Hello and Happy New Year! I hope 2020 is one full of tech and travel so while you’re looking back on where you’ve been I got some of my travel blogger friends to help you plan where to go this year. These are some of the most traveled people I know and I appreciate everyone who sent me their recommendations – most places I haven’t been to either! You can see all the bloggers, plus my travel pick for 2020, in the video above.
No matter how good a pair of sports earbuds are, if they don’t actually stay in your ears it doesn’t really matter. Anker’s Soundbuds Curve are a pair of budget exercise earbuds that aren’t great in any one category but manage to be solid across the board. When added all up these nearly $25 Soundbuds Curve are a good choice for travelers who run.
You can watch my full review of the Anker Soundbuds Curve in the video above or read on.
The Hook
There are a few main ways earbud manufacturers design earbuds to stay put. Some, like the RHA MA390 use a thick neck cord for weighted balance while others like the NuForce BE Sport3 leverage wingtips. Anker has opted a blended solution: smaller wingtips to maintain stability just above your ear canal and a larger hook over the ear.
The result is a clunky set of headphones that are surprisingly light, relatively comfortable, and certainly stable. Soundbuds Curve won’t fall out, even on longer jogs, sprints, or running up stairs. Having used the Soundbuds Curve on near marathon length runs they only needed a few minor readjustments (usually when I began sweating) along the way.
Sounds… Average
Anker has done a good job of making the Soundbuds Curve seem more premium than a $26 price tag would imply. They come with a case, a variety of wingtips to fit in different ears, and Soundbuds Curve have a sleek matte finish. The microphone plus 18 hour battery life are also good touches Anker has made – these are the main features most people look for in sports earbuds.
Soundbuds Curve have decent sound quality too – not terrible or great. Simply average with an okay amount of bass, something most earbuds lack anyway.
When you’re working out though or especially running outdoors, sound quality or isolation isn’t important to all but audiophiles. Being cheap enough also not to be a devastating loss if they’re stolen or lost not to mention IPX7 waterproof, Anker is showing what’s possible for budget headphones. A few tweaks to the physical design and the audio can only get better with each new version, the overall average Soundbuds Curve are a good choice for running travelers.
A few days ago I gave you my best travel advice on how to spend 48 hours in Edinburgh. Although that’s a short time in Edinburgh, it’s an even bigger shame to visit Scotland and not make it to the Highlands. If these photos didn’t convince you, perhaps this drone movie guest starring the Isle of Skye will.
Legally, Scotland is one of the easiest places to fly a drone in the world but logistically, the weather can really test your skills. Thankfully, I didn’t crash into anything (this time) however if you’re a noive drone pilot, be sure to learn from these mistakes.
Scotland’s capital city looks like a little storybook medieval tourist destination with plumbing our ancestors lived without. Many of the major tourist destinations are concentrated in the old part of Edinburgh, making it a walk-able city to explore without rushing, even if you only have 2 days.
I lived in town for a time and if you’re planning your first visit, here’s how to spend 48 hours in Edinburgh. You can see it all in the video above or read on.
On The Mile
The old part of Edinburgh at first sight is where you might go say to yourself, “oh I get it. Harry Potter makes a lot more sense now.” Not the magic, but the imagery. The Royal Mile is where you’ll spend a lot of your time since it’s the main corridor through the old city. Before planning anything though, know that the weather changes very, very frequently. In most other places a 5 day forecast can all happen in Edinburgh within an hour.
Keeping that in mind, if you’re up for a solid amount of exercise, start your plans with a hike up Arthur’s Seat. The extinct volcano is a 20 minute walk from the Royal Mile, and another half hour to get to the top. Rain often closes down the main paths but if it’s dry for enough of the day, the views from Arthur’s Seat are beautiful. Warm weather? Sun? You can easily spend hours up there. Everyone else just in it for the views, set aside 2 hours – hopefully sometime in your 48 hours the paths to the top are clear.
Breakfast
Arthur’s Seat or not, enjoy breakfast at Southern Cross Cafe. They’ve got typical Scottish breakfast in vegetarian versions if you prefer, good coffee, with a nice atmosphere saturated with free wireless Internet. Plan to arrive around 10:30am at latest, it gets crowded closer to noon. Then walk down Cockburn (pronounced koh-burn you pervert) for shopping if you need to buy gifts.
Cockburn will lead you down Market Street, make a left, then walk 10 minutes up Ramsay Lane. At the top of the street you’ll find Camera Obscura, a good museum especially if you’re traveling with children. To the right is the Edinburgh Castle, not particularly interesting inside so stick to the courtyard in front for city photos to the right and left.
Working Up An Appetite
I’m burning some calories for you now toward Grassmarket (15 minute walk) where on weekends there are often food and other shopping stalls. Otherwise it’s a fairly bland blend of window gazing. From there you’re going to walk up toward Victoria Street, more shopping plus Instagram opportunities.
Like a lot of places here, JK Rowling may have been inspired by Victoria Street and nearby at the The Elephant House she wrote parts of the books. Many people just want a picture from outside so now’s your chance. Overpriced coffee with lousy service? Come back closer to 8pm, it’s much quieter then.
Assuming you didn’t eat at The Elephant House, walk up to Deacon Brodie’s Tavern and enjoy a late lunch with a beer with whisky dessert. You’re back now on the Royal Mile. Walk into St. Giles Cathedral, make a small donation for photos, tell your friends it’s where Avengers was filmed.
Planning The Rest
Hopefully you’ve read this far, because I suggest booking tickets to an underground ghost tour with Mercat. They meet right outside of St. Giles and take you to the vaults underneath Edinburgh. These walking tours are around an hour and a half, afterward you might be hungry again (I don’t blame you). The Albanach is right across the street.
This is a very full one day but the weather dictates a lot in Edinburgh. Anything outdoors (e.g. Arthur’s Seat) should be put first in your 48 hour schedule. Pepper in your plans a visit to Golden Hare Bookshop, whisky shopping at Royal Mile Whiskies, not to mention whiskey drinking at these 3 places.
Without a doubt, there’s a lot more to do than all I mentioned above. Warmer weather means more outdoors but bigger crowds and the cooler months ad-hoc planning with the weather (just like in Iceland). There are a few more suggestions here for your trip to Edinburgh, with a lot of reasons to visit the Scottish Highlands while you’re nearby.
Finally, remember it’s pronounced Edinburrah, a water drop or two in whisky is acceptable let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. Cheers!
Hello, just a quick note from me that the foXnoMad Shop has been updated with new shirts, hoodies, and other foxy branded gear. There’s even some matte black special editions of the foXnoMad logo which have been very popular – both in tri-blend and ultra-soft cotton as well.
Shipping Times And Discount
Today is the last day to order if you want to ensure your merch arrives before Christmas using standard shipping. (The end of the week if you’re a New Year’s gift person.) You can also get 20% off if you use the code FOX20 at checkout.
One more thing, if you tag #foxnomad on Instagram or Twitter showing off any of the gear by the end of year, I’ll pick one person to send $100 to!
Redesigned
I wanted to create some newer designs from when the Shop first went live, as well as switch fabric manufacturers for more variety, better prints, and softer clothing. Check out the new items and let me know what you think. For more gift ideas for the travelers in your life, I post daily travel and tech deals right here, plus have apps to help everyone travel smarter in airports, with drones, plus more (iOS / Android).
Thank you as always for all of your support, cheers wherever you’re reading from 😉
-Anil
ps. I’m currently running a giveaway on Anker sports earbuds – all you have to do is make sure you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel then enter here. Good luck!
Did you know there was a balti triangle in Birmingham, England? Literally, an area so famous for introducing this northern Pakistani cuisine to the United Kingdom, the unofficial “Balti Triangle” is even listed in Google Maps. Don’t know what balti cuisine is? One of the best places to find out in the UK is at Adil’s, in the heart of the Balti Triangle.
You can see more in the video above or read on.
What Is Balti?
Originating in northern Pakistan, specifically the Baltistan region bordering China, balti is the name of the wok style dish the food is served in. Not only is the balti reminiscent of the Chinese wok, many flavors of course blend over ancient borders as well. Balti is a solidly spicy base of tomato sauce flash fried and traditionally served with vegetables as well as goat or lamb meat. At Adil’s you can order vegetarian varieties (no meat, more veggies) if you prefer.
Why Adil’s?
Adil’s, in the 1970s might very well have been the first restaurant to serve balti cuisine in the UK. It’s in the southeastern part of Birmingham which has an Asian population of roughly 26%, 13.5% from Pakistan. Adil’s is well known in the area although opinions vary to whether or not it’s the best balti food in town.
Meals typically begin with a starter of papadum, a flat, thin fried bread cracker you can dip in various sauces. Those sauces vary from yogurt-based in garlic, to mint, plus onions or sweet and sour. You’ll also find more familiar appetizers like samosas as well. Keep in mind that alcohol is not served at Adil’s but they don’t restrict anyone from bringing their own. Literally everyone at the restaurant came in with their own bottle of wine so don’t feel uncomfortable doing the same if you want a merlot or Amstel with dinner.
Inside The Balti Triangle
Being “the best” might be subjective but the preparation of balti at Adil’s is straightforward, using flash frying techniques in vegetable oils with traditional masala spices.The restaurant itself isn’t very large, holding about 50 customers, getting much more crowded after 7 in the evening.
Each balti has a spice flavor that will slowly creep up on you, requiring the occasional break for your taste buds to recover. The food isn’t so hot though that you can’t taste anything, it’s satisfying without being heavy or extreme. Anyone who can’t do spicy though, make sure you tell the server you want your balti as mild as possible. Make sure you get some rice (cooked with or without more vegetables if you prefer) or over-baked naan bread to continually cleanse your palate.
The Balti Triangle is a culinary adventure in Birmingham, a surprisingly low key city considering it’s England’s second largest. Most of the south Asian cab drivers I spoke with had a favorite balti place, giving me plenty of recommendations. Inside the triangle is certainly a good way to spice up a trip to Birmingham, worth taking more time to explore.
Hi, I'm Anil. foXnoMad is where I combine travel and tech to help you travel smarter. I'm on a journey to every country in the world and you're invited to join the adventure! Read More 
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