Audrey Scott, Author at Uncornered Market

Travel Snobbery and a Tour to Bali

by Audrey Scott

Apparently, it’s easy to be a travel snob.

Independent travelers can look down on tour groups as not being “hard core” or “authentic” enough. Luxury travelers can look down on backpackers as cheapskates one notch above street riffraff. Holiday-makers looking to relax with a cocktail on the beach are not “real” travelers while those who are trying to live on $5 a day are “escapists.”

I could go on and on with the stereotypes and slurs that I’ve heard fly in all directions, but that’s not the point. One thing travel can teach you – if you allow it to – is that the world is made up of people whose goals and preferences differ. And those differences — they also apply to travel.

Our Jordan Itinerary: The Details

by Audrey Scott

Perhaps you've seen all of our photos and stories from our travels in Jordan but what exactly was your two-week itinerary? Where did you go, stay, eat? What did you do in Petra or Wadi Rum?

We've been answering a bunch of “I'm thinking of going to Jordan” emails and need a place to put all of our answers. So here it is: the details of where we stayed, where and what we ate, what we saw and experienced. The whole scoop for one final go-round.

The Destination Is Everything, The Destination Is Nothing

by Audrey Scott

Have you ever set off for a destination not really caring whether you actually arrive?

Petra and Jordan’s Wadi Musa [Audio Slideshow]

by Audrey Scott

The Monastery at Petra, a great hike and views.

Whereas we sometimes feel like we know the Romans and Greeks when we visit the ruined cities they left behind, the Nabataeans, the mysterious ancient civilization behind Petra, are people we need to meet.

Traveling in Jordan: Zikra Initiative Social Enterprise Working with Women

by Audrey Scott

On occasion, we are fortunate enough to have an experience or conversation that sends chills for its human quality. Our time with Zikra Initiative and the women of Ghor al Mazra’a in Jordan was one such experience.

From the moment I passed into the courtyard, Um Atallah took control and led me to a seat on the ground near her. Two other women swapped their attention between their work and us, offering encouraging smiles. These were the women of Ghor al Mazra’a near Jordan's Dead Sea. And for a few hours, they shared a bit of their lives with us.

Women in Jordan Snapshots: Coffee to Courage

by Audrey Scott

In Jordan, I spent a lot of time with men. Not only did my immediate company consist of men (our driver and host were both men and I had Dan by my side), but many of our in-home social and cultural experiences were dominated by them, too. Tea and coffee in Bedouin tents was served by and among men, dinners in homes — outside of some interactions with the women of the house – were largely a male affair.

Don’t get me wrong: I enjoy spending time with men and learning about their world, but I also look forward to sharing time with women so that I may get a glimpse into their lives and appreciate their work.

And so I did in Jordan. And for me, three stories stood out. The women I met and their pride as individuals, as mothers, and as breadwinners left an impression on me.

South Indian Food: A Few Favorites

by Audrey Scott

So you think Indian food is just chicken tikka masala and palak paneer? Think again.

Recently, I’ve settled into a familiar morning routine: a masala dosa and sweet milk coffee in a simple canteen just down the street. Attendants make their rounds with metal pails full of sambar and colorful wet chutneys, ensuring that all customers have ample supply, more than enough to eat.

Panorama of the Week: The Rhythm and Ritual of a Hindu Temple

by Audrey Scott

Evening puja (prayers)at Sri Ganesar Court Hill Hindu Temple near Puduraja in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Every morning and every evening, just down the block from our guest house in Kuala Lumpur, the local Hindu temple comes alive with the daily puja (prayer). Worshippers line up to break coconuts, families gather to share blessed meals, Hindu priests prepare to dress Ganesh, and the sadhu attempts to sell 3-D calendars sporting likenesses of Hindu gods.

Each time we pass, we are drawn in by it all.

Geotagging Photos: A Software Review and Tutorial

by Audrey Scott

Readers often question whether geotagging photos is worth the time and effort. Of course, this is a personal decision based on, among other considerations, the volume of photos you take, the number of locations you visit over a period of time, and the importance of knowing the precise location where a photo was taken. Oh, and whether you have a bit of geek in you, like we do.

Udaipur, India: A Photo, A Girl, A Lesson

by Audrey Scott

Sometimes a story behind a photo really stays with you. While sifting through our images from Udaipur (a terrific town in the Indian state of Rajasthan), I came across this photo of a girl we'd met in the market there. In some ways, it looks like so many of our other photos of children and people in India – colorful, human, evocative. But to me, this image carried a story — and a lesson.