EIGHT months, thousands of miles and countless litres of petrol later, a Frome couple have finished their drive round the world from Tokyo, home to Somerset.
Clare Simmons and Mark Barton set off from Japan in July last year in a used Toyota Land Cruiser nicknamed Totty.
Moving back to England after five years living in the Japanese capital, the couple took the scenic route home, on an eight-month drive across the world.
The ‘Fromeward Bound’ journey came to an end in February, and Clare and Mark are settling back into life in Frome.
They told Frome Times, “We did it! It’s been a while since we called Frome home, but it’s looking good. We’re spending what little money we have left in Raves from the Grave!
“We’re both enjoying being in our house and pottering about in the garden and garage like a retired couple! Mark’s just built record shelves and I’ve been propagating seeds and preparing the vegetable patch.”
The mammoth journey took them through countries throughout Asia and Europe, many of them off the beaten track for regular tourists. Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Georgia were among some of the lesser visited locations on the trip.
“Driving through the countries in a car was amazing,” they added. “It gives you so much more freedom than travelling on public transport in a country.
“You can feel like you’re travelling in a metal bubble so we always made a thing of having the windows wide open and stopping for frequent tea breaks to encourage random encounters.”
Clare said, “The summer months were undoubtedly the best, especially as the way we had the car set up meant most things had to be done outdoors. Our time in Mongolia coincided with this warm dry period which, combined with the beauty of the place, made it a firm favourite for us.
“Kyrgyzstan was also a highlight and we’re definitely going to go back there again.
“The worst parts for me were the long nights in the unlit wilderness, which would bring out the dark side in me. I must have watched too many horror films as a child! Mark didn’t particularly enjoy Uzbekistan, which has a bit of a ‘police state’ vibe to it.
“Central Asia is stunning and I can’t recommend it enough. Miles of steppe; 7,000 metre mountain ranges; glacial lakes; deserts; raging rivers; wild horses and to top it off, the most friendly hospitable people imaginable.
“Every day was a new adventure and we both loved being on the move.
“We’re definitely keeping the car, though petrol is so expensive here that we might only be able to afford driving her to the end of the road and back again!
“A little bit like Lost Boys; ‘That’s as close to town as I can afford to get’! But for the time being it’s all about enjoying the comforts of home.”
Clare and Mark’s photos, blogs and drone footage of the trip are all online at www.fromewardbound.com or on the Fromeward Bound Facebook page.
