A to Z of grá travel memories
African Savannah - where we got very close to giraffes, zebra and more in the Akagera National Park
Beaches - we went to many along the way and made the amazing discovery that Emily doesn’t like sand. Tricky on a beach...
Cultures - vast differences in behaviour and traditions in each country but for all, family, food and home were the common denominator
Diving on the Great Barrier Reef was a truly unforgettable experience and a magical day out
Emergency medical kit - we brought our own needles, syringes and bandages in case we got into a sticky situation. Thankfully, it remains unused
Farmers deserve extra special recognition - we had a taste of how much hard physical work, long hours and dedication go into producing our food
Grá website - how much joy it brought us to share our travels with you!!
Helicopter flight - our first ever and it blew us away. More, please!
Insects, snakes and reptiles of Australia which kept us in a state of high-alert every time we stepped outside
Jigsaw puzzles - two. One defeated us at our first stop (Quebec City) but we dug deep to complete the second one fittingly which happened to be at our last stop (New Zealand)
Kilometres - we travelled 88,500 of them
Luggage - keep it light. You don’t need many clothes or other paraphernalia in your life. We each travelled with 13kg in a rucksack and 2kg in a day pack and we had everything we needed for six months
Mangoes, specifically luscious Bowen mangoes - we gorged on them ecstatically in Cairns
NASA in Florida was an awe-inspiring day and very a special one to share with Adam
Onigiri - little triangular snacks of rice stuffed with fishy things and wrapped in crispy seaweed which all add up to ‘Emily heaven’
Plastic (single-use) - truly shocking to see how much is used and dumped in developed countries very little attempt at recycling.
Quiet humility and resilience of Rwandan people - they gifted us the best moments of our trip
Rainforest humidity -it was a tough environment to be in for two weeks
Schoolkids at Ecole du Bon Berger running to hug or touch us each time we passed nearby
Tiger Balm from Sri Lanka - rub it in to soothe all sorts of skin irritations and even flatulence it claims, though we don’t quite understand how that works
Umuganda - one Saturday morning each month, all Rwandans aged between 18 and 65 work outside in the community caring for roads, parks and communal projects
Virtual contact with you as we travelled using our portable wifi router with varying degrees of success
Water - how hard got and precious it is in certain countries. We have huge respect for its fundamental importance
X-ray machines at the entrance of every main shop, hotel, supermarket in Rwanda
Yoga classes around the world were a great way to enjoy harmonious moments with other yogis
Ziplines - one across a huge waterfall in Quebec City and six in the Daintree Rainforest in Australia. Great fun… when it’s over, sez Gill.