One thing that has struck us both so early on in our journey has been the innovative culinary skills of other backpackers. Each evening we prepare and eat our meal surrounded by a kitchen full of young adults approximately half our age, totally absorbed in their own meal preparations.

The hostel that we currently reside has three hobs, three sinks, ample worktops and an oven. Each night approximately fifteen people beaver away creating their evening meal concoctions, whilst ducking and diving, trying to very politely, avoid one another and in doing so you cannot help noticing the other meal preparations taking place.

We had perhaps naively expected a group of youngsters, away from the rules of their own parents, to indulge in nightly feasts of easily achievable meals such as pizzas and burgers. How wrong could we be, here was a group of young people from around the globe laboriously peeling and chopping an array of different vegetables, whilst preparing and carefully cooking an assortment of meats, a scene that resembled something similar to an episode of junior Master Chef. We sat last night and ate our humble meal of tuna pasta, with a simple tomato and vegetable sauce (not forgetting the basil) whilst acknowledging the seriously competitive cooking taking place, trying not to feel just a little bit intimidated.

Last night's kitchen antics included a young Asian girl descaling a piece of salmon, something we'd never consider doing. Next to her was a young German chap preparing his meal whilst enjoying a predinner snack of avocado, no less, and in another corner a young French chap was mixing ingredients for a salad dressing, in a carefree style akin to Jamie Oliver!

However, we are very carefully planning our meals and are quite chuffed that we have managed to create a healthy square meal for no more than £2.50 per head. That said, each meal has consisted of either tinned or frozen produce, which has left us wondering how on earth these youngsters can afford such luxuriously fresh produce on a backpackers budget.

An answer of sorts came to me at the breakfast table the next morning whilst Ronnie and I were enjoying a bowl of honey nut corn flakes and a mug of steaming hot tea. As we sat and ate I noticed that we were the only ones eating breakfast cereal, everyone else was once again chopping and peeling all manner of culinary delights for breakfast. These youngsters from around the globe were creating what we Brits have termed the 'Continental breakfast'. There was all manner of cheeses, ham and breads being thrown together. However, the one dish that did translate across each Continent was scrambled eggs.

It would appear that these youngsters may have brought to the table traditional dishes from their respective countries, cooking skills taught to them by their mothers and a budget that only their fathers could have provided.