http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/kjscott/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from kjscott en-us Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:18:52 +0000 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:18:52 +0000 It's been just about three months since my trip with Dad to Arizona and I'm surprised it's taken me so long to come up with a blog about this incredible adventure into the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Planned in conjunction with cousin Katie Graham's wedding in Flagstaff Dad coordinated a backcountry trail hike and camping excursion into the heart of one of the Nation and the world's most spectacu http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Grand-Canyon-National-Park/blog-409977.html 'Tis a great land in which we live is it not What better way to celebrate the Nation's birth by venturing to its heartland the fascinating state of Arkansas. Land of mosquitoes rice fields paper mills a president WalMart and many many many Sonic DriveThru Arkansas is a state that I only ever visit while venturing to the other side of the Mississippi River to shop at the West Memphis Wa http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arkansas/Little-Rock/blog-415554.html It's been just over four months since my arrival in Memphis the city I used to refer to as The Land of Pork and Poverty and much to my surprise life here in the capital of the 'MidSouth' region has grown on me. Perhaps its the amazing group of friends from work the low cost of living the Southern Charm nonexistent traffic the chance to live intown as opposed to exile in suburban Virgin http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Memphis/blog-403916.html Several months have passed since my last international trip...so many in fact that the Department of Homeland Security was concerned that something had happened to me as I'd not popped on on their list of entries in the past few months. Not wanting to worry the Gov't I jumped over to Amsterdam for the weekend on Northwest's only direct longhaul international flight out of Memphis. Biz class both http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Netherlands/North-Holland/Amsterdam/blog-396037.html It's moving time. After one year one week and one day working for Coglan Air in Manassas VA I have been transferred to Pinnacle the parent company headquartered in Memphis TN. A quick search of the driving route from DC to Memphis turned up an obvious rest stop in East Tennessee's wonderland known as GatlinburgPigeon Forge. Sensing the perfect opportunity for a road trip of epic proportions http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Tennessee/Pigeon-Forge/blog-368550.html The first entry in my Lighting Trip series...more to come. The format will typically be brief just like the trip itself which likely won't span more than 48 hours on the ground in a given destination.Rio Lightning10 hour flight courtesy of United Airlines direct from Dulles. The flight leaves late on Friday and doesn't return until Sunday late night...allowing 36 hours on the ground. Copacaban http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ipanema/blog-368526.html Founded in the mid1700s before the American Colonies decided to get restless Penang was one of the first outposts of British Imperialism in the Far East. Even before the arrival of the English Portuguese and Chinese traders already docked in Malaysia's many ports and their influences on the Malay Peninsula ranged from the introduction of Christianity Portugal to the creation of a MalayChine http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Penang/George-Town/blog-153460.html At nearly a mile above sea level the Cameron Highlands provides an escape from the intense tropical humidity found everywhere else in Southeast Asia. Discovered in the mid1800s by a British surveyor the Highlands is prized for cool rainy climate that was long ago recognized as the perfect place for growing tea cabbage vegetables flowers and yes....berries strawberries to be more specific. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Pahang/Tanah-Rata/blog-154344.html With a month to kill before work on the Vineyard begins I decided to head out to Thailand where passing the time would be less expensive than in the States. Seventeen hours after leaving JFK I touched down in Bangkok and I stayed for two nights as I made plans to head to the southern islands. I should consider myself lucky that Thailand out of all the southeast Asian nations has the best system http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Pha-Ngan/blog-153338.html Sarah and touched down in Quito the bustling yet manageable colonial capital of Ecuador. After a few drinks our traveling partners and guides for the week Laura one of Sarahrsquos friends from school and German pronounced Herman Laurarsquos Ecuadorian lover met up with us in the capital. The next morning we set off for a quick exploration of the temperate highlands city. Laura has be http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/West/Canoa/blog-148965.html Though not as fraught with as many perils and frustrations of most of my trips the adventure to the Abacos islands of the Bahamas with my Mom's brother et family was not without its adventures. We began in the hills of Georgia's northland where the Cessna 310 waited to pick me up in Cartersville GA which is a far easier airport to manage than ATL. Then from the comfort of the copilot's seat Ki http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Bahamas/Abaco/blog-144064.html Leaving Luxor with my perpetual Australian traveling partners Peta and Daniel the supposedly 6 hour bus ride to Haraguada on the Red Sea turned into 7 as the driver stopped for a leisurely coffelunch break on two occasions. The city is supposed to be Egypt's answer to Myrtle Beach a vacation destination for Egyptians. But approaching the city there is a huge collection of condo and hotel dev http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Sinai/blog-139998.html My new Australian 'mates' Peta and Daniel departed for the Lawrence of Arabia desert early on Monday morning which left me to seek out my own adventures once more though I really did enjoy their company over the week beginning on the felucca. Departing Petra Jordan I fell victim to my last Arab scheme overpaying for the bus because the greedy driver had me and two Asian travelers in a tight http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Israel/Jerusalem-District/Jerusalem/blog-144076.html I had toyed with the idea of not returning to Cairo for much of my stay in Egypt and after hearing that Daniel and Peta were heading to Jordan I decided to join them in Jordan. We drove by yet another mini bus to the EgyptIsraeli border along the way we nearly collided with a camel herd and one unfortunate camel nearly bit the dust as he lunged hopelessly out of the way. The camel was severely l http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Jordan/South/Petra/blog-146922.html I was grateful to leave the crowded city streets of Cairo behind as I boarded the train to Aswan Egypt's southernmost city. I even met a group of Peace Corps volunteers who were on vacation from their assignments in Kenya the first American's I'd met while in Egypt. It is always comforting to hear someone speak English even better with an American accent.After settling in at my Aswan hotel I ha http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Upper-Egypt/Luxor/blog-136260.html After a fast paced day of sightseeing with a guide on my first full day in Egypt I was given just enough time to clean up and organize for the trip to the Western Desert and Bahariyya Oaisis. As part of my 'package tour' I was provided with all transfers to and from all ports bus terminals and train stations which can be one of the most daunting parts of traveling in a foreign country as you're n http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-134077.html Arrived in Cairo last night mentally exhausted after a long day of travel which had me waking up in Budapest eating lunch in Frankfurt and capping the day off with a stressful arrival in Egypt's capital city. Completely overwhelmed I made it to the hostel I had booked in the downtown area not far from tourist headquarters the Egyptian Museum which houses most of the nation's historical treasur http://www.travelblog.org/Africa/Egypt/Lower-Egypt/Cairo/blog-134075.html Round Two Has BegunAdventures in Pig LatinAn unexpected return home to refuel on cash and celebrate Christmas temporarily interrupted the travels but now it's GAME ON. I had initially expected to return to New Zealand and Ms. Katie Guthrie but after looking at expenses I get much more bang for my buck if I avoid westernized locales. This stop in Italy is only temporary and much of this next round http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Florence/blog-132361.html So while ya'll thought I was eating Tim Tams surfing and lounging on the beach in Raglan New Zealand I was actually winging my way back to the states to surprise the family for Christmas. Aside from wanting to be home for the holidays because nobody ought to be alone on Christmas the money situation was getting tight and I'd heard all kinds of unpleasant stories about working in New Zealand's http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Georgia/blog-113404.html New Zealand is a place of dramatic geographical contrasts. From the barren volcanic craters of Lake Taupo's Tongariro Crossing to my present location Raglan on the Tasman Sea it is amazing that these two vastly different landscapes are nothing but a few hours drive from each other. In Raglan the rolling hills filled with hundreds of sheep give way to the turquoise water of the sea and the occasi http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Raglan/blog-112193.html