I was meandering through my Facebook page yesterday in the mindless manner I somehow instinctively revert to when I need to get work done but secretly welcome distraction. So yeah, I was doing that when I noticed this message on my sidebar: On this day in 2009, your status update was: Yay! Heading to the Fringe Festival today …
Weak sunlight peeped from behind the smoke-gray clouds and I surmised that today, like everyday for the past four days, was another classic Scottish day—damp and cold. Although I had hoped for perfect weather when I tackled one of the most famous hikes on the Trotternish Peninsula, the northeast area of the Isle of Skye, the …
I discovered a fantastic new use for Twitter that I plan to use on many of my future travels—and again, I owe it all to my new friend Andy. When I emailed Andy with a question about Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows, we arranged to meet up for a drink and chat. Once he decided that I …
I first met Andy by reading his travel blog. Then we started chatting more on Twitter, so naturally I thought to connect when I passed through his city. I was in Edinburgh for the annual Fringe Festival, a huge highlight on my RTW itinerary, so I sent him an email asking for Fringe show recommendations, and warning …
Exiting the bus station in Edinburgh, Scotland, the distant sounds of street music and cheering crowds lured me down Princes Street. Traffic bustled past me on the street, whizzing cars causing a passing breeze, and pedestrians vied for space on the sidewalk, eying me with caution since I had to backpacks strapped to my person. …
After a week of uncommon hospitality given to me in Scotland, I surly owe a debt of kindness to other travelers—one to be repaid at some point in the future. On an icy-cold evening in Northern India, I met two sisters, fellow backpackers, who were nestled into a tiny restaurant in McLeod Ganj. We shared …
Ice cream dripped down my hand as I made my way to the small Fort Augustus bus stop—I was staring down the barrel of another long and drawn out travel day. I had strapped on both my backpacks, and with 20 minutes to kill before the bus arrived, I made my way to the grassy hill …
Vibrant green, lush underbrush climbed the trees and crept across the forest floor as soon as a left the main town of Fort Augustus in search of the best hikes near Loch Ness. Surrounded by national park, Fort Augustus offers easy access to hikes and it took mere minutes to leave my hostel and enter …