A SALISBURY couple took on a globetrotting adventure with a difference – hitchhiking a staggering 26,000 miles from Argentina to Alaska for charity.

Steve Dew-Jones, 28, and his wife Jo, 27, have recently returned from an eight-month trip in aid of Tearfund.

Steve said: “I am really glad we did it.

“We had a great time. It has reinforced my belief that the world is a much better place than we give it credit for and people around the world are much kinder and that you are much more likely to meet a kinder person than someone who wants to harm you.”

The 28-year-old is no stranger to hitching a ride and previously hitchhiked his way to Malaysia to raise money for the Trussell Trust back in 2008.

Over the course of this trip the couple travelled with 391 drivers.

They were able to enjoy many breathtaking sights and experiences, including the Brazilian World Cup, Machu Picchu in Peru and snowy scenes in Alaska.

However, they say it was the people they met along the way that made the experience.

“We saw so many different things but it was all about the people we met,” added Steve.

“Hitchhiking trips, however long, you are going to get highs and lows.

“We had a lot of highs and a lot of countries we hitchhiked through really quickly which made it much more enjoyable.

“Poor countries tended to be more open and willing to help us out.”

However, the couple say on a few occasions their hitchhiking journeys become more of a waiting game, having to wait up to four-and-half hours to catch a ride to their next destination.

They also had to contend with the varying weather conditions from scorching heat to minus temperatures.

Steve has ruled out another hitchhiking adventure at the moment. He said: “That’s it I think.

“It has been six years since I did my last one – two is enough.”

He is currently in the process of writing a second book about his latest hitchhiking adventure.

To make a donation to Tearfund visit justgiving.com /ruleofthumb2.