Travel Adventures
Travel adventures in Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam and the USA, plus travel gear.
We travel to meet people, visit places, see things and discover ideas.
Japan
Japan invites travel without a tour guide. Enjoy our Japanese travel tips, Japanese culture essentials, Japanese travel stories and notes from our Japan Travel Journal.
Unexpected Dream Bell of Happiness. Seeking the Manpa, finding the Dream Bell of Wakaura.
Akihabara Chuo-Dori. Akihabara--aka Akiba--houses hundreds of electronics outlets selling everything imaginable, plus duty free shops, pachinko parlors, entertainment venues, anime store and more-more-more.
Genmaicha Popcorn Tea from Japan. Genmaicha, or brown rice tea, mixes roasted rice with green tea to create a delicious pale tea with a refreshing nutty flavor and very little caffeine.
Japanese Accommodations - Hotels, Ryokans, Hostels, Apartments. Expensive by reputation, accommodations in Japan can be very affordable.
Traveling Japan Without Knowing the Language. While you are better knowing some language, bilingual signage and announcement, plus gracious Japanese people help you get along. Here are some tips.
Saturday Soba Party in Japan. Soba party celebration features local residents and soba noodles made from buckwheat flour that comes from fruit seeds not cereal grains.
The Swastika in Japan (卍). Japanese maps display hundreds of swastikas.
Yasukuni Shrine Security Officer Loses His Hat. A security officer attempts to play with a young shy boy at Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo, Japan.
Taiwan
Travel Taiwan - We travel to Taiwan to teach English at a youth camp, then return a few years later to visit popular R&R.destinations.
The Streets of Taichung. The streets Taichung City support transportation for a million-plus people using feet, cars, trucks and motor scooters.
Practical Scooters. Scooters make sense in the densely populated cities of Taiwan
Rooftop Water Storage. Water pressure, typhoons and earthquakes lead to water on the roof.
Vietnam
Travel Vietnam - Join our travels from the Mekong River to the streets of Ho Chi Minh City to the South China Sea at Nha Trang.
20 Hours of Flying--Doing Well in Vietnam. While you are most definitely tired, your no-jet-lag strategy worked, at least when flying west.
The Bus to Nha Trang. From Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang takes more or less eight hours on mostly two-lane roads. Flying misses so much.
Hauling Sheet Glass on a Motorbike in Ho Chin Minh City. It is just one of several creative ways people are using two-wheelers to get around and do their work in Ho Chi Minh City.
Replacing a Leaky Waterproof Camera in Vietnam. While warned by locals to wait until Japan to replace our drowned Stylus, we leapt off on our own and discovered our camera store.
Working for a Future in Vietnam. While we are neither economists nor investment bankers, we know smart work and good quality when we see it.
USA
Travel USA - A new section, Travel USA takes you to some of our favorite places in the United States.
Amish Country, Holmes County, Ohio, Roads Less Traveled. Visit the largest community of gentle people in the world. They live in Holmes County, Ohio, 70 miles south of Cleveland.
Mount Yale Sunrise Hike - Collegiate Peaks. At the crack of dawn with a buddy, catch an awesome high-altitude sunrise on Mount Yale, near Buena Vista, Colorado. You may also see an endangered boreal toad.
Gear
Travel Gear - Things you might find useful while traveling cross country, around the world or to the local library.
Protected Travel Power Source for Computers, Tablets, Smart Phones or Hair Dryers. Whether traveling across the country or dropping by your local library, the small Satechi Compact USB Surge Protector can provide you with a number of benefits.
