Uncornered Market Travel Blog - Travel Wide, Live Deep

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.

Jordan: First Impressions

by Daniel Noll

For the last several days we’ve been making our way around Jordan – from the capital of Amman to the edges of the Rift Valley, from the north, now to the south. Although we still have much more to do and see, we thought we'd take a breath and share some of our first impressions of Jordan — from the cultural, to the human, to the culinary.

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.

The Bad News Barber of Kuala Lumpur

by Daniel Noll

This is a story about a haircut, some bad news, life in Kuala Lumpur, and crocodile poop.

Before I set off for my first trip abroad to India many years ago, I harbored visions — visions of mystical women in colorful saris who would place their hands upon the crown of my youthful head and say, “I see great things in your future.” Through osmosis, I would absorb their wisdom and they would enlighten me with the path I might take to achieve such great things.

Instead, 14 years later, as I sat in a barber’s chair in Kuala Lumpur, a man named Deepak, a Gujarati Indian barber from Mumbai decked out in too-tight jeans and a checkered shirt, placed his hand upon the front of my head and told me I was going bald.

Where did I go wrong?

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.

Why We’re Going to Jordan. Now.

by Daniel Noll

Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea. Jordan.

In a twist of schedules, we’re headed there in just over a week to experience it all for ourselves.

Two Thai Classics, Six Minutes: A Video Recipe from an Island Kitchen

by Daniel Noll

Oh, Thai cuisine: complexity in flavor, simplicity in process. The flavors are so vast and so varied that the thought of cooking something so rich, so in-the-mouth dazzling is daunting, to some insurmountable.

It doesn't need to be.

Wine Tasting in Mendoza, Argentina: Going Beyond Malbec and Loving It

by Daniel Noll

Maybe you'd like to visit wine country in Argentina. You've heard about Mendoza, but you wonder: How to I go about wine tasting and touring wineries there? The options are many, but if you'd like to have a meaningful, enlightening wine tasting experience and an awesome time, here are a few tips on how to do so without blowing a ton of cash.

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.

The sunset view we enjoyed while drafting this article — in context.

A Hot Dog Hunt in Valparaiso (Chi-Chi-Chi, Le-Le-Le)

by Daniel Noll

Have you ever glommed on to a piece of information and carried it with you, even if you can’t remember its origins or vouch for its accuracy?

That was me with the city of Valparaiso and hot dogs (or completos, as they are called in Chile).