Paul and Helen Dickson are gypsies at heart and dreamed of doing an extended vacation while they could still walk uphill, climb steep steps without too much panting and sit on rickety bus seats for copious hours.

In 2007, they sold their business and flew out of Australia. Their destination was Mexico, the first stop on a 10-month journey of discovery across Central and South America, and into North America.

They discovered the UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, paddled a long canoe on the Amazon River, did an exploratory tour of the Panama Canal, and swam with seals in the Galapagos Islands, as well as many other adventures in places away from the usual tourist destinations, camped through 18 National Parks and became engrossed with the lifestyle of colonial Mexico.