Our Trip Around The World

[Interpaleo]

Hello everyone!

Its been a while since I've been on TFF, mostly just due to being busy with non fossil related work and not getting out in the field much. I've gone on a few hunts but haven't really come across anything too spectacular recently. Hopefully though thats all about to change!

For the past year or so my girlfriend and I have been planning a trip around the world, starting this upcoming July 6th. We're going to be backpacking, camping, fishing, immersing ourselves in new cultures, and doing as much fossil hunting as we possibly can. We'll mostly be relying on our tent, friends, family, couchsurfers, and hostels for places to stay. We've done a ton a research about what we're gonna do, and are getting really excited!

We'll be landing in the UK from the east coast of the US, then heading over to Belgium for a couple weeks. Hopefully we'll come across a few shark teeth. Then its back to the UK from late July to October, heading up through Scotland, then into Ireland, then back into southern England. We then head over to Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, then a ferry over to Italy, then Greece, and then on to many more countries afterwards.

I've had a love for paleontology since my early childhood, and have read up quite a bit on European fossil localities, but I really only still have a vague picture of what looking for fossils is like in Europe, Africa, and Asia. I'm posting this on the Fossil Forum in the hopes that I can get some general advice, maybe hear a story or two, and maybe even meet up and do some hunting with a forum member or two. Our schedule is very flexible, and both my girlfriend and I would love to hang out and share stories with other fossil hunters from around the world. I'll also be bringing a huge bag of southern California shark teeth to trade and give out along the way

As we travel and look for fossils we'll make sure to take lots of photos and post the most interesting finds we come across here in this post.

Thanks,

Joseph and Katherine

Edited June 4, 2014 by Interpaleo

[Jesuslover340]

That sounds exciting!

Cannot wait to hear of and see your finds!

[fossilized6s]

Best of wishes to you guys! Sounds like a blast!

Good luck in your hunts!

[rejd]

Sounds like a great trip. If you plan on coming to my neck of the woods (I am close to the badlands in Ablerta) i would love to take you out fossiling and give you a place to stay.

[Hunt4teeth]

That is quite the expedition, good luck! I hope you meet a lot of great people along the way, and collect some amazing fossils!

Jay

[Uncle Siphuncle]

Sounds like my kind of gig! Have you looked into fossil import and export laws at each country you plan to visit? I'd hate to see you go into one country with your bag of goodwill generating shark teeth, only to have it confiscated on the way out of the same country. I'd ship finds home from each country where found to avoid having several countries worth taken by border agents.

[fossilized6s]

Sounds like my kind of gig! Have you looked into fossil import and export laws at each country you plan to visit? I'd hate to see you go into one country with your bag of goodwill generating shark teeth, only to have it confiscated on the way out of the same country. I'd ship finds home from each country where found to avoid having several countries worth taken by border agents.

Very good point! And the fees alone may kill you just to bring "things" over the borders.

[traveltip1]

I did 11-month RTW trip 20 years ago. Tip - if you aren't going by car, carry small bag. This means a maximum of one commercial airlines carry-on bag per person, even if you're gone for a year. Ship fossils home. Enjoy.

[Ammojoe]

That sounds like a sweet trip , I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time. Let me know when you're in the UK and perhaps we'll be able to meet up? Also, if you need any advice about collecting in the UK just drop me a PM.

[Interpaleo]

Hello everyone,

just bumping this back to the top.

We are on the road (left June 11) and are still looking to do some hunting with folks from around the world.

Hope we get to meet up with a forum member or two

Joseph and Katherine

[Ludwigia]

Nice to hear that you're already on the way! When you get over to southern Germany feel free to get in touch with me and I'll see what I can do for you. You're welcome to drop in and if the timing is right we could go collecting together. I can also establish contact to other German collectors for you. Just send me a PM when you're getting close and we can talk about it.