Thushan’s cousin’s surprise birthday party gave us a stellar opportunity to get a taste of Sri Lanka, one of our future destinations on the jaunt. Party on in today’s photo gallery.

The Brits love their watering holes, and so, when in Rome, err, London, we did what the Londoners like to do. With the added motivation of a 25th birthday for Thushan’s cousin Samali, we made a proper night of it and went out on the town with a slew of good friends. Take a peek at our night out in today’s gallery…

The clouds, rain, and general muck rolled out the carpet for us on our first full day in London, but we expected that. Despite the weather, we managed to have a fine time roaming the city’s winding central streets, and got an exclusive tour of the Palace of Westminster on the Thames River. Check out our first full day in England here…

After two and a half months traveling through Central and South America, we have successfully completed the first (and shorter) leg of our trip around the world. We are about to embark on the second part, which will prove more difficult, and perhaps more frustrating at times, but surely just as interesting.

Thus far, language has not been a handicap. In fact, our ability to communicate with ease has been our best asset on the trip. Though we are experiencing new cultures, regional dialects, climates, and landscapes, we have always been able to get along quite well with locals in either Spanish or Portuguese, which has given us an advantage to the average traveler with just a phrase book and a map. (more…)

The trip recommenced as we arrived in London on a cold, damp morning. We quickly got settled in at and made it out to a pub in the city center for an evening of stories and good company with Thushan’s cousins. Take a look at the long trip over the Atlantic in today’s gallery…

With so many errands, including picking up our Chinese visas before heading to London, we had little time to do any sightseeing in New York. We did, however, make it to Time Square to soak up one of the world’s most famous scenes. Follow the LongJaunt crew through the city and to the airport in today’s photo gallery…

The group met back up in New York City and prepared for our flight to London the next day. The energy of the city was just what we needed to get us geared up for the rest of the trip as we head to London. The next time we touch down in the U.S., we will be coming from the other side, which is almost impossible to imagine right now. Check out the day’s photos…

There’s nothing like a weekend with the family before heading off to London for the second leg of the trip. Despite the many items on the to do list, we managed to relax for a day, get in some comfort foods, and visit some of the places that make where we are from unique. For photos of the crew back in their natural habitat, click here…

A nice, thick pile of mail welcomed us home. Bills, solicitations for donations, and of course, information about filing taxes occupied much of the pile. We took it easy today, and only snapped this photo for the day…

A mental tease really, we head to the states for a weekend to see family and head home for the first time in two and a half months. See photos of the return home in todays photo gallery…