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Swiss couple keeps rolling on 23-year round-the-world drive
瑞士夫妇持续廿三年开车环游世界

 
 
In 1984, Swiss couple Emil and Liliana Schmid traveled to the United States to get away from the monotony of office work.
They became hooked on traveling and haven't stopped since.

Now 23 years, 157 countries and 626,000 kilometers later Emil, 65, and Liliana, 66, have turned their Toyota Land Cruiser into their home and want to spend the remainder of their life on the road, seeing nature, meeting interesting people and learning about different cultures.

The couple arrived in Taiwan in October. They drove across Taiwan's mountains and cities, stayed two nights at the plush Grand Hotel in Taipei as guests of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, and made friends with many locals.

"Taiwan has a unique combination of natural scenery and city life. A few hours from cities, you are at the seaside or in tall mountains. And Taiwan has beautiful temples and rich culture," Emil said.

Over two decades ago, Emil, a computer software engineer, and Liliana, a secretary, decided to go to the United States to get away for a year.

However, 12 months proved not to be long enough. They now hope to visit every country in the world and have just 33 of the 194 states recognized by the United Nations left on their list.

In 1997, they entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Longest Driven Journey," a record they almost certainly will hold for a long time to come.
 
monotony  (n.)   无聊；单调

to be hooked on   迷上；爱上

plush  (adj.)   豪华的

combination  (n.)   结合；组合

scenery  (n.)   风景；景色

temple  (n.)   寺庙；神殿

computer software engineer   电脑软体工程师

to recognize  (v.)   承认；认可

Guinness Book of World Records   金氏世界纪录

journey  (n.)   旅行；旅程