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Welcome to the Travel Journal

Well it’s all done. I know that some of you have been waiting for the final installment and it’s finally here.

Thanks to all the people that we stayed with during the trip. You have made the experience very memorable.

Check out our travel itinerary

Let us know what you think.

Hear from you soon

Andie and Tracy

Note from Tracy : Ciao everyone. Please note that the web page journal is Andie’s travel journal. I am writing my own journal, scrap-book style with all our tickets/postcards etc. So if you are wondering why it is from Andie’s perspective, that’s the reason. My input to the web page is spelling place names, helping choose pictures and chilling out while Andrew does all the photo naming, linking etc. etc. T 🙂

2025 update

It’s amazing to think that 20 years ago:

  • Social media did not exist
  • Smartphones were not invented
  • Paper maps were the way to get around. GPS’s were available but stolen from cars faster than you could get one.
  • You couldn’t stream anything on the internet
  • Online booking systems for accommodation or food were hit and miss.
  • If you wanted to publish anything on the internet, you had to write the code.
  • John Howard was Prime Minister
  • George W Bush was US president
  • Video stores were a big thing.
  • Your TV was square & CRT (Cathode Ray Tube, 4:3 ratio). There were 4 channels (if you were lucky!)

Tech for the trip

Tracy thought I was crazy lugging a 2.6Kg (inc power supply) laptop around the planet in my backpack! This website and the pictures would not have happened without it. Although organising accommodation was dodgy and food/restaurant bookings impossible, it did come in handy to book public transport tickets (bus, train & ferry).
Presenting the:

Compaq Presario V2157AP

  • Intel® Celeron® M Processor1.3GHz. Single core
  • 256MB RAM
  • 40GB Hard Drive
  • Dual Layer DVD±RW/±R
  • High speed 56K modem
  • Integrated 10/100 LAN Ethernet, integrated wireless LAN 802.11g
  • 14″ colour TFT WXGA (1280 x 768 resolution) High-definition BrightView 15:9 Widescreen

Full Tech specs

Your smartphone has more than 10x the processing power and at least 3 x the storage

Digital cameras had been invented 🙂
My choice for the trip was a Canon PowerShot A70

What a beast. I still have it and it works!
Main specs:

  • 3.2 Megapixel
  • Powered by 4 x AA batteries
  • Capable of 30 seconds of video. 640 x 480 (to match your square TV). 15 frames per second!
  • 3 x optical zoom
  • 64MB compact flash card

All the details here
https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dcc484.html

In New York, I upgraded to the Canon PowerShot S1

I still have this one too, and it works!
Main specs

  • 3.2 Megapixel
  • Powered by 4 x AA batteries
  • Video 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second. No time limit (until you fill up the memory card).
  • 10x optical zoom
  • Flip rear LCD screen. AKA “variable-angle function” screen
  • 512MB compact flash card

Tech specs:
https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dcc494.html