me.

--Bevan (Cape Town, South Africa); Mar 17, 2006

We're glad that you like the site! In response to your question, it is a completely custom site; we designed it from the ground up. There are a lot of pre-fab blog sites out there now (some of them are pretty good, and they certainly require a *lot* less work than building your own), but we decided that we didn't want to be confined by somebody else's system in terms of layout, design, etc.

--Grace & Susan; Mar 18, 2006

I too am from San Francisco and absolutely have a passion for travelling. Unfortunately for me, none of my friends are willing to drop work, save money, and pick up their bags and do a RTW. I am a 22 year old female and would really like to take some time off before heading to Business School to do a trip like yours (though maybe 6-7 months instead of 13). Have you encountered many solo travelers and if so, have their experiences been as great as yours? Thanks again for the great site - your pictures are really fascinating and make me want to jump on a plane right this minute!

--Kimmi G. (San Francisco, California, USA); Mar 16, 2006

We encountered travelers of all types: old, young, couples, solo, etc. Most solo travelers get together in make-shift groups for some period of time before heading their separate ways again. This saves money and can add to the experience if you find the right people. Almost all the long-term travelers we met were glad that they were traveling. Of course, there are a few exceptions (burnout, etc.), but for the most part, people agreed that it was an amazing and life-changing experience. And since there are so many different ways to do it, places to go, and things to see/do, it's possible for very different people to each have their own, personal trip-of-a-lifetime, catered specifically to their interests and personality. Can you tell that we're rooting for you?

--Grace & Susan; Mar 18, 2006

Well it has been over 20 years since I've seen Greg [Grace's given name] and in addition to not aging, I see that his wonderful spirit is very much in tact!! I just wanted to say hello and congratulate you on your nuptials as well as this absolutely amazing adventure!! I've only been able to spend 90 minutes with your site this morning, AND I must go do some work!! But it is truly FANTASTIC!! and I cannot wait to read/view more!!

--Dagmar C. [long lost high school friend] (Wilmington, North Carolina, USA); Mar 3, 2006

Thanks so much for a terrific site. You two should be travel writers/or photojournalists. Perhaps your next career?

--Cynthia (San Francisco, California, USA); Feb 26, 2006

great site...really well put together and great photos. i cant wait to read more!

--Zopa K. (North Carolina, USA); Feb 24, 2006

Hey, love your site and will be visiting it several time in the future I am sure. I also went on an around-the-world trip -- supposed to be for 11 months, but ened up going for 3 years... funny how that happens... Bwindi was one of the highlights, although I sort of went on faith... bus trip from Nairobi to Kampala down to Impenetrable to try and get a spot on the fly (and the fates smiled upon me:) I know everybody has recommendations for where you should go next so I'll throw my 2 cents in -- Nepal, out of the 67 countries I have been to, was by far the most magical -- I overstayed my visa by two weeks because I did not want to leave the heart of the Himalayas:)

Keep up the good life... work to live instead of living to work!

--Allen A. (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA); Feb 16, 2006

My newly acquired husband and I seem to be in a similar situation (ish!) to you guys. We're just married, pre-kids, early 30's and planning a RTW trip. We hope to start this coming October and when we see a site like yours with so much great information, pictures and all the personal experiences you've shared it's hard not to just jump on a plane and go!!

--Jennifer (Ireland); Feb 15, 2006

Great Stories! Tremendous Web site. I was in Vung Tau in 1968 coutesy of USAF. I am planning a 50 day 'round the world trip, so your site has been invaluable in planning, etc. Trying not to fly too much of the way (like Micheal Palin) so planning is the key. If you're in Phoenix come by my Pub (Wally's American Pub 'n Grille) drinks and dinner on me. Warmest regards,

--Wally C. (Phoenix, Arizona, USA); Feb 14, 2006

My husband and I salivated over all of your pictures. We used to think it's impossible what you just did (take off for a year and travel the world); we don't anymore. You've inspired us to do something about our future "travel"plans. By the way, are you both photographers? Did you use a digital camera?

--Charly (Chicago, Illinois, USA); Feb 9, 2006

Thanks for your kind words and it's certainly an honor that the site has inspired you - that's great! In terms of the photo questions, Grace does most of the photography, but Susan does some, too, and Susan usually does the video. To find out more about our gear, go here: gear: technology.

--Grace & Susan; Feb 14, 2006

Your website is incredible. Its nice to see travellers take the time to help out others like this.

--Ryan (Toronto, Canada); Feb 9, 2006

Just a note to let you know how much I have been enjoying your travels. I have just come back from 1 week in Cambodia and nearly 3 in Vietnam. We had a fabulous time- absolutely loved everything! The food in Vietnam was fantastic, though I must admit Cambodia was not an amazing culinary experience! I printed out your Cambodia and Vietnam experiences to take with us to refer to and they were handy to have. Happy travels!

--Sue (Australia); Feb 2, 2006

I stumbled across your site recently after seeing one of Grace's posts on the BootsnAll travel forums. I'm sure you've heard it all before, but your site is fantastic, your pictures are stunning, and your tales are funny and super clever! Thanks again for sharing your wonderful experiences. Take care!

--John (Washinton DC, USA); Jan 30, 2006

Yikes! I'm supposed to be working but I can't stop looking at your website. The gorillas. The castles. The food. Such good camera work (something I am too lazy to do when I travel). I hope you don't stop traveling. You guys seem like a great couple. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with the world, in such an amazing way with this website.

--Sunshine (Vancouver, Canada); Jan 28, 2006

What a great website! I got lost in it for hours. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your travels (and comparing a few to some of my own experiences). I look forward to reading about future trips.

--Deb L. (New York City, New York, USA); Jan 26, 2006

I stumbled upon your entries on Japan and started reading your Aussie adventures. The big snake episode was so funny. Really enjoyed reading your travel stories. Very very nice photos as well!

--Chris C. (Sydney, Australia); Jan 17, 2006

Awesome Website! Very well done, and thanks for sharing. Hope I can take pics like that someday, they are amazing. I met Lou and Joan, www.ramblingroses.net, while in Zanzibar, what an awesome team, and they are my heroes as well. Bon Journey!

--Gary P. (Taji, Iraq & San Antonio, Texas, USA); Jan 9, 2006

This is an amazing travel, sometimes it make me ponder, are there ANYTHING else better than travel the world and see it as it is (cultures, people you name it...)

--Kim N. (Australia); Jan 5, 2006

I always knew Grace was magical. He always had the best, most creative, and ingenious ideas when we were kids, and he had the motivation, energy, and charisma to pull them off. I'd say stick with him and you'll see the world, but duh you've already done that. I know, there's lots left to see. Anyway, I'm really happy for you two!

--Candi B. [long lost childhood friend of Grace's] (North Carolina, USA); Jan 2, 2006

With 75000 miles of travel, you are on parallel with Ibn-e-batuta, the great Arab traveler of all time of 14th century. I have watched your excellent pictures and movies. I see your travels with great interest. Say you Gee Ayan Noon (Welcome to newcomers in Urdu) in Pakistan.

--Khalid M. (Islamabad, Pakistan); Dec 31, 2005

You have heard this a thousand times, but what you two have done is truly inspiring and you are my new heroes! Not only in taking the leap for 13 months, but in terms of artistry (photography, commentary, and web design), tenacity (what if there was no KFC?), and kindness (to your fans and to the sometimes less fortunate people you met in the different countries). Just reading about your travels in countries so different from the USA makes me remember the brief flashes of homesickness and alienation I've felt when spending a week here and there in not-terribly-different places like Paris, Galway and London.

It's been a long time since something has inspired me artistically, and I want to thank you for that. :) Thanks to you, my husband and I are starting to plan a long-term budget to do something similar for a 6 month stretch. We both love to travel but just never seem to take the plunge very often. Thanks again for the inspiration and the wonderful stories! I've spent three full days poring over everything on the site, and I'm eagerly anticipating the rest.

--Steph T. (Maryland, USA); Dec 29, 2005

wow, great travel blog. the random page is awesome--nice work! your pics are stunning--what type of camera you rockin'? also how did you do the site--is this a custom job? or template...

--Justin D. (New York, New York, USA); Dec 28, 2005

Thanks for the kind words, Justin! Our main camera is a Nikon D70; all the info about our camera gear is here: gear: techology. And yes, it's a custom job. :)

--Grace; Dec 28, 2005

Really, really great site! Are you guys done with your trip? It looks like its been a month or so since your last update. Any plans to publish a travel book? What will you guys do with yourselves after your return?

--Chad G. (San Francisco, California, USA); Dec 28, 2005

Yes, we're home now, but the site lags behind our trip by a few months, so we're working on the remaining updates now. We hope to publish about one per month until we're done. It would be great to publish a book, but we're not yet sure about how to go about that. Let us know if you have any ideas!

--Grace & Susan; Dec 28, 2005

Hi guys, just randomly came across your site-this is such an awesome idea-you have inspired me to travel more this coming summer (after I graduate high school). I think it's great that you guys are so open minded and have done so many different things-I was interested in your story because I work at a wedding venue here in Vancouver and work with so many young couples like you all the time. Keep it up!

--Alison (Vancouver, Canada); Dec 21, 2005

I have so enjoyed reading your comments and looking at your gorgeous photos. What camera do you have? [see gear: technology] I loved the photos of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. My husband and i are leading our second group to Tanzania, Kenya & Zanzibar in june 2006 and last year we took a group around South Africa on the train... the Shongololo Express. Taking a group is my way of going back to Africa where I grew up (Zanzibar and Cape Town). You even saw leopard!! I envy you that; let's hope we do in June. Bon Voyage and I'll keep looking and reading. Thank you!

--Maggie (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada); Dec 16, 2005

You two have a great website. Wonderful experiences, photos, links, dynamic map, all quite well done. Congratulations. There is a lot to explore here and it will take some time which we don't really have, but will somehow find. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with us.

We ARE backpackers, and we are 10 times older than you, so when we write about our experiences, it comes out of a different perspective. But we do share the spirit of adventurous travel (rather than packaged tourism) with you. Our website is at www.ramblingroses.net if you want to have a look.

--Lou & Jean (the world); Dec 13, 2005

Okay. You guys are our heroes!!!! You are an inspiration. Your site actually got us kinda' choked up. And we feel an extra bond with you because you share some of the nitty gritty personal stuff (financial decisions, etc.). We're sure that somebody out there has changed their life because of your site.

We haven't made a link page yet, but we will, and with your permission, we'd be honored to include your site! And if you're ever in San Francisco again, you have a place to stay (as long as we haven't followed your example and given up a permanent home, that is).

--Susan & Grace; Dec 18, 2005

P.S. You aren't TEN times older... :)

Photography .. amazing! Design .. impressive!! Information .. oh my god!!!
Guys, you enriched my life. Many thanx.

--Ahmed M. (Saudi Arabia); Dec 5, 2005

Your 13-month journey is certainly one of the TOP stories of traveling around the world! Your stories made my feet move to my next travel impatiently! My heart is breathing...

Your photos are very impressive! Made me feel what the world is with my eyes. Because I studied photography in New York for 2 years. I want to know about your camera! [see gear: technology]

I want to say CONGRATULATION on your 13-month travel! Your stories are the most romance story, the most unique honeymoon, the most expansive love, and the most surprising adventure of 13 months!

I recommend highly you both to write a book about your "The 13-Month Journey of The Couple" with a publisher. You should do it. A travel book makes you to be a best example for couples who don't know what to do with their honeymoon!

Now I am looking for RTW ticket with lowest price for 10-15 countries where are listed in the world's endangered sites. That is my summer project - a $16,000 grant. Is it not enough?

--Lean (Malaysian based in New York); Dec 4, 2005

Wow - those are such nice things to say. We are blushing, and very honored. Thank you very much!

Regarding your summer project, we think that you can do it for that budget since the timeframe will be reasonably short. We wish you best of luck in your travels!

--Susan & Grace; Dec 9, 2005

Great site!!! and magnific pictures, congratulation =), looks like a site made with love and time, and full of beautiful memories, congratulations again.

--Simon (Barcelona, Spain); Dec 4, 2005

What a wonderful site. Amazing photos and a very well documented trip. I truly love your site.

--Beng (Singapore); Nov 29, 2005

Once again I find myself wandering back to your website ... its like a great escape for me. I am so grateful to you for sharing both your adventures and your creativity! What a wonderful gift you have given to so many.

--Rachel M. (Yellow Springs, Ohio, USA); Nov 28, 2005

Wow - I stumbled upon your site while googling pics of australian money and it is awesome. Your photography is beautiful. Props, most major props.

--Tony K.; Nov 26, 2005

Ya know... we just can't figure it out, but for some strange reason that picture has been one of the most popular. We have a little web-stats thingie that tells us which pages are most visited and that one always ranks very high... go figure.

--Grace; Nov 28, 2005

what an amazing site! my husband and i just started our rtw trip, but really don't know how long we'll be going for (he's already pooped from china, which was actually realy tough). anyway - your site is incredible and i hope to see more in the future!

--Sue C. (San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA); Nov 26, 2005

You guys are great! I mean, not only for traveling around the world, but also for creating this site so that it is documented for yourselves and for others... Best of luck to both of you!

--Windi (Philippines); Nov 18, 2005

Wow! Who ARE you and why did you create such an amazing site? I have only read Chile entry as we travel there next week-- you must be website designers? Anyway...thanks and I will bookmark and read entire journal when we return from SA.

--Susan M. (Louisville, Kentucky, USA); Nov 17, 2005

My husband and I have been traveling over the last few years in month-long "adventure travel" stints to destinations in South America (Chile and Peru), Asia (Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam), and next to East Africa (Tanzania). Your site is the nicest travel journal site with photos and commentaries that I've come across. The format is well-done and easy to navigate, and is interesting with fabulous photos. Thanks! I wish more Americans would pick up and start traveling more widely...

--Lisa W. (Clemson, South Carolina, USA); Nov 12, 2005

You're killing me! Your site is so excellent, and it's like reading a really great book that you have to wait for the ending to be written. You must be busy settling into home....but hurry up and update us! :) Thanks again for creating this site, your trip and journals have been so helpful in planning our own trip, and have inspired us to no end!

--Teresa L. (Canada); Nov 10, 2005

Have really enjoyed following your trip for a couple of months now. Your stories and excellent writing has been an inspiration. The itinerary map, graphics and photos are outstanding.

This spring I'm planning to leave on a RTW trip for a similar length of time. I'm a 58 year old woman and will be traveling solo. I do have some anxieties but overall, I'm excited. Did you run into any single women travelers? My boyfriend and I traveled Europe in our 20's for six months. While I have taken some shorter trips by myself, most of the time I've had a companion with me. My first leg of the trip will be Hawaii where I have friends then S. Pacific, OZ, Indonesia, S.E Asia, India, Nepal, E.& So. Africa, Turkey, Croatia, E. Europe and maybe Ireland at the end.

Any suggestions for the long haul? I'm not as techy as you and will probably go light with a journal and internet cafes. I'll try to keep up a blog so friends and family can stay in touch.

--Ricia J. (Sedona, Arizona USA); Nov 9, 2005

Thanks so much for writing and thanks also for the kind words!

Yes, we did run into plenty of solo female travelers, of all ages, so we think you'll be fine. Obviously, you should take the normal precautions to stay safe, but it sounds like you've done some traveling so you know all that. Most of all, good for you for going! (And your itinerary sounds great!)

More and more, it's pretty easy to find internet cafes and keep in touch that way (and there are a lot of good blog sites out there now, too). There have been only a few places where we have had difficulty with this. Also, since we connect our own computer, that makes it harder. If you are just using one in the café, it shouldn't be a problem. Hope this helps, and have a great trip!

--Grace & Susan; Nov 20, 2005

Just wanted to le you know that I've really enjoyed reading through your site. You've got a lot of really good info. I'm getting ready to head to East Africa in a month, so I'll be putting some of it into practice. :-)

--Dante O. (USA); Nov 7, 2005

Way to go!!!! We are almost packed... traveling lighter in many ways... We are inspired by youre sharing and hope to do the same on our outing during the next 18 months. Leaving USA for Tahiti for a bit then New Zealand thru March then Oz, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Europe(world cup and more) then South America, Central America and home. We hope that we might share our trip as you have. Thanks for the Inspiration! Great Work!

--Peter & Barbara (Newport, Vermont, USA); Nov 6, 2005

Awesome web site. Can't wait til you update it with your Europe portion from this past summer. My wife and I were traveling from Feb to Sep, and I feel like we might have crossed paths somewhere in eastern Europe. Anyway,great job.

--Mark S.; Nov 5, 2005

I just spent 4 hours looking through your web site. It's so informative, fun and inspiring! It brings back memories of a 2 year back-packing trip I did 13 years ago in Asia... Now, I`m trying to plan a short trip to AU. Thanks for taking the time to share your adventures with the rest of us. All the best of luck and safe & happy travel! Morli

--Morli (Tokyo, Japan); Oct 29, 2005

every now and then i take a few minutes to check in. i go to the website, read your entries, look at the pictures and exhale. it only takes a few minutes on your site for my own life to dissolve into past (and future) voyages. i can personally relate to so many of your experiences, and i remember trying (and thinking it was impossible) to relate them to people at home. you guys really do a great job of closing the void. there is certainly a disconnect, don't get me wrong; we're over here, going about our daily lives, and you're off in the world. but you do such a good job (the best i've ever seen) of relating your experiences, that i can really get right in there and feel like i understand.

these chronicles are priceless, guys. and for all the hits you must be getting, and all the friends and family you must be keeping in the loop, the best part is that for the rest of your lives, through whatever else you do, you will have this, a finished piece, to remember your trip by. i can't even fill a photo album for myself. hats off and thanks, it's been fun from this end.

--Mike S. (San Francisco, California, USA); Oct 13, 2005

I have talked with you over your trip a couple of times. My wife and I have really enjoyed your trip. Your sight is awesome and photos are great and creative. We are in the process of planning ours at this time with a departure date of June. Enjoy the end of your trip.

--John W. (San Antonio, Texas, USA); Oct 12, 2005

I'm asking for permission to put your picture of the blue monkey on a teeshirt and giving it wings. At the bottom of the shirt, the slogan would say "This monkey has a dream." I'm going to be in the Yountville Days parade with my friend Camille and float called "Flying Blue Monkey Dream."

--Maya, age 7 (Yountville, CA, USA); Oct 1, 2005

Of course you can use the picture - thanks very much for asking, that is very polite of you! Have fun at the parade and send us a picture!

--Susan & Grace; Oct 5, 2005

hi there, first of all, fair play for that amazing website of yours!!! and your trips seems to be wonderful too. my boyfriend and I are soon leaving on a RTW trip as well, and my question to you is: are you webdesign professionals? how do you keep your website updated so well while on the road? do you travel with a laptop? basically i would like to make my own site for our trip as well, and i use a program like dreamweaver, but i'm rather dodgy with the html code, so i don't really know how i could keep it updated while on the road. any ideas or suggestions? thanks for your time, i really appreciate all the info that you put out there already!! oh and the wat raider is class!! cheers,

--Virginie (Belgium); Sep 27, 2005

Yes, we travel with a laptop (see gear: technology for more details). And yes, we both work in the web industry, so that helps a fair bit. No great suggestions for keeping things updated, I'm afraid. We enjoy the ongoing project of the website, but for some people it might be more of a drag, so that's just a personal preference. It's not always easy to find the time (or the internet connection), but we're still glad we're doing it this way. :) Congrats on your upcoming trip!

--Susan & Grace; Oct 6, 2005

Hello Susan and Grace, Somehow I stumbled into your website, wow! It is really something special, and your honeymoon must be a dream come true. I would absolutely love to do something like this one day when I get married myself. However for the meantime I am travelling with my brother for just 6 weeks in Asia. My brother is the real writer out of us, and I am the photographer. It must take a lot of work keeping your website updated as you travel across the world especially when you are in the lesser developed countries, tell me how do you do it? This is just the sort of thing I would love to do as well, and while I am pretty competent in the field of photography, my editing and IT skills are basic at most. Well at least I have time to learn before I go away for a long time!

I have been reading your website and taking tips from it as I would a travel guide book, I like the fact that you are a real couple sharing your experience together rather than a company, I seem to get a different take on things. Whether you meant for it or not, now you have hundreds of strangers around the world following your progress! Keep it up, and good luck in your travels!

--Paul B. (England); Sep 23, 2005

Thanks so much for your kind words! We hope your trip with your brother is going great, and we also hope that you get to go on a similar honeymoon someday!

We can keep up with updates mostly because we are "slow" travelers; we take frequent days off. And fortunately, finding an internet café is not usually too difficult these days.

--Susan & Grace; Oct 5, 2005

I just wanted to say how impressed I was at your website. The photos are brilliant, information informative and overall inspiring. I am in the process of planning my trip and feeling quite overwhelmed but after looking at your web site I now feel excited. I am really looking forward to reading/following the rest of your journey (they are places I'd like to go to). I will be bookmarking your site.

--Mel S. (Melbourne, Australia); Sep 11, 2005

Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment. We feel so lucky to be able to see so much of the world and to meet many wonderful people like you. We wish everyone could do a trip like ours. Thank you again for taking such good care of us. We really enjoyed our stay in Ipanema, much due to your help. We think about the delicious salad place close to that apartment all the time. We can imagine that you are going there everyday!

--Susan & Grace; Sep 13, 2005

You two are amazing! Finding time to see the world AND maintain your website (and tell folks who have emailed you with questions that you've posted the info) - it's incredible! The info on your website as been such a tremendous help to my husband and me as we plan our RTW trip and gets us excited as we live vicariously through you (until we leave in January)! Thanks for letting me know you've posted info on costs! I'll probably spend a couple more hours on your site tonight! :) By the way, I've told so many people about your site, and their responses are always the same -- "what a great website!" Have fun! :)

--Jacqueline G. (North Carolina, USA); Sep 6, 2005

Everytime I see your site I think: "That's what mean been alive". It's amazing walk in the planet knowing different people and cultures and understanding the beauty and diversity of God criation. I wish you guys love and fun in your wonderful adventure that is the dream of so many people. If you guys make a TV show will be a sucess!

--Dilma L. [our apartment broker in Rio] (Rio de Janiero, Brazil); Sep 5, 2005

Thank you so much for your wonderful compliment. We feel so lucky to be able to see so much of the world and to meet many wonderful people like you. We wish everyone could do a trip like ours. Thank you again for taking such good care of us. We really enjoyed our stay in Ipanema, much due to your help. We think about the delicious salad place close to that apartment all the time. We can imagine that you are going there everyday!

--Susan & Grace; Sep 13, 2005

I'm making my own travel site and ran across yours and it's freakin' awesome! I'm a newbie to web design and your site gives me inspiration. Also, your trip is awesome... I want to take a year off and do it something similar - I just finished university so I'm working my first job in Japan trying to save up some money. Anyway, you guys are awesome and keep it up!

--Christian T. (Japan); Sep 4, 2005

Hi, Just checking out Australia where I´m going this November for a month to see my son and his girlfriend and found your site. Very useful, thanks! I´m eagerly waiting your comments re BsAs. Hope you enjoyed yourselves in Argentina, its a great country. I see your travels have overtaken your comments, it must easily done over a trip of 13 months I'm sure. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your site, its very inspiring. I hope you´re still enjoying yourselves, I wish I'd started travelling much earlier. I blame the aforementioned son and his elder brother! Good luck.

--Steve H. (Mar del Planta, Argentian); Aug 30, 2005

Thanks so much for writing in! We're sure you'll enjoy Australia, especially since you'll be visiting with people there. Tell your son he owes you some travel time! Ha ha.

We very much enjoyed Buenos Aires (and of course the beautiful and dignified population)! We'd love to go back one day and explore more of the country. We hope you enjoy our section about it. Thanks again and have fun on your trip!

Grace & Susan; Sep 12; 2005

We met in the train from Budapest to Zagrab, and I just wanter to say hello!! I am back to work - HORROR...... Did you have a nice time in Croatia?? Kiss from me to you :))

--Suzana (Hungary); Aug 22, 2005

Yes, we had a wonderful time in Croatia. But there are too many beautiful places to see! We went to Zagreb, Split, Hvar, Vis, Brela, and Dubrovnik (all to be covered in future site updates of course). We enjoyed everything! We especially loved Jelsa on the island of Hvar. We also made a stop in Ljubljana (Slovenia) while we were in Zagreb. We hope you enjoyed your vacation too and it was a pleasure meeting you!

Grace & Susan; Sep 12; 2005

I admire your sense of adventure and your willingness to embrace the opportunities that the universe offers you. You inspire and are also great embassadors.

--anonymous; Aug 13, 2005

Wow, wow, wow!! Your website is brilliant. Having only just found it I have sooo much to catch up on and will be sure to follow your future travels. We loved Vietnam so much in '03 that we are returning next year and including Cambodia to visit Angkor. Congratulations on a wonderful website and I wish you all the best in your travels.

--Kerry (Melbourne, Australia); Aug 12, 2005

Your website is simply amazing, photos are beautiful, very helpful info, and you two are very cute together! Seeing your photos makes me want to quit my job and travel. Thanks for sharing them! I've forwarded your site to all the travel buffs I know. I wouldn't be surprised to see you on TV, or in a travel managazine some day. Have fun, stay safe, and I look forward to seeing more pics.

--Paige (Southern California, USA); Aug 11, 2005

I just wanted to say that I posted my first comment after only looking at that one set of pics. I continued reading and looking around and I am BEYOND IMPRESSED! I am looking into joining the peace corps, but I really do want to travel the world before I commit for 2 years so your story is inspiring.
I have bookmarked your site and will be checking in.

--Daniel C. (Orlanda, FL, USA); Aug 8, 2005

Hello guys. Your website is wonderful. It looks and sounds like you guys are having the most amazing trip. I hope you continue to have wonderful adventures on your trip around the world.

--Haynee K. (New York, NY, USA); Aug 2, 2005

I am speechless after spending several hours looking over your site. I don't know what you do for your careers, but making websites like this or writing travel books could certainly be it. I have got more valuable information from your site in the last couple of hours, then from the days and weeks of research I've done. You have it all here in one place. Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your experiences and information with everyone. I am planning my first RTW trip with my husband. I am curious do you have a rough idea of when you will add the cost section to your site, the ulitmate question that runs through everyone's mind! Best Wishes to you both!

--Audrey P. (Vancouver, Canada); Aug 7, 2005

Thanks so much for reading the website and your generous compliments! We would love it if we could ever do something like this for our careers as we love to travel and we love sharing the info. We wish everyone could do a trip like ours.

On that note, congratulations on deciding to do a RTW trip! And we want to let you know that the reason we lagged a bit writing you back is that we've now posted some we new content about trip cost and airlines tickets. Hopefully it will help!

Grace & Susan; Sep 6; 2005

You are living my dream!! I wish you all the best! I will "folllow" you on this wonderful adventure through your great website!!

--Angelina (Portugal); Jul 26, 2005

I am amazed that you have taken on such an adventure because this is not something I would like to do. I am not that willing to exit my comfort zone. I really enjoy your website though. Maybe if I keep looking at it I will find a place that looks interesting enough to go to.

--Patty M. (Yellow Springs, OH, USA); Jul 22, 2005

I love living vicariously through your site! You guys are awesome. I would love to do this some day, it takes an awful lot of courage though! Thanks for such a wonderful and informative site.

--Amanda M. (Detroit, MI, USA); Jul 22, 2005

I stumbled across your website last night as I was trying to find an mpeg of the Hanoi Water Puppet show. (which I found, thank you!) I have recently returned from a three week vacation in Vietnam and Cambodia, and was trying to explain the puppet show to a colleague, but an mpeg is worth a thousand words and I didn't take my camera the night I went to see the puppets!

I really really enjoyed the photos of Uganda, the trek to see the Gorillas, was one the highlights of all of my travels and in particular it was great to see the photo of you with the gentle Bernard. What a sweet young man he is. He "chose" me, asking if he could be my porter, my friends all gave me a hard time because he was the smallest porter and I had by far the biggest and heaviest backpack. (I travel with a bit of camera gear too). But have to say, Grace, I think you are wrong, I didn't think that Bernard was all THAT short. [Alison attached a picture of Bernard & herself and... well... next to her, Bernard looks a lot taller than next to me --Grace] ...Two degrees of separation!

--Alison L. (Rockdale, NSW, Australia); Jul 21, 2005

P.S. I forgot to mention the "Crossing the Street in Hanoi" video. Oh the memories. I tried to take the same kind of movie with a little casio digital I had, but yours is much better. Made me laugh out loud.

Yay! We are so glad you wrote to us! What an amazing surprise to have somebody recognize us because of the site! It was great to meet you guys. It was only afterwards that it really hit us what happened. We're pretty sure that it probably won't happen to us again since no one reading our website will both 1) run in to us and 2) have a memory good enough to recognize us.

--Susan & Grace; Jul 16, 2005

I just spent a good half hour cruising around on your site and LOVE LOVE LOVE your photos. I am particularly jealous of the great ones you got in Bwindi - where were there there, they were low on the ground in heavy vegetation and we didn't get any good images. But the experience was still magical, nonetheless!

I enjoyed your Big Snake drawing.

My husband Jim and I took a two year trip - it's been almost 1.5 years since we've been back statesside, but it sometimes still feels like yesterday - especially when I see websites of fellow travelers! :)

--Amy (Campbell, CA, USA); Jul 20, 2005

Not too long ago, I heard the author of the book 'On Finding Myself in
Japan: 36 Views of Mount Fuji', Cathy Davidson, speak and she talked about
how traveling is not just about you, but others around you and how they and
you are affected. Taking the time now to do what you are doing and sharing
it with others is wonderful.

--Jaada B.; Jul 20, 2005

Everything you have here has made me want to charter my own off the beaten path travels. I hope I can do it soon. Good luck and have fun with what's left of the thirteen months. I am very much looking forward to your posts about Turkey and Italy.

--Arch (Livermore, CA, USA); Jul 19, 2005

I'm visiting your website for the first time. This is really a great journey and a dream for the biggest part of the mankind. I won't be in Lagos when you leave (I am now in my hometown, Setúbal, 270 km north from Lagos) and I'll return only on Wednesday, so I wish you now all the luck for the final months of the journey. I will follow you through this adress and I hope to see pretty photos from Lagos and the rest of Portugal soon... Best wishes!

--Joao (Setubal, Portugal); Jul 18, 2005

Hey Guys! Greetings from Boston. I had such a ball reading your update this morning at work. It's a great deviation from work life and only makes me want to scratch that dangerous itch. If you need a reminder... Bill, Robert and I met you at a cafe in Istanbul and I recognized you like any other rock star from your website. You can see what my priorities are! We had a ball in Turkey and are planning a New Yrs jaunt w/the babe this time around. Have fun. Drag this out as long as possible. Then make babies and do it again. Can't wait for your future travelogues. Happy trails!

--Amy M. (Boston, MA, USA); Jul 15, 2005

Yay! We are so glad you wrote to us! What an amazing surprise to have somebody recognize us because of the site! It was great to meet you guys. It was only afterwards that it really hit us what happened. We're pretty sure that it probably won't happen to us again since no one reading our website will both 1) run in to us and 2) have a memory good enough to recognize us.

--Susan & Grace; Jul 16, 2005

Hi guys! It looks like you are having a blast! It has been so much fun hearing about your travels all of these months. What an incredible trip! Thank you for sharing all of the great photos. When you get back we'll have to tap you for suggestions for a MUCH shorter honeymoon.

--Anna & Chris (San Francisco, CA, USA); Jul 15, 2005
[Anna was our awesome wedding coordinator and Chris handled all the music and lighting.]

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us. I love your website and I'm looking forward to future installments. Best of luck on your next stop.

--Sharon (Redwood City, CA, USA); Jul 15, 2005

Hi grace and susan, just got your web address - looks like you are having fun. Hope to see you soon. Ok, I tell you who I am: Victor your FedEx courier here in Frisco... hope to see you pronto. Sincerely yours...

--Victor C. (San Francisco, CA, USA); Jul 15, 2005

Victor! That's great that you got our website address - we're honored! And yes, unfortunately, it will be all too soon that we'll be back home receiving packages again. Take care and keep the city in order...

--Grace; Jul 16, 2005

Hi, Susan and Grace - we met at the Apricot Hotel in Turkey in early June. We've been home almost a month, and you're still traveling - envy! I'm really enjoying your site - thanks for sharing. I also passed it on to a friend who is planning a trip to Vietnam in January '06 - wish I could go with her! I'll keep an eye out for your Turkey notes!

--Celia L. (Sante Fe, NM, USA); Jul 6, 2005

hi guys nice to see your site. sounds like u have a real good balance to your journey---was uganda scary ???

we are planning driving istanbul to kathmandu next year so nice to hear others fulfilling their wanderlust.

--Tim & Tracy E.; Jun 28, 2005

No, Uganda really wasn’t scary and in fact, it was one of our favorite places. The people there are so incredibly nice and generous with their time and smiles. English is their official language so it really helps in getting by.

We loved Turkey so much. We just finished driving down the Western coast and through part of the Southern coast then up to Pumakkale and Cappadocia and it was all great. We should have pictures and stories up in a few months.

--Susan; Jul 5, 2005

Your vacation/journey/trip/experience/dream/thoughtfulness/preparation/
chronicling... and willingness to share, is amazing.

I don't know, but it seems to me you both 'love' life. That's just what I get from your site.

--Jason C. (Vancouver, Canada); Jun 24, 2005

I came across your website on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree and it sucked me in -- I've been reading it for more than an hour and a half! I am a 22-year-old who just graduated from college in Denver, and I am planning a RTW trip starting on March 15th. I'm heading to China, Southeast asia, Myanmar, India, Nepal, Tibet, back into China, Russia, the Baltics, the Balkans, then to Athens, London and back home. I really enjoyed looking at your site and I'm amazed that you are able to update it so thoroughly from abroad. I'm not going to have a laptop, but I'm going to try to use some combination of Flickr and Blogger to keep in touch. Thanks for the great content, stories, and photos. Have a great trip!

--Ryan N. (Denver, CO, USA); Jun 24, 2005

Cool site! You are very fortunate to have this opportunity traveling around the world at your age. What a lovely couple and what a luxury honeymoon which most people would not dream of a year long break until their retired age... “One may learn more by traveling thousands of miles than reading thousands of books.” You must enjoy and cherish this learning experience a great deal. Thank you for sharing. Keep up the good work updating the site. Have a safe and wonderful trip!

--Lily C. (CA, USA); Jun 22, 2005

Just wanting to comment on what a great site you have made. My husband and I are off to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand next year and it was great to read your stories of places we'd like to visit.

--Sam B. (United Kingdom); Jun 21, 2005

Thank goodness I stumbled upon your website!! The owner of a RTW blog I have been reading ended his trip and I have been DYING for more!! Thanks for all the great stories. My fiance and I would like to take a RTW for our honeymoon, and in fact, plan to have portions of the trip as part of our "registry." Have fun!!

--G. (Hong Kong); Jun 21, 2005

Many thanks for sharing your wonderful experience with us. I am jealous of your 13 months vacation. How can you guys afford to do this?

--David L. (San Jose, CA, USA); Jun 8, 2005

On the subject of costs - we've been planning and saving for a while, but it's not as expensive as most people think. Plus, we aren't always staying in hotels, mostly staying in apartments which makes things cheaper. We're always looking for cheap meals, tickets and lodging. :) Stay tuned - we're planning on adding a "costs" section soon that should give some more info.

--Susan; Jun 20, 2005

I so love being a stowaway on your trip. Thanks for inviting us along. I am excited and leaving for Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina in a couple of weeks on the 20th. I have travelled a bunch but I am a Europe virgin. 1st time. Can't wait. Remember if anything changes and you are in the area tween the 20th of June and the 11th of July, let me know. Would be great to see youts. Hope all is well and wonderful and we wish you the best.

--Keith B. (San Jose, CA, USA); Jun 7, 2005

Thanks so much for writing. We're so excited that you're off to Croatia and Bosnia. What an opportunity! If our schedule changes, we'll definitely let you know. It would be great to see some family at this point in our trip. :)

--Susan; Jun 15, 2005

We are planning a 7 month getaway - actually to be fair, less planning and more just go. We want to create a website for friends and family to be able to track us around and are both extremely impressed with the quality of design and content on yours. While not completely computer illiterate, we are not massively au fait with web design and/or hosting and was wondering how you guys went about creating yours.

Keep up the awesome posting on this site. I just went through Tanzania (see Tanzania entries) since we plan to visit there also and have definitely a better appreciation for the whole place. Also, the webcam of crossing a street in Hanoi was a real hoot (see video). Talk about culture shock!!!

--Aeneas and Noreen (New York, NY, USA); May 30, 2005

We're excited for you and best of luck on your upcoming journey!!

This answer might be more complicated than you wanted. We use the following tools to make/maintain our site: Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, C1 Pro, Fireworks, Premier Pro, Quicktime, and a few others from time to time.

We're lucky because we both work in the web. We opted to make our own site from scratch because we like to have the flexibility of doing whatever we want, but we don't necessarily recommend this for other folks. There are a lot of sites that let you upload your journal entries and pictures, if you want to go that route.

In terms of hosting, most ISP's offer a low-cost option these days. We're using a local San Francisco company called Speakeasy.

--Grace & Susan; Jun 11, 2005

Absolutely enjoyed the Bed Bar!

Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing your experiences, I am vicariously traveling with you, the visuals and the narratives are done with so much care, they are a treat. I was in Cape Town earlier this year and it was nice to revisit through you. Take good care and I look forward to the upcoming trips (very nice list), especially Japan and Rio.

--Genet T. (California, USA); May 25, 2005

What an amazing adventure you two have undertaken! My sister pointed your website out to me to give me a blast from the past. (Susan, you may remember me from your days at Castillero.) It's inspiring to know that there's still so much to see and do that isn't covered in the travel books and that someone I actually know is really seeing and doing it all. Thank you so much for sharing it. I can't wait for the next update! Safe and happy travels!

--Daniel L. (Boston, MA, USA); May 20, 2005

Your website is FANTASTIC. Your interests seem to be identical to ours in terms of travel places, and even down to the camera (we also own a D-70). I recognized Anita of Anita and Peter fame in your photo of Migration Camp in Tanzania: we also stayed there and loved it. Do keep it up guys. Do wish we could take off 13 months!!!!

--Sabs (Hong Kong, China); May 14, 2005

Your pictures are fantastic! I love the short movies!! You are visiting many of the countries which I am planning on traveling to next year. It is simply wonderful to hear of your impressions! I have reviewed your website several times to gain perspective. Keep up the super trek! I am certain that your website brings joy to many! More later,

--Robert (Monterey, CA, USA); May 12, 2005

You folks are doing all the things I have always wanted to do but never got down to doing... traveling,photographing and writing. Going through your site makes it seem like one is making the trip oneself. Great job and keep it up. Look forward to the next postings.

--Gooch (Singapore); May 9, 2005

Wow! I just found your website through Lonely Planet and I have spent two-plus hours cruising around on it. It is fantastic, and I want to thank you for putting it all togther. My husband and I are in our late thirties and are planning a six month trip, starting in August or September. We have sold the house, are quitting jobs, and taking the plunge. We are planning on 3 months in Croatia, France, and eastern Europe, then 3 months in Thailand, Vietnam, and Burma. We have traveled a good amount, but never for more than 3 weeks at a time. It is great to get your perspective on traveling for a long period of time, as it is both exciting to think of and extremely anxiety provoking! If you could answer a question - how are you doing traveling with so much stuff? How do you deal with having things like laptops and technology with you? We usually travel pretty light, but for 6 month trip we really want a laptop and other goodies with us. I worry about carting it all around or having to watch it every minute. Any thoughts appreciated! Your site is a total delight you two seem like people that we know, being Bay Area traveling types! I await future updates!

--Mary (Berkeley, CA, USA); May 7, 2005

Thanks for your great email! We're so glad that you're enjoying the site - that's what makes it all worthwhile! We decided to put a partial copy of your question in the gear section since some other folks have asked similar questions, so click here to see our answer. We wish you the best of luck and congratulations on your upcoming trip!

--Grace & Susan; May 18, 2005

I just had to thank you for sharing your adventure through pictures. They are fantastic, and the captions are great. So far, I have only looked at your Uganda and Tanzania pictures, and will be back soon to check out the rest.

--Erin (Virginia, USA); May 6, 2005

Hey guys, just checking in and saying hello. This site is turning into such an amazing resource. I can already see the book in print and on the shelves at Barnes and Noble. You remember Barnes and Noble right? Much love and continued safe journeys. You guys are the best.

--Kevin C. (Brooklyn, NY, USA); Apr 21, 2005

I've been looking to your site and it's great. I love it. I think I love what you are doing even more. Someday I'll do something like that. Hope you are having a nice stay in Buenos Aires. Talk to you soon.

--Santiago P. (Buenos Aires, Argentina); Apr 15, 2005

This is the most interesting and amazing travel and photo site I have come across. Saw the link in a posting on The Thorn Tree. Just spent at least two hours looking at your photos and reading. Enjoy!

--Joyce B. (Antioch, CA, USA); Apr 3, 2005

We found your website through some lonely planet thorntree sites as we are currently planning a similar style trip. We have to say it's the most amazing travel website we have seen! We are hanging out for more updates (and photos). We are off on our own adventure in May!

--Josie & Justin (London, UK); Mar 24, 2005

It is a real pleasure to find your site, not only because I will be visiting Vietnam for the first time soon, but to delve into your overall wanderlust and articulated experiences in all the places on your route. Long term travel is unique. I did it once for 2 1/2 years, just in asia. Thanks for the refreshing personal reportage!

--Myles F. (Palm Beach County, FL, USA); Mar 18, 2005

I am getting married in October and planning on leaving on a year long honeymoon in December. I spend a lot of time looking at travelogues and your site really stands out. Plus, you sound like the type of travelers that I think my fiance and I will be. I'll be eagerly awaiting new entries!

--Amy M. (Washington, DC, USA); Mar 10, 2005

I wanted to say that I am enjoying your website very much. I am in the throws of work so your trip is a nice distraction while things are hectic here. I have to say i'm very jealous of the trip you two are taking; my ideal job is to work for National Geographic, so you are doing is what I've dreamed of doing for a long time.

I haven't read your whole website so forgive me for asking a questions you may have already answered. How much do you plan your trip costing
[total]? Is all this documenting of your trip a pain in the neck? Do either of you have a travel documentary background? What are your backgrounds? Happy travels,

--Tom V. (Santa Monica, CA, USA); Mar 7, 2005

Hi, Tom! Glad you're enjoying the site! Quite a few folks have asked us about cost, so we might eventually start a section about that, but here's a quick summary: We're managing to keep our total cost under $3k/month, including everything (flights, accommodations, food, entertainment, even small gifts for folks from home). Sometimes, we're WAY under this number. Of course, it would be easy to make this number go up, too. :)

Is it a pain to document? Hmm... it is certainly work, but we enjoy it. We can certainly imagine situations where it might detract from the enjoyment of the trip, but we like to take days off anyway, so it works out for us.

Our backgrounds... we don't have any experience in travel documentary, but we do have web experience. Grace works in web design and Susan is a project manager that has traditionally also worked in the web space.

--Grace & Susan; Mar 8, 2005

You have outdone your self. The site keeps getting better and your photography fabulous. The love you share and the time you're spending together sharing expereinces should be a model to all relationships. I love it!

--Allan K. (worldrider); Mar 4, 2005

It's been over a year since my wife and I did two weeks up the Amazon, and I thought I'd gotten rid of the adventure-travel bug. But when I review your stories and pictures I have to fight the urge to get on a plane. It must be great, and I'm jealous. But I love the way you guys are sharing your experiences. Keep it up! (And keep drinking that bottled water.)

--Rich W. (San Francisco, CA, USA); Mar 4, 2005

I found your site on LonelyPLanet. I have been calling my husband into the office every five minutes to show him pictures. You have inspired me. I look forward to checking up on you two. Happy Travels.

--Nicole (Houston, TX, USA); Feb 16, 2005

Absolutely amazing!!! Not only are the pictures wonderful but your commentary is extremely entertaining... so easy to read... the time just flies! This is most certainly a bestseller!

--Jean A. W. (Claremont, CA, USA); Feb 12, 2005

Wow, those are some AMAZING photos! Grace, you can definitely get a job with National Geographic. I just wanted to give a quick shout out to say hello. I am definitely going to keep checking your web-site so that I can live the "Life of Grace & Sue." We hope to see you soon. Stay safe!

--Glenn & Douglas (San Diego, CA, USA); Feb 4, 2005

WOW what an amazing website! It's great to get away from San Jose if only for 20 minutes on the computer. I can't wait to show my kids the wonders of the world through your eyes. Be safe and enjoy the world... Very easy to navigate also! Keep having fun!

--Elizabeth (San Jose, CA, USA); Feb 2, 2005

Just viewed the Tanzania and Uganda videos -- they're quite amazing! Thanks so much for sharing them. The photography was quite inspiring as well. I'm sure you're going to come back quite changed by all you've seen and experienced. I say that in part because in my early 20s I traveled alone by backpack for nearly a year through Europe, North Africa and parts of the Middle East, and it certainly changed the direction of my own life. The thing that you have now that I treasured so much then was time. I think being away for so long is what really enables you to absorb things deeply, or it was for me anyway. I will make a point of showing the gorilla and safari videos to Amelia -- she just had her second birthday, btw. Safe travels, and again, thanks for sharing all of this,

--David H. (& Kathy) (Burlingame, CA, USA); Jan 30, 2005

Glad you're enjoying the video! It'll be interesting to see what Amelia thinks. :) Yes, having the time to go is indeed an amazing opportunity. It took a few years of preparation, but it is certainly turning out to be worth every bit of effort!

--Grace; Feb 3, 2005

What a wonderful adventure! Lovely images! You two have made me truly envious and als reminded me of the fun options we have in this amazing era... Came across your site via Google when looking for a lens review!

Could I suggest a book? The art of travel, by Alain de Botton. Thoughtful thoughts on many aspects of travel. Very best wishes,

--Leonard E. (Glasgow, Scotland); Jan 16, 2005

Leonard - Thanks! We'll definitely try to find that book.

--Grace & Susan; Jan 2, 2005

Patti Frank turned me on to your website . . . you two are the coolest! The website is easy to navigate, the design is great and the photo quality is absolutely awesome! Are you two professionals? Anyway, I hope you both are safe and away from the tsunami. Sincerely,

--Dale R. (Jersey City, NJ, USA); Dec 30, 2004

Dale - You have a special place in our hearts because you are the first person that neither of us has ever met to send a comment! We're so glad that you're enjoying the site - keep in touch!

--Grace & Susan; Jan 2, 2005

Two words.... LOVE IT!!! Your words and pictures are heart warming give us a glimpse of walking in your shoes. Can't wait to hear about your next adventures. Hope you two are having a great holiday season. Who comes up with the captions for the pics?

--Mark & Amy V. (San Jose, CA, USA); Dec 28, 2004

Glad you like the site! We share most of the work on the site, including the captions.

--Grace & Susan; Feb 3, 2005

I'm just completely amazed that you have been able to create such an amazing website as you trot around the world. Thank you for keeping us all up to date on the amazing adventures of Grace and Susan. LOVE the gorillas. I wish I could be there swinging around with them. Miss you two very much. See you soon! Stay safe! You're in my prayers! Happy New Year!!!

--Audrey H. (Honululu, HI, USA); Dec 28, 2004

This site is as amazing as you are as a couple! Enjoy, take it all in and don't ever forget this fantastic journey. You guys are too cute and this web site is waaay cool!

--Michele A.; Dec 22, 2004

This is the most awesome website!! I am so happy you did this so that we can all be a part of your trip!!! Your pics of the gorillas are the best. I love the pics of the mom and baby gorilla - makes me want to schedule a play date with them with my newborn, Gracie. Also love the picture captions - personal favorites as of today are the gorilla rapper and shark through the roof (he should probably choose a different mascot, that's a clear prisoner of war protest symbol - might confuse people) :) Miss you both and can't wait to see you in March. Thanks for making this website!!!!

--Katie C. (Los Angeles, CA, USA); Dec 20, 2004

this site is really an incredible accomplishment! i can't believe you got this done DURING the trip, it's really teriffic. glad you're doing well -- continued safe and happy travels!

--Craig A.; Dec 20, 2004

That's it.....we're getting out of this place and will be on the next flight to Vietnam. I have had tears in my eyes for a better part of the last half hour as I read your posts & photos. We miss you but could not be happier for you.

--Ann & George (San Diego, CA, USA); Dec 20, 2004

I'd like to see more pics of your feet.

The gorilla footage is way, way, super-duper cool! I assume you zoomed for many of the shots, but how physically close were you able to get to the gorillas?

I'm curious what went into the decision-making process for your itinerary.

The site overall is quite interesting, attractive, and thoughtful... but I'd expect no less from you. Looking forward to sharing your escapades. Have a great time, you two, and be safe!

--Jay Q.; Dec 20, 2004

We were less than 6 feet from the gorillas; we actually had to back up in order to avoid them touching us!

Check out the itinerary page to see what went into the decision-making process.

--Grace & Susan; Dec 21, 2004

I am enthralled, and cannot wait for future installments. Good job guys! Hurry up and do the Tanzania portion of the trip ... of course, I have a vested interest in reading your comments about that portion of your trip. Will also be looking forward to the Cape Town portion ... well, dammit, I am just looking forward to all of it. Maybe you want to head back to East Africa May 24? I am heading back there for a couple of weeks in Tanzania and then a week or so in Kenya. Care to completely uproot your plans and join me? :) Safe travels to you both.

--Susan W.; Dec 20, 2004

OMG!!! OK - first of all can we just say those gorillas are totally adorable and amazing?!

We love the site and we think you absolutely need to write a book as soon as you're done with your trip. It would be a best seller and we want an autographed copy. Continue to have a great time!

--Rayna & Allie (Honolulu, HI, USA); Dec 20, 2004

I loved the site; the pics are lovely, especially the headers. But I particularly enjoyed the Lego people drinking Guinness...More Lego people!

Looking forward to seeing your future pages and hope you have a
lovely Christmas.

--Kirstin M. (London, UK); Dec 20, 2004

Don't worry! There are more Lego peeps to come!

--Grace & Susan; Dec 21, 2004

This is a fabulous site - please keep it updated - we will be following you around the world. It was great to meet you in Cape Town in November - may your journey continue to be a fun adventure.

--Kathryn M. (Cape Town, South Africa); Dec 20, 2004