Author Archives: cindybrownmiller
Shibu Onsen, Japan October 13, 2014
I love, love, love Japan Rail! We got the Japan East Rail Pass, which allows unlimited travel on most trains, buses, and some ferries within a large region of the country. The train is so fast, clean, and always on time. We’re in Shibu Onsen, a small resort town that’s famous for its onsens (natural … Continue reading
Motegi, Japan October 10, 2014
I’m back in Motegi, Japan for MotoGP motorcycle races! We were here in 2008 and absolutely loved the races, the country, and the people so we’re back. If you’re not familiar with MotoGP, these riders race around a track at speeds of more than 200 mph with their knees and elbows on the ground. Unfortunately … Continue reading
Shanghai, China October 8, 2014
We’re headed to Japan tomorrow. Our time in China has been short, but you can travel here without a visa if you stay for 72 hours or less. I was worried about traveling to China because I had read that other people thought the Chinese were abrupt and rude. I haven’t found that to be true … Continue reading
Shanghai, China October 7, 2014
This morning we took the train to the Shanghai Circuit, most famous for F1 races. They also have go-karts that go incredibly fast! We started with the slow karts which were fast enough for me, but my husband went crazy drifting around corners in the pro karts that top out at over 100 kph. They … Continue reading
Shanghai, China October 6, 2014
I didn’t want to stay in a typical international hotel like the Hilton or Sheraton, so I chose a Chinese business hotel, the Central Hotel. I absolutely love it – very 1990s Vegas décor with lots of shiny brass and bright lights. By the time our flight landed in Shanghai and we took the train into … Continue reading
Dublin, Ireland 11.15.2013
The weather today wasn’t quite as cold and windy, but I can see why they say to pack clothes for every season. Dublin’s public transportation isn’t the best and some sites are spread out around the city, so we took the Hop on/Hop off Bus. The bus was a great way to get around and … Continue reading
Dublin, Ireland 11.14.2013
Landing in Dublin was a bit of a shock – Spain and Morocco were sunny and dry but it’s very windy, rainy, and cold here. It’s snowing in Des Moines, so I won’t complain. We walked along the Liffey River and crossed the Ha’Penny Bridge, a famous pedestrian bridge over the river. We shopped and … Continue reading
Valencia, Spain 11.7.2013
We flew from Marrakech to Madrid today and then took the AVE high speed train from Madrid to Valencia. The train is definitely cheaper with more advance purchase. I had checked prices before we left the US, but the price at the counter was much higher. We’re in Valencia to watch the MotoGP race this … Continue reading
Marrakech, Morocco 11.6.2013
Today was our last day with Rachid and Sayid. This morning we went to the Musee du Cinema in Ouarzazate, a museum dedicated to the films made in the area. Rachid said he had a fun surprise for lunch and asked if we liked BBQ. We were up for anything on a grill, so we … Continue reading
Ouarzazate, Morocco 11.5.2013
We woke up before dawn and watched the sun rise over the Sahara. After a nice breakfast, we jumped on the camels and rode 1.5 hours back to the hotel. We took showers and grabbed our big bags and headed out with Rachid and Sayid. We stopped at Khamlia village, a settlement of about 150 black … Continue reading