SHBR...sounds as though you would be afraid to cross the road..let alone ride a bike..
I bought a bike on Ebay for $25 USD....an old Dahon clone ..steel.6 speed..20 inch wheel..Used it in Thailand the last 4 years in the winters....Last December rode it 300kms on a weeks tour down in the south of Thailand..
You do not need a 1500usd Brompton to travel the world..My old 25USD bike spends most of its time bumping around gravelled roads in Thailand..and I mean seriously bumpy roads..
You can tour the world on anything as long as the wheels turn..
And well done Mr. Downtube...there are plenty of good quality ,cheap bikes out there especially in Asia..