Following their non-stop tour of both Europe and Central America, I was interested in finding out some of the details from both Chris and Jay. I hastily caught each of them online in order to ask them a few questions, just to try to get a feel of how the trip went before they had been back too long to remember.

Chris:
First I spoke to Chris via MSN Messenger. All subsequent changes to the interview are to ease readability.

Security
Chris: I was thinking of getting some i pod speakers for Malia.

Rawson: Could do, although a bit risky that they'd get nicked from the hotel room

Chris: Ha! I've been surviving on that sort of risk for the last 3 months

Rawson: It must be a relief to just have the security of your own room?

Chris: Yeah it is, I got pretty paranoid sometimes, I'd wake up in the night and have to check my bag to see if my passport and wallet were still there. Jay probably wondered what the hell I was doing (laughs out loud).

Rawson: I cant blame you though - I would have probably slept with my valuables under my pillow or something.

Chris: Yeah, I did have my wallet in my pocket sometimes. The one time I was careless I lost $100!

Rawson: Stolen?

Chris: I don't know, I only realised it was gone a few days later, I really don't know how to be honest.

Money
Rawson: Did all the countries you visited use US dollars?

Chris: No - panama and el Salvador did. The others had their own currencies but they all accepted them so it was always useful to have a stash.

Rawson: I can only begin to imagine how complicated that must have been. Did you have all the different currencies when you started, or did you get them out of machines on the way round?

Chris: We mainly changed them at the borders it was a bit dodgy because they try to short-change so we had to be really careful.

Rawson: What do you think was the most dangerous place you went to?

Chris: Managua - that's the capital of Nicaragua. It was like whenever you got a taxi somewhere when it stopped there was about 6 big guys opening the doors and boot grabbing and carrying your stuff and then demanding money for it you have no choice but to pay them, it really is scary. id say that's it really... we didn't have trouble anywhere else.

Rawson: It can't have been too expensive though, even with all that?

Chris: what the whole trip?

Rawson: Well, most things - compared to UK prices

Chris: It all added up but I guess considering how much we did it was pretty good.

Rawson: Any idea of the total cost? or are you purposefully trying not to think of that?

Chris: Well it was close to Ł1000 before we went on all the tickets and then about Ł2,500 on the trip itself. So a little over Ł1000 per month - which isn't bad really.

Reflection:

Rawson: Anything you would do differently if you were to do it again

Chris: Nah - no regrets to be honest. Maybe we made it a bit too long, we both got really homesick about halfway through but it was all worth it.

Rawson: Was that when you were in Europe, or south America?

Chris: When we got to central America. Because there wasn't much to do there, Europe we didn't have time to get homesick. I'd like to have the money I had beforehand though!

Rawson: There's plenty of time to re-earn money of course. I guess in Europe it must have felt a lot closer to home?

Chris: Yeah it was definitely a lot more comfortable - but central America was the real adventure. It's great to be back though I don't think I've ever loved the place so much

Rawson: Must feel like another lifetime, being in Europe after spending so long in south America?

Chris: Yeah it does - I forgot what most things were when I saw the pictures.

Rawson: Have you had a chance to read through all your blog entries yet?

Chris: No - I've not really thought about the trip that much to be honest.

Rawson: im hoping that you'll be able to add pictures to once you've got them all back!?

Chris: Yeah I think we are going to town tomorrow and get the Central America ones done and then jay will put them all up.

Rawson: I Hope they're good - I look forward to seeing them!

Chris: Yeah me too - we took over 200 so some of them should be!

Security:
Rawson: How much risk was involved with the trip?
Jay: Risk, that's an interesting word and probably a subjective one on a trip like this. I suppose it depends on how aware you are of any potential risks, whether you realise you're in a risky situation. For me personally I had anxieties now and again during the trip, mainly regarding travel to new destinations and naturally common sense kept us from wandering about strange streets after sunset, although I wouldn't say that it really restricted us at any point, Europe never felt like we were taking any risks and whilst we were more aware of potential danger in Central America, there was very little risk and on the whole I never felt as if we were personally in danger.

Rawson: How does it feel being back home?
Jay: At first it was overwhelming, strange, tiring, but it doesn't take long to settle back in. It's probably a similar situation to coming back from a semester at university, at first it takes a few hours to realise that you're actually back but quickly routine and familiarity kick in and it's just like it was before you left. It's good to be back.

Rawson: What were the low points of the trip?
Jay: Mainly the length of bus travel in Central America and the journeys which lasted hours upon end and weren't the most comfortable. The heat caused an issue now and again, in places like Caye Caulker and Acapulco we couldn't really go out during the day because of the strength of the sun. Nothing went seriously wrong throughout the entire three and a half months, occasionally we were bored or frustrated to be stuck in one place for longer than we wanted to be but the high points consistently outweighed any negatives.

Rawson: What was the most dangerous place you visited?
Jay: Again, danger wasn't really something I felt during the trip. The most unsavoury places were just that, rather than actually dangerous, there was just a feeling in places like Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, that we weren't somewhere we wanted to be. Occasionally unwelcome attention from locals was irritating but I was confident that nothing would progress beyond annoyance into an incident. It required thick skin and patience at times, but when you realise that most people just want some small change and will try anything to get it, it's easier to ignore and get on with your own business.

Money:
Rawson: Would you say the trip was expensive, given all the things that you did? Any idea on the total cost?
Jay: The trip was expensive, but to justify the cost to myself I like to put it in the perspective of comparing it to a holiday. A package holiday to some of the places we went to could cost something like Ł500 and at that rate the trip would have cost upwards of Ł7000, a short trip to Europe would see you paying something like Ł50 for a decent hotel, we were generally paying less than $10 per night and most of the places we stayed were comfortable and secure. For such a long time away, I think it was good value but it's a big commitment to make and once you're out there until the date you fly back, spending is unavoidable. I think I got good value for my money, although I'm not entirely sure how much I spent. A lot.

Rawson: Anything you would do differently if you were to do it again?
Jay: I would research the places I was going to more thoroughly beforehand.
I would probably avoid the capitals and get off the beaten track a bit more, although perhaps on a first visit to a new region of the world it was only natural we stuck to some more convenient places as well as doing our own exploration. More remote, and debatably exciting regions are harder to get to and invariably offer more risks as well. Also, I'd make more money before I left so I had some to bring back with me.

Reflection:
Rawson: Compare the Europe leg of the trip with the South Americas
Jay: Hard to do. I am already in the process of writing an article on this subject but it's a huge topic to attack. Europe is convenient, it's easy to get around and to be understood. English, compared to Central America, is common and communication barriers were mostly absent.
Travelling in developing countries naturally throws up contrasts in infrastructure and affluence in comparison to Europe, but doesn't have to be a problem. They're both very different places with a lot to offer, but perhaps Central America needs more preparation and an open mind to enjoy whereas Europe is easy and accessible.

Rawson: Have you had a chance to read through all your blog entries yet?
Jay: Not yet, and I probably won't for a long time. The whole trip is so fresh in my mind and I kept a personal journal at the same time which I re-read constantly so I think I need to forget some of the trip before I relive it again.

Rawson: What was your favourite location and event?
Jay: I think Prague is accepted as the best city we went to and one that everyone should see at least once. Central America as a whole was much more of an adventure than Europe which throws up few surprises whilst still being a great place to spend a month rambling around. Heading out on a boat to a white-sanded island in the Caribbean sea was a moment to savour and of course seeing such impressive sites as the world's third largest pyramid and the Panama Canal are once in a lifetime experiences.