Japan - Travel with Silvia

In this episode, we welcome Silvia, who we previously interviewed about Barcelona, this time to talk about Japan.  Silvia brings to the table a fresh, vibrant discussion on her recent odyssey to Japan, offering essential tips and tricks on how to truly experience the country like a local, and revealing the best time to visit this unique corner of the world. 

Silvia takes us through her impressions of Tokyo and the remarkable sight of Mount Fuji. She highlights the impressive cleanliness and absolute safety one can experience in Japan, which struck her the most. Not just that, we also venture into the fascinatingly disciplined cultural practices that contribute to such impeccable orderliness. Listen in as we discuss the awe-inspiring experience of witnessing wildlife in the parks and the affordability of travel in comparison to Europe. From the countless temples to the mystic Shinto shrine that dates back to 768 AD, Silvia's stories are bound to transport you to Japan instantly.

Finally, as we conclude our chat,  Silvia shares her love for the diverse foods exclusive to Japan, including the many types of ramen, okonomiyaki, and the fresh seafood that coastal cities offer. This is an adventure you won't want to miss, so buckle up and get ready to explore Japan like never before with  Silvia guiding the way!

Transcript

Kristen: 0:15

Hi, welcome to our podcast. We're Next Travel with Kristin and Carol. I am Kristin and I am Carol, and we're two long-term friends with a passion for travel and adventure.

Carol: 0:26

In each episode, we interview people around the globe to help us decide where to go next. In today's episode, we are meeting with Sylvia, a return guest from the Barcelona episode. She shares her amazing experience of a recent trip to Japan, including how to get around like a local, the beauty of the country and her favorite foods and locations. Enjoy. Welcome back, sylvia, to when Next. We heard about your Barcelona life a while ago and now we're going to hear about your trip to Japan and what you thought about it and what you loved about it, what challenges you had. So thank you so much.

Silvia: 1:07

Thank you so much for having me back. It's just so nice to see you again, guys, and yes, I'm always so, so happy to hear that the episode about Barcelona was doing very well, so that shows that there's lots of people interested in Barcelona.

Carol: 1:21

Yes, yes, I'm a big fan of Barcelona, actually. Good, good, all right. So when did you go? What time of year? Have you just got back recently, I understand?

Silvia: 1:31

Less than a week actually. Yes, I've been there for a whole month, month of May, and I have to say that if anyone is interested to go to Japan, one of the things that I would say is that May is the best time to go, the best time. And the second thing is okay, you're going to miss the Sakura season. Sakura is the blossom of the cherry trees. You're going to miss that because that happened just before, around the end of March, april. That time, depending on the area in the country, obviously, that's earlier in the South, in the room.

Silvia: 2:12

But even if you're going to miss that, may is going to be just great. You have to bear in mind as well that the Sakura season is everywhere is busier because there's lots of trees going around and they tend to have higher prices as well hotels, reservations and everything. But May is spring. It is very, very nice weather we will talk a little bit more about weather but it's not cold, it's not very, very hot because it can get very, very hot in Japan and everything is just lush, green, beautiful, beautiful and the days are very long.

Carol: 2:48

So I would advise, if you can't go in May, Okay, very good, and did you do your studying up to decide on May, or that just is when you were able to go?

Silvia: 2:59

My intention was there a year and a half ago to go there in November to celebrate my 50th birthday, but because of COVID I had to cancel. And then I thought you know what good job that I couldn't go in the middle of winter, because I don't know if you remember what I mentioned when we were in the other episode talking about Barcelona. But I'm not good dealing with cold and then we're having very, very cold. So then I checked and then I thought, you know, I think spring is going to be the best time avoiding the Secura period. So yeah, I did a little homework before going.

Carol: 3:32

Yes, and what's it called the secular?

Silvia: 3:35

Secura.

Carol: 3:36

Secura, secura, secura, saq. You are in Just the cherry blossoms, okay.

Silvia: 3:41

Yes, the season, yeah, it's huge, it's really really big, and I mean the whole country just explodes with these amazing color and you know. So it's really really nice. But you know, it comes with advantages and disadvantages and personally I think that I enjoyed more going there in May.

Kristen: 4:02

What did you plan on doing and did you do the things you planned on doing for the month?

Silvia: 4:07

Yes, and even more. It was just amazing. It's one of those trips that I came back and, you know, my friends and relatives asked me what would be the highlight of that trip, and I just confused one thing, because everything was just seriously, guys, amazing, japan has got so much to offer. I've been in big cities, I've been in rural areas, I've been in the forest, in the middle of nowhere. I will tell you about this. You guys are going to want to hear about this trekking, and that probably is one of my highlights. But again, there's so much that Japan has to offer and also, it pays off to do a little bit of homework and choose the places where you want to go, because, for instance, there are a few things that I thought I'll tell you about. There's some info, at least good to know before you travel there. Things like you don't have to worry about visa if you come from European country or the US or Canada, australia or New Zealand.

Silvia: 5:09

That's good. We don't have to worry about that as long as you're not going to be there longer than 90 days, so you don't have to worry about that.

Silvia: 5:17

Less than 90 days is fine Also bear in mind you need to have, make sure that your passport is not going to expire when you are there. That's basic. Anyway, you go traveling and if you choose to go like if I imagine most of people that goes to Japan would like to do that is, to travel around and visit a few places you buy JR pass, which is the Japan Rail Pass, and you buy that before you travel to Japan and that rail pass is going to give you unlimited trips by train everywhere around the country, which is great. If you're going to be traveling and visiting different cities.

Silvia: 6:02

Do you buy that by the month? Then? Well, you got three choices seven, 14 or 21 days. Okay, right, depending of the length of your holiday. For instance, I was there for a month and I got the 21, and then I made sure that the first days I stayed in Tokyo, visiting Tokyo, so I didn't need to get to train. You just organize yourself and then what you do is you buy the JR pass before you travel there. So you buy online and you receive it by post at home, and then you receive, like a voucher that you exchange by that pass when you arrive to Japan.

Kristen: 6:44

Is it comes in the mail or is it electronic? Yes, it's really quick.

Silvia: 6:49

I mean, I think mine took like four or five days, it's just really really really good.

Carol: 6:55

It's a free car Very efficient.

Silvia: 6:58

So then when you arrive in Japan, you can exchange that into your pass, either at the airport or in any big station in any city, and then you got that pass and with that pass you can get any tickets to go anywhere around the country. If you don't want to reserve your seat, you just go through the station, taking the pass through the machine, and that's it. I prefer to book my seats, so I'm sure that I got somewhere. So what you do is, just before you travel to the station, you book. You say, well, that day I want to go from Kyoto to Hiroshima at that time, and then they reserve a seat for you. As easy as that.

Silvia: 7:45

And let's talk about traveling by train in Japan. Oh my God, it's the best railway network ever. It's so control to the minute. If the train says it's going to leave three minutes past 10, you make sure it's going to be three minutes past 10. You know exactly when you leave, exactly when you arrive. It's amazing Like Switzerland, yep, and it's so clean and it's so comfortable. It's really, really nice.

Silvia: 8:18

The bullet train is called Shinkansen and they are amazing. And it was one of my favorite bits while I was traveling, because what you do is, before you catch the train in the station, you buy your Bento box and the Bento box is a lunch box. It's very, very to go from the lunch box. You got the little departments and everything. Yeah, amazing. I was just sometimes just spending so much time seeing the design of some of those boxes because they are amazing, and sometimes I was just choosing because the box was so nice. I feel like I don't want to eat it. But then you know everything, the food is so nice. So then you get in the train and you just eat your lunch and then just sit back, relax and enjoy the amazing views of you know countryside and everything. So, yeah, you buy that.

Carol: 9:13

JAR pass before you travel to Europe. So I just want to step back for a minute. Because you live in Europe You've lived in Europe the most of your life, right, and trains are very common. So do you not find the trains are this on time and clean in Europe, as in Japan, or would you say it's like 20%?

Silvia: 9:32

better 50% better, Depending which country you are in Europe Things that are not working the same here as they work in Switzerland or in Finland, for instance, where I just been because I did a stopover coming back from Japan. Here in Spain. They are not that good. Okay, I wish I could say they are not that good, they are not that punctual and they are not that clean, but again, it's not as bad as all the places. But in general in Europe, which is something actually we talked about in the last episode traveling around Europe by train is very good. It works quite well because there's lots of networks around and everything, and also you can buy European cards. That is cheaper for you to travel around Europe. So in that respect, in general, yes, Okay, that's good.

Carol: 10:24

Train travel sounds awesome. Yeah, it was honestly amazing.

Silvia: 10:28

It was one of my favorite moments traveling because it was really really nice.

Kristen: 10:35

The trains go fast too. It looks like it could go up to 200 miles an hour.

Silvia: 10:40

Yeah it's amazing. Sometimes you don't realize how fast you go, but when you see the distance that you have gone, you know, and how quick you go there, it's just like well, I love this country, I love the transport. It's just amazing because it makes your life much, much easier.

Kristen: 10:58

So yeah, how you take it.

Silvia: 11:01

there is a different story than some of the places. Yes, Excellent.

Kristen: 11:05

And how is it navigating not knowing the language and understanding the even writing and looking at signs and things like that? How is that?

Silvia: 11:14

When you are traveling by train, even buses and everything, it tends to be very easy because there's always the words as well in all the info in English. So for you guys, english speakers, you know it's really easy. Yeah, sometimes when you are in small rural places, you may find it a little bit more difficult, but again, public transport usually has always the names in English as well. So I haven't found a problem. Sometimes, if you are like sometimes when I was in a very rural place, you're in a little cafe shop or a little restaurant, you know they may not have the menu in English but you know you totally understand, and so sometimes I was asking for things that I wasn't too sure what it was. But I enjoy everything and I discover so many things and I made friends in the way because of that. So, and there's always somewhere that we speak a little bit of English and that would come and help you. So you know it's nice. But even moving around is really it's really easy.

Carol: 12:21

And I always feel like in countries that are pretty, you know first world, that have another language, the children are always speaking English. Did you find that Like if you need a good translator?

Kristen: 12:30

you know your child.

Silvia: 12:31

I was actually surprised because I thought that I don't know why. I don't ask more why, but I thought that in Japan there were more people speaking English, but it wasn't like that. Actually, I would believe that younger generations are a little more prepared and learning in school. I know about that, but I was actually expecting more people speaking English. I don't know why. I don't know why. I don't know why. I think what do you say, carol? That you know first world country and then you think but again, you know, no one has got the obligation, absolutely.

Carol: 13:07

Yeah, no, I mean, it's kind of actually nice to hear some like it's just, english can be the global language pretty soon. That's going to be kind of boring, but yeah, obviously.

Silvia: 13:15

Yeah, and something as well. Okay, In my case, I did study Japanese, but even if you have never studied any Japanese, it really is worth to learn a few words. Anyway, you're going to war, obviously. I always say that, but they are really, really appreciative of you. Know, when you say something in the language, when you say you say thank you or please, or you know anything in their language, they really appreciate it, Really really appreciate it.

Silvia: 13:45

And what's happened is, even when I was asking something in Japanese, they appreciate it. Then they carry on in English. But anyway, they appreciate the efforts and that always takes you a long way and nice big smile. Yes, so, yeah. So another thing that I wanted to mention before you travel to Japan is to get a SIM card. Once you are there, you don't have to worry about having to go to Starbucks to get the wifi or you know if it's not working very well in the hotel or wherever. And also, if you are like I was in that trekking I was mentioning you are going to be in the middle of the where in the forest and still you got data there and you're in the next.

Silvia: 14:31

So it's really really handy. And what I bought was a SIM card, again before I traveled there, so as soon as I arrived to there, but I put it in my phone and that's it and unlimited data the whole month. So that is really really good as well. And then once you get there, also what you can buy is a Suika card or IC card, which is a prepaid money card, and you can use it when you are in bars or metro to do little shopping things like you are in, like that you want to buy your bento box and the station or you want to buy a coffee. You can use that and you don't have to carry money with you because what's happened is in the past, for instance, you need to use cash.

Silvia: 15:23

So, you need to have coins in there, which is is not that easy to carry around. For instance, for me, I'm not used to carrying cash anymore because I always use my car, so having that was really, really useful, and then you can use it many, many times. Or if you want to get some what? In a vending machine or something, you don't need any coins, you just use that card and you can get that card anywhere. And what's it called? Ic card? Ic card or Suika card, and Suika actually stands for super, your urban intelligent card. Suika card, yes, but it's very, very handy and then you can top up with money anytime and then you always have that and you don't have to queue to buy tickets in the metro or in the bus. You need to worry about carrying any cash, so it's very, very handy to have that.

Kristen: 16:20

Excellent. So it's a Japan's an island, of course. And then above it is there another island, it's a Sapporo. Is that part of Japan as well?

Silvia: 16:28

No, the Sapporo of Japan, yeah, the Sapporo is in the north, but it seems like it's separate from, like, the main island of Japan.

Kristen: 16:36

Oh, because there's other islands.

Silvia: 16:39

The shape of Japan is a little bit like that and it gets narrow in the north. The area that is separated, for instance, is down in south, the Okinawa area, which is beautiful. I didn't go there because I thought it was just too much trying to get into one month, but it's beautiful, tropical, and it has got like a few little islands next to the main one of Okinawa and very good surfing there as well Okay, I know you like. And there are a few other places as well, very good beaches for surfing in Boso Peninsula and the Isu Peninsula, which both are quite close to Tokyo, just under an hour in one location, tansen Gullet Trains. So it's very good.

Carol: 17:27

Those islands get really close to Taiwan. I think those I don't know, maybe some of those are Taiwanese islands or Japan islands that are.

Silvia: 17:36

Yeah, well, it's very close and it's very close to Korea.

Carol: 17:43

Okay, yeah. So what cities did you go to? In cities or towns or areas?

Silvia: 17:49

Yeah. So I arrived to Tokyo and there I spent five days trying to climatize myself a little bit with the plays and the atmosphere and everything. And just from the day one I was mesmerized with the plays. It was just amazing.

Silvia: 18:07

I loved it. It's just the vibe. I mean, it's the record that is the most populated city in the world, but yet you don't feel close to for big like this. You know so many people around when you work, Like sometimes you can feel in places like Saigon, Bangkok. You know it can get a little bit, you can feel a little bit of the crowded, but it wasn't like that at all and it's so, so clean. You think about there's millions of people in the city and yet it looks so clean, so tidy. It can be done, guys, you know you don't know what's going on?

Silvia: 18:51

And there's this. You can't find beans around the city is very, very difficult to find one, but yet you don't see papers down on the floor, nothing, you see cleaners or the people, just don't litter.

Silvia: 19:05

Both, Both. It's just that. It's just that culture. You know, if you have some rubbish with you, it just take it with you and you don't visit home. It's just their culture. I mean, I seen videos where kids in school they do their own cleaning in the classroom and I don't know if you saw that as well in the football, the World Cup, you know, when the Japanese team and the match, the supporters were cleaning the stadium.

Carol: 19:37

I think I heard about that.

Silvia: 19:39

I didn't see it, but yeah, wow, that doesn't happen in my country.

Carol: 19:43

No, not, yeah, definitely not here.

Silvia: 19:46

So I was educated like that. My mom has always educated like that, like you don't drop anything and throw it in the street.

Carol: 19:53

But that's not the general way Just back country campers know that right, right Kristen.

Silvia: 20:00

But yeah, that was that feeling when I got there. It was so organized, so clean, so tidy and also I quite suffer with loud noises and I appreciated that that wasn't like that at all. You could be in a Starbucks and full of people, understand, you can have a normal conversation or you know, and it's quiet and so very nice. And also something that is driving me totally is I got to Starbucks one day right at the beginning of my trip, and then I saw someone. You know, it wasn't, she wasn't her own, so she got a table and she left her handbag there and she went to queue to order the drink and I thought, oh, my God, I'm going to look after that.

Silvia: 20:48

That you know just after I realized that doesn't know, you do that. You feel safe doing that.

Carol: 20:56

This is in Tokyo.

Silvia: 20:57

Everywhere in Japan, but, yeah, in Tokyo, where you see, you know it's, there's lots of people there and you go to Starbucks and it's very busy and still you are safe to leave your handbag in there. You need to go to the Lou and you are doing some work with your computer and you leave your computer, your iPhone, whatever you know, and you go and it's fine. And I thought, oh my God, this is amazing is why couldn't we be a little bit more like Japanese in that respect, you know, and because you can't do that here in Barcelona or in London, but anywhere.

Carol: 21:34

Yeah, I'm going to have to research how, like what is there? Is it just like their cultural upbringing? Or is it government rich, you know, regulated?

Silvia: 21:45

Is it like you know? Is it like you know it's part of the culture? Is you know, the respect to, you know, for other people's belongings and I don't know? But I was, I was really. It really struck me when the first time I and then after that, I, you know, I was so used to seeing is and unhappy as well happy to be in a place where you can be there and you can be on your own and you feel safe all the time, and and especially with bits like that, because you know when you, you are on your own and you go I keep saying Starbucks, but you know so am I.

Silvia: 22:19

And you want to get a table, but you're on your own, you can't go there and then queue and but then there you can do it. That you can do that and safe and you know that when you will go back to there you have it still going to be there.

Kristen: 22:34

So you know and I see a Mount Fuji in the background. Looks quite, it's like I'm assuming, from Tokyo. It's I'm assuming it's right there. I don't know if you people.

Silvia: 22:47

You can see from Tokyo if you were, for instance, in and the Sky Tree Tower, where I went as well, which is considered the highest tower in the world, and from there, on a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji. But to go and visit it, which I did my way back when I ended my trip, the last few days I spent in back in Tokyo. And you go there by train and it's something that strikes you as well, because you think that you're going to see more like long distance. I don't know, but when the train is approaching the station where you go and you see this huge, amazing, beautiful mountain, it's really, it's really something. And also, I was so, so lucky that it's not easy to see the mountain without clouds around, because that's that's something. I read about it. And then I went there prepared to say, ok, don't worry, if you can see. Ok, at least you can say I've been here, I've been by Mount Fuji, and. But I was so, so lucky and I got pictures blue sky, beautiful white top, it's seriously breathtaking, it's so, so nice.

Silvia: 24:03

And what you do when you go to see the Mount Fuji is you go to this area because they have few lakes around, and then you can get a bus that goes around the lakes and is one of those hop-off on. You know you can stop somewhere and then have a picnic in there this is a big park and then carry on the tour around. This is by a ticket for the day and it's beautiful. It's beautiful and if you have time, you can do things in the latest one, like kayaking or things like that, so it can be a nice day trip. You know, if you go with the family or something you can, as I say, you know, picnic activities for everybody.

Silvia: 24:47

So it's a really, really nice outdoor trip for the day when you are in Tokyo. So I did that on the way back, but when I started I went from Tokyo to Kanasawa, which is in the East Coast, and there I stayed there for five days. I rented a car. A little note If you want to drive a car in Japan, you need your international driving license. So think about before you travel there, I've never heard of this before.

Carol: 25:19

I mean, it totally makes sense Wow.

Kristen: 25:22

Is it hard to drive around there? No, no, no, no, it's one of the easiest.

Silvia: 25:27

Seriously, it's one of the easiest and calm. What side of the road? It's like in the UK. It's like in the UK. So is it a policy too, that Europe or the UK? But because most of my driving I've done it in the UK, it wasn't a problem for me. Oh OK, it's very calm, the roads are very well-signed as well and it's very easy to move around and I actually loved driving around.

Silvia: 25:55

So, from Kanazawa, the reason why I went to Takayama was because I wanted to go to Takayama and the little villages up in the mountains and those places. I mean, you still got public transport, no problem, but I wanted to have the freedom of going there on my own time and doing my own. And also, driving there is just amazing because you're going up to the mountains and you go through lots of tunnels and then, between the tunnel and the tunnel, you see this amazing landscape of mountain and some snow up in the mountains and it's beautiful. So for me, the driving was part of that day trip and Takayama is just one of those little towns where the very, very old traditional Japanese T-bone houses are still preserved because they were not destroyed. And it's so beautiful working around because you really feel like you are back in time. You have made your trip back in time and it's so beautiful and you have lots of little restaurants and cafes and it's really really nice.

Carol: 27:03

Takayama and when you're driving, was there a lot of open space where there wasn't a town for a while, Because I think of Japan as very populated. Is it like California you go 20 miles before you're going to come across another town again. Or is there like no, you just drive for five hours and it's just wilderness?

Silvia: 27:21

No, Well, it tends to be Beesia around the coastline, where most of the biggest cities are. So when you go for places like that, that was one of the reasons why I wanted to travel, wanted to rent a car, because going from Kenosawa, which is by the coast, and going up the mountains, you go through just mountains and beautiful landscapes, so there's not much going on in between. So it's really really nice that respect. So if you were driving along the coastline, then it would be Beesia. There would be more towns around, but if you are driving into the central area and the mountain area, then there would be quite less towns around. So if you go to Japan, you must go to Takayama. You don't need to rent a car.

Carol: 28:14

That was my choice. Did you see a lot of wildlife? Did you see deer? What kind of wildlife do they have?

Silvia: 28:19

Oh gosh, yes, oh, they were so cute, they were so nice. Yes, you see them when you are OK. So from Takayama I went down all the way to Hiroshima, and then from Hiroshima you take a day trip to Miyajima Island. You just go by what in Hiroshima is called Streetcar, which has trams, and when you arrive to the port then you take a little ferry that takes you to Miyajima Island and you can see wildeers in there everywhere you go. It's really really nice and also you can visit few shins in there and if you have time, if you make a day trip, then you can do a little trekking in the forest and it's so beautiful. I got some pictures in there and I took little videos and all you can hear is the sound of the water going down the river and it's just so peaceful, so calm, it's so beautiful and it's so easy as well to go all around. It's all very well-signed and even when you are new, I wasn't mind-buying. I never felt insecure or something when I was up in the mountains. So it sounds amazing.

Carol: 29:38

You can see it totally sounds like dreamland, it sounds like a dream.

Silvia: 29:42

No, seriously, I felt like that, I liked every single day. But the other place where you can see the areas, which is actually most popular place, is in Nara N-A-R-A, which is very close to Kyoto.

Carol: 29:57

What about like? Do you see like pets or people walking dogs and cats?

Silvia: 30:00

So they probably love dogs, they love dogs, and it's not unusual to see people carrying prams with dogs in the prams.

Kristen: 30:11

Yeah, it's beautiful too.

Silvia: 30:13

Nara is amazing. It's a big park. You've got different temples and shrines. Again, you can do trekking as long as you want. You can do little trekking or long one, you can stay all day and you go through Masing Forest. You pump into a lot of tears on the way, which makes your day and your trip much more special. And also they got a temple where they got the Oji Temple, where they got the biggest metal Buddha in the world. Wow, it's huge inside of a building and it's really worth to see as well. Very, very interesting. And this is all inside of the Nara National Park and you got an area as well where it's close. It's in close and then the deer can't get out from there and you're just sitting in there in the grass and just the deers just come to you and it's just. It feels so magical, so so nice.

Carol: 31:14

Were you able to pick up how old some of these buildings are? Is this like how? This is a thousand year old?

Silvia: 31:20

building. Yeah, some of them have to be revealed because they got destroyed with fire or doing bombings in the world. Some, luckily, some are really really ancient buildings, and it's surprise as well, because they all would so, but it's amazing the way they work, yeah, amazing. That's some of them.

Kristen: 31:43

Yeah, it says here. I don't know what the Shinto shrine is, but it says it dates to 768 AD. What?

Silvia: 31:52

Yes, the 8,. Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kristen: 31:55

What does that?

Silvia: 31:55

call.

Carol: 31:56

Kristin.

Silvia: 31:58

Shinto shrine.

Carol: 31:59

Shinto shrine.

Silvia: 32:00

Shinto shrine, yeah.

Kristen: 32:02

Yeah, I don't know what that is. I'm trying to look it up too, but it seems pretty OK. So Very old.

Silvia: 32:08

The Shinto shrine is a little bit kind of like hiding into the woods and to walk there you go through what they call an ancient forest and it's beautiful. They've got ancient trees and paths to get there. It's just so beautiful. And then it guides you to get to the shrine. So it's really nice, Really nice.

Kristen: 32:31

Lots of deer, it looks like too, but it's in the forest? Yes, it's like a forest as well.

Silvia: 32:35

And you can buy the little biscuits that they are special food for them because they tell you please don't feed them with your own food. Obviously Everybody should know that. But you can buy, very cheap, you know, a little packet of those biscuits and they love, obviously, and it's a way to attract them to come near to you and then you can take pictures and everything. So it's really, really nice and it's so well kept. And the parks, my god, the parks, parks everywhere and they look so amazing. Sometimes they don't even look very new. It looked like you're in a movie or something, because it's so well kept and it looks so beautiful. The designs of the Japanese gardens are just unbelievable. They are so beautiful Anywhere. Any city would have a park. And you must go to Japanese gardens. Yes, yes, obviously you have to pay a fee at ticket entrance, but it would be like 60p or something like that, like really, really cheap.

Carol: 33:39

So yeah. So let's talk about expense. So you think something this amazing must be really expensive. So how does that compare to traveling in Europe?

Silvia: 33:48

Well, this is one of the things I've been talking more about since I've been back. Well, even when I was there, because what's happened is that I've been lucky enough to go there at very good time for traveling, because what's happened is that, because Japan has been closed because of the COVID restrictions and everything for quite long, the yen deflated and it went down quite a lot. So, because it has opened quite recently last October, and I just went there last month Things haven't picked up yet, which means that I've been lucky that prices have been. The difference with Europe, for instance, is 1,000 yen were 6 euros, like $650. And I would have a meal for 1,500, like 9 euros, 9.50 dollars A meal.

Silvia: 34:45

A meal, yeah, and a meal would be a big bowl of ramen, which is a meal by itself Because it's very nutritious and it has got proteins and vegetables and everything, and then a drink and then having. Because what I did is, as I couldn't celebrate my 50th birthday there a year and a half ago, I decided that whenever I go there to Japan, I will celebrate it. So when I was there, I said, right, ok, so now I'm going to celebrate once again my 50th birthday. So I had a very, very nice meal. But that's very nice meal. It was about 25 euros. I mean like about 25, 30 euros, 32 dollars. Ok yeah, and I'm staying in a very, very nice restaurant. Quite posh for a nice with nice wine.

Carol: 35:35

That's the whole, with the wine too. That's yeah. You could spend $25 for a glass of wine in the US sometimes.

Silvia: 35:43

Yeah, in the US the drinks are quite expensive. So yeah, in that respect I was very, very, very lucky. And, for instance, for you to have an idea, a ticket, a metro ticket, would be like 180 yen, which was like about one euro, one 20 US dollars. Oh, wow that is that?

Carol: 36:02

I'm very surprised. It's like less than the US pricing, but again, maybe because of the yen.

Silvia: 36:08

Tread again, because I talked to some of my friends that they've been there before. I mean, oh, lucky thing, because you know for them it was a little bit more expensive, because then, oh sorry, but yeah, I mean we know that yen tends to be quite high in relation to, you know, euro and the US dollar, but again it was that time and for me I was quite lucky. So and all the hotels I actually, when I booked them, was right after they opened the restrictions, and now I can look at the same hotel and it has already gone up so much.

Carol: 36:47

So so what some advice? So, buying the train ticket, you're not at risk of the, the support, and look before the money, the money exchange rate, because you buy it ahead of time and then you just have it. So whatever you pay for is what you have. And then did you reserve most of your hotels ahead of time so you can like walk in those prices.

Silvia: 37:07

Yes, I did. But I always do with choice to cancel without see, because I like having the flexibility to, you know, to move around. And maybe I go to a place where I just wanted to stay three days, but then I go there and I realize that there's more for me to see and then I prefer to stay a little longer, or the opposite. You know, probably a book for five days and then I thought, well, probably I don't need that long, so I'll cancel.

Carol: 37:33

So when you do that, are you booking it in the yen price or do you book it in euro price? So then, if the yen exchange rate fluctuates, is your price will go up when you actually have to, we say anytime that you do purchase in another country.

Silvia: 37:49

If you pay at that moment, you're always going to pay in your currency, but it will be the exchange that that day will be. Ok, yeah, I have any. What's happened is that when I first arrived the second of May, the exchange was lower than by the end of May. Again, because I'm saying the yen is going up quite fast, but when you are in Japan you always pay in local currency, whether you're in Japan or when I'm staying to pay in dollars Because of the ways. What's happened is that your currency has to, the price has to be changing to your currency, but then your currency taking into Japanese currency. You know what I mean Always, always, when you are abroad, always pay in the local currency. So this changes better.

Carol: 38:48

Got it and so I know some countries. People said it's really good to be on a tour. I would say, maybe Africa do a tour. Did you feel like it would have been helpful to be part of a tour group or traveling by yourself, meeting your own plans?

Silvia: 39:04

It's one of those countries where you can travel on your own and make the most of it. And again, as I was saying before, I probably planned to spend more time I don't know in some place, but then I realized that I didn't need that much and then I changed my plans. And it's that flexibility and because it's a very, very easy country to move around, and especially if you've got your JR pass and everything, you can change your plans to the last minute. Nice, no problem. So and also one of the things as well, that I was quite lucky it hasn't been a big touristic boom yet, so most of places it wasn't too crowded.

Silvia: 39:48

But if you go on a big tour, you're not going to be on your own, you're going to be part of a big group, which I found, for instance, when I went to Takayama. There were some buses coming with big groups. So what you do is just wait for the crowd to go and then you go on your own and you can take pictures and everything. But if you are part of a group, then that doesn't happen. So I don't know, probably you prefer to do like that. I know a lot of my friends they prefer to tour in groups. They don't go on their own. I'm happy doing it like that, so I'm doing my own thing, okay.

Carol: 40:24

And I do want to mention you are a photographer. Did you make any pictures specifically for this that are going to be on a website, or anything you're going to share?

Silvia: 40:31

Yes, I would be sharing, don't worry, because I got loads and actually yesterday I got my analogue photographs back from the lab and I was so, so pleased. I was so happy and I use some of those as well with my students, because I teach analogue photography and it's nice to have the samples and explain as well, if you make a mistake or something, why it's happening and the results. Yes, I was really, really happy and I will be sharing when I have a little bit more time and I will put a link in my Instagram account to my website to see pictures from Japan and also to see all the analogue ones, because I know there's a lot of people out there that they keep asking me you know, what film did you use? And these and that Nice.

Carol: 41:18

And what's your Instagram account and?

Silvia: 41:20

again, xavier Rachel, my name together yeah, s-i-l-v-i-a. Yeah, and. I use it because I'm R-A-G-E-L.

Carol: 41:30

R-A-G-E-L. Yeah, and we'll have it in the show notes as well, but in case someone's just listening, you want to check you out.

Silvia: 41:35

Yeah, because also it also helps that you know, just listening about the beautiful places that I'm telling you, you know, it's really nice to see the pictures as well and for the picture, the places where you know we're talking about, and seriously, when my friends say, oh, you just made amazing pictures, they say, well, you know, it's just difficult to go there and not making good pictures because the place seriously is so beautiful.

Silvia: 42:02

So you know and I got some black and white photography with my analog that I like taking pictures of just people walking around, I call my storytelling photographs and you just go to a temple, a busy temple, for instance in Tokyo, and you just wait there, you just hide a little bit behind a shop and then you just take pictures of you know, people just mining their own business, doing you know, working around in their own, having their normal day life and everything. And they're very, very different to you know, the pictures I would take of landscape and beautiful buildings, but again, they're very interesting as well because you see their people, the locals. You know what they wear, how they look like and moving in their own space. So that is really interesting as well.

Kristen: 42:53

What was the food like? And I don't know in terms of like, did you also I'm looking at the map like Hiroshima, of course, we have heard that term, but I don't know locations, which different places. Also, the foods were they all the same, all different?

Silvia: 43:08

cultures. Well, in general, you have more or less the same main things like ramen. So I'm talking about ramen, but ramen has got very different kinds. Okay, inside of ramen, miso ramen, takanan ramen, I mean and that will change, like the kind of broth, they use the ingredients, they put the toppings, but in general it's a ramen.

Silvia: 43:33

Obviously, as everybody knows, the sushi, the sushi meat, but they're more beyond that.

Silvia: 43:40

Okay, in fact, when everybody said, oh, you must be so tired of sushi now I say I didn't need sushi, almost, like you know, I think, a couple of days, nothing, because that is something that you can eat and very good quality in places you know, like Barcelona, london, but you need to experience what else is.

Silvia: 44:03

That is very typical as well from Japan and you don't find it that easily in your own cities. There's the a lot of vegetables and they use pickles and they and in a way that they serve beautifully again the dishes like with separate ingredients, and then you eat in your own way and you know it's I don't know it's very interesting. They do like million different things with rice because they, you know they have rice fields everywhere. When you go by train, when I was driving, you see the rice fields everywhere, beautiful in the countryside, so it's a big, big ingredient in their diet and you just eat things that you didn't even imagine that you could do. You know that with rice and these with sweets and with savory, and salads and cakes, I don't know, Mochi, very mochi, that's making it.

Carol: 45:05

Yeah.

Silvia: 45:06

Oh, that's so nice as well, but then there's one thing that is very typical from Hiroshima and Osaka that is called okonomiyaki. Okonomiyaki and it's like almost like a pancake they use with, they make with cabbage and noodles, and they have like different layers in that kind of pancake and they make it. What do they call it? Okonomiyaki, and it's very, very typical, for yeah, don't worry, I'll show you, because I will show you in the Okay.

Carol: 45:45

Oh yes okonomiyaki, it came up. There was that Sauce and recipes.

Silvia: 45:49

Yes, yes, it's very interesting. It's very interesting and they have that, for instance, is very, very traditional from that area in Hiroshima and Osaka. And again, lots of fish, the biggest cities because, again is what I was mentioning, that they are by the coastline, so very, very nice, fresh fish. For instance, when I was in Kanasawa, I was sitting pretty much every day at the fish market, because that's something else. Pretty much in every big city you can go to the fish market and have meals in there and obviously the freshest fish, very, very nice and very cheap as well. So, but yeah, sometimes and I'm not kidding you, sometimes I was eating things that I wasn't sure what it was, but it was, it was nice, it was nice. And I'm not I'm not fussy about food, and well, I can't because I'm not, that would be again or gluten-free, like now and everything.

Carol: 46:45

Yeah.

Silvia: 46:46

They were very, very nice, very nice. So, and I must say I bought some digestive problems and when I was there they improved so much.

Carol: 46:56

So so you didn't have like Bolly belly, you actually felt better after traveling.

Silvia: 47:02

Not sure what that Bolly belly mean, but that's not the case. I was in Bali, or in Mexico, we call it.

Kristen: 47:08

Matizuna's revenge, you know that's what you mean Uncomfortable in your stomach.

Silvia: 47:13

Yeah, well, sometimes you know blotate and you know digestive problems and I have to be careful with that. But then I was like, well, I'm on holiday and I'm going to try anything I can and it actually improved, improved.

Kristen: 47:25

So oh, that takes a little bit, because usually like the first week, and then you kind of get adjusted and then you kind of get, yeah, the first, yeah, the first days were because, also, I was quite tired, you know, long, long flight, and that always happens, that I get a bit worse.

Silvia: 47:40

But then after that it's just like wow, and also my hair, my skin, everything was so nice and soft. I don't know what it is about that country, I don't know. It's the water and the, the volcanic atmosphere, I don't know. But well, you can tell, I mean, they all look so young, even all people look so young, and they all have beautiful, soft skin. And you know so, when I was there, yeah, my hair and my skin look nicer. So, you know, if it is just for that, just go to Japan for what was the temperature like?

Kristen: 48:18

Because you said it gets. It can get humid and hot, but it was.

Silvia: 48:22

Yeah. So again, one of the reasons why I advise you to go there in May is because winter can get quite cold. Again, I prepare the Celsius and Fahrenheit so we can understand each other, thank you. So, for instance, in around the Tokyo area they have very similar weather we do here around Barcelona and you guys have got there in California and in winter can go around 10 Celsius, which is 50 Fahrenheit. In spring is about 22, which is what I was having more or less 71 Fahrenheit.

Silvia: 48:57

Summer gets 30 degrees, which is 86 Fahrenheit, but it gets really, really humid, so it will feel more than 30. And then autumn gets much cooler, about 15 degrees and 59 Fahrenheit. But for instance in Kyoto that is far the south in summer gets 30 plus, which will be 86 Fahrenheit plus, and very, very humid. And I know that there's a lot of people that can struggle with that. I'm OK with that because I lived in Vietnam and it's pretty much the same all the time. So I'm OK with that, but I understand that a lot of people can struggle with that. So spring is the better, but then in Sapporo, in the north, it gets much, much colder in winter. It gets minus five degrees, which is about 23 Fahrenheit, ok, and then summer is a little bit cooler, obviously around 25, 77 Fahrenheit.

Silvia: 49:57

So I was there in May and I was using just thin long layers when I was up in the mountain and sometimes in the evening, but then I was in the T-shirt and it was very, very comfortable, nice weather. It wasn't too hot. Sometimes it would got a little bit, especially when I was doing the trekking, but again, you know you're doing exercise and if it's sunny, but overall it was really really pleasant temperature. So again you know another reason why I advise to visit the country in around May, may, beginning of June. It tends to start to hotter weather in June and especially in July, august and mid-September. So and even locals mentioned that it's really, really hot. It gets really really hot in summer and is the air conditioning common there?

Silvia: 50:48

Yes everywhere, everywhere Because of that, because it gets really. And also they got all these stuff that you can buy that is just focused for when you know it's very hot weather and you got these like wipes, that's wet wipes that you just put around when it's hot and it makes you instantly make you feel cooler. And they have all these things you put around your neck and everything to help you to feel cooler, which I never seen before. And you know it gets quite hot in my country, but no one seems to bother about.

Carol: 51:22

But bring it, to bring it to Spain.

Silvia: 51:24

Yes, yes, I was thinking about this. They really care about these things and they I always say that if there's something that hasn't been invented yet by the Japanese, it's because it's not worth inventing it, because they, they pay so much attention to detail, to everything, that you go to somewhere and say, oh no, that's very handy, why didn't anyone, you know, in my country, or something? They, they pay so much attention to that, to every detail and everything, and it's just so, so nice, so nice.

Carol: 51:56

You know, I just saw something it was going viral on LinkedIn about Japanese culture of element, or like preschool kids. They look like about three years old or four years old, teaching them how to act on a train. So they have like one kid was pretending he was an old man with a cane and the boy gets up to office, the seat, and then they had a little cropper to actually spray it, and someone else offers a seat and then they, like, they put their hand up like they would do. It was so cute. So it sounds like respect is really built into their culture, exactly.

Silvia: 52:28

And there's something I do appreciate, really much appreciate because it makes your life easier, and I think we should. You know it would be easier if we were all a little bit more like that. And also, you were talking about kids in school, again talking about how safe the place is. I saw many little kids going to school on their own, even jumping in the train. You know one of the small local trains not a long distance, but small local trains. They would just jump in the train, get closer to the driver and then you know and you think, oh my God, that little kid on his arm. You know it's fine, it's fine. So again, you know this is amazing.

Carol: 53:10

Young people are capable of a lot. So yeah, especially when it's a safe environment. Yeah, all right. Well, I think we should move on to our rapid fire questions. Of course, christian, if there's any anything that you feel we haven't covered yet.

Silvia: 53:23

Sorry, it's just one thing that I know you're going to appreciate this detail. One of the things that I forgot to tell you about it is well, the size of the country is about like just a little bit smaller than California, just a little bit bigger than the UK. So we get an idea. But 70 percent of the country is covered by dense forest Wow, Nothing. So that gives you an idea. Again, you know, with a set, that's why the biggest cities are along the coastline. But you know, even even in the city, you got forests and big parks. Even in Tokyo, like huge city, you still got big park. You are there and you don't feel like you are in the most populated city in the world.

Kristen: 54:06

You still can get Would you know, the population of Tokyo is no, I'm sorry.

Silvia: 54:11

I knew that because I made a story about that. But for goods.

Carol: 54:14

Oh, ok, most popular in the world. Ok, yeah, yeah 125 million Wow.

Silvia: 54:23

Yes, the only time that you see that is a very crowded place is when you are in the Shinjuku station, which is a very big station and it costs lots of lines and everything. So when you go there in a big time, you know the famous guys that push people into the metro. They exist, they do exist.

Carol: 54:44

No, my mom said she saw something. It was like a broom and they were like pushing people and she was just cracking up so hard.

Silvia: 54:51

Yeah, I saw it from the distance because I thought like there's no need for me to get in a crowded train I don't know, I'm not rushing to go to work, but I wanted to see it and when you are walking around that station you feel like, oh, this is busy. But otherwise it's like, as I say, you know you can go to a park or whatever and you can be there on your own and nice, quiet and peaceful place.

Kristen: 55:13

So yeah, I was curious. Also, it seems like you can drive across and I was wondering how long, how far really is it to drive or go across Japan? There's a person varies, but is it? I'm wondering if it was like like Maui or something like that you just drive? I mean, of course it's not because it's a lot bigger, but it was just. Is it like an hour to get across the country, or is it?

Silvia: 55:38

Yeah, no, it's longer than that. Longer than that, longer than that, yeah, because I was doing Tokyo to Kanasawa, which is literally crossing from west to east, and there was two hours with the Shinkansen, which is the bullet train. So you know, it's I don't know 300? No, I'm not sure. But again, you know, I'm very easily done with the trains.

Kristen: 56:07

So Okay, it's just curious, because I see you didn't go from one place and I see lots of bridges and things like that too.

Silvia: 56:14

But I was wondering, yeah, how far that distance was, because it I wouldn't drive going there, just you know, for a month, but if I was living there I would do a lot of driving around, for sure, for sure, very, very easy to drive around and it's a spectacular countryside.

Carol: 56:31

So I would definitely do it. Are they gas cars or electric cars? Gas Petrol.

Silvia: 56:38

I call it petrol. I was thinking gas.

Carol: 56:40

Yeah.

Silvia: 56:40

Petrol. Yes, yes.

Carol: 56:42

Yes, I'm just looking at these pictures of the professional pushers. That's correct, you know. Oh my God.

Kristen: 56:48

Yeah, it's so funny.

Carol: 56:51

So a rapid fire questions we have. What was your favorite meal there? Was it the Ramon Nemeyaka? Oh, the ramen.

Silvia: 56:59

No, no ramen. Yeah, I was mad about it. And it's so cheap, it's so nice, it's just so nutritious as well, and it's like well, in fact, I just came back with my ramen book and I'm going to be cooking more ramen at home now.

Carol: 57:16

That's so funny Because I think of ramen. No nutrition, just calories. But I'm thinking like the really cheap stuff we buy in the US is like a dollar a pack and it just has like the dishes.

Silvia: 57:26

No, no, no, no, no, no. Nothing comes from a pack. No, no, no, no, no. You cook it at home. Nice ingredients yes, yes, oh very good it's really, really nice. It's one of the most nutritious dishes.

Carol: 57:36

And what about breakfast? What did you have for breakfast? Are you there? What's a common breakfast?

Silvia: 57:41

Well, I was determined to eat like Japanese when I was there. So no orange juice, croissant coffee, something like that. I saw the terminer to do that. So I was eating fish and vegetables, because the meals won't be much difference from breakfast, lunch or dinner Really A little bit like in Vienna. So for lunch you would have fish, Then for breakfast you would have fish as well. So, yeah, fish and noodles and soup.

Carol: 58:13

The same as the mega threes in the fish. Maybe that's Intribute your hair and your skin exactly.

Silvia: 58:21

That was one of the reasons that I thought I'm gonna do whatever they do. Let's see if they were so.

Carol: 58:28

So yeah, okay, and then, what is the common religion?

Silvia: 58:32

we're able to observe that yes, it's a branch of Buddhism into Shouldn't and and they really say it's just mark a way of life.

Carol: 58:40

Right is my understanding Service very similar to Buddhism?

Silvia: 58:46

yeah, okay, very similar, yeah, and. And there's shrines everywhere. I also, when you go, you know, and you go around as a tourist and you go to see shrines and everything, please, please, respect, because that, even what is so beautiful and you want to take thousand pictures like I do for them, is a place of you know, work, ship and, and they take your shoes off. Is that common? No, no In. If you want to go inside, yes, but when you are around in the poor charity and everything, it is fine, okay, but yeah, yeah, you have to think about that. Like you know, those shrines are not there just for you to make nice Instagram pictures. You know, people use them in every day prayers.

Carol: 59:31

So okay, and did you see any kind of common music? I think of like drums when I think of like cultural Japanese music.

Silvia: 59:41

No, I didn't. What I am aware and also I was aware of that before I went they. They have a huge Crash on Korean pop music. Okay, BTS they are they are huge there in well everywhere in Asia. I mean, I got a friend that lives in India and they have huge in there as well. So you, you go somewhere, music shop, something and you have like Real-sized cuts of the the most important famous Singers so you can take a picture next to them.

Kristen: 1:00:16

Okay, we had that during South Korea last summer too.

Silvia: 1:00:20

Yeah, they, they love they are they, they is huge crash on that music. Yeah, but again they. You also listen a lot of. You know American, north American music, british and but nothing like Korean. I mean they are like big, big idols for them, big huge fun, yeah, fun, okay.

Carol: 1:00:43

and then closest place to surf? Think you mentioned some of the islands.

Silvia: 1:00:48

Yes, Because I knew that you would mention that, because I know how much you like surfing Okinawa area, and it's an ideally place to see because it's very tropical and it's beautiful. That's in the south of Japan and you need to either take a ferry or flight there from the Hiroshima or Osaka and then the other two nice places to go as well. There's two big beaches in both open insular. It's not far from Tokyo. You can just catch the train about half an hour and you're there, and then they in super in to that. That's a little bit farther but it still is just under an hour With fishing pants and train and those are really really nice areas as well. I'm very good for surfing. Is that BOS, bos, bos, yes, sorry, yeah, and IZU is IZU.

Silvia: 1:01:44

So, and One place I want to mention to do trekking. It was the most amazing trekking I did North of Kyoto. You just catch the train metro, sorry and leaves in one little town and then you do trekking from there to another little town, hmm, and you can do it as big as you want, because you go like a few different places together and it's one of the most Beautiful trekking ever I've done in my life. You go through nice forest and along the way you see little shrines. It's so beautiful.

Carol: 1:02:20

And then, when is it a circle, though, or how? How do you like you?

Silvia: 1:02:24

can do circle, but I did, just going from one little town to another and then you can catch another train in the other side. And then when I got to the end of that trekking, I went to that little town and they have these little cafe shops and restaurants, just like hanging over the river, and you, after a long trekking because I did like 12 kilomètres Well, maybe it's not that long for you, but it was for me and it was so highly After that you just sit in there and relax Just with the noise of, you know, the sound of the river going underneath you.

Carol: 1:03:01

What were some of the towns like? They see Kyoto on a map and then so.

Silvia: 1:03:08

I'll show you the. I'll put the link in okay, yeah, in Instagram.

Carol: 1:03:13

Yeah, there's so many little towns in there.

Silvia: 1:03:14

Yeah, yes, but again, you know it's so easy to go there because you go there by public transport and yet you are in an amazing forest mountain area and the trekking seriously is unbelievable. It was so beautiful. I must have found I was there on my own as well, because you know there's like little groups you've pumped into sometimes but you just wait and they go and you just carry on and it was just amazing. So you go to town and then you take a train back to where you started.

Carol: 1:03:41

Yeah, okay.

Silvia: 1:03:44

And I remember calling my mom from there and I said, mom, I'm the happiest person in the world right now Because it was such a beautiful place. That is one of the highlights for me. Yeah, that they, oh my gosh. And again, and it's not in the travel guides, and you know because, again, it's something that you would do If you do like slow traveling, like I did. You know, taking a month and not just rushing from Tokyo to Kyoto, osaka, that's it back home, you know right?

Carol: 1:04:10

Yeah, I think what I'm about to hear about Kyoto, like I think I just spent myself there and just go everywhere. I spent 10 days in Kyoto because I knew I wanted to spend a lot of time in there.

Silvia: 1:04:17

It's so beautiful. Kyoto is the most beautiful city for me, the whole country, what I visit, and then from there you can do little trips as well. You can do little trips as well. You can visit little places Again, very easy train?

Carol: 1:04:35

Do you mean like yes, so from Kyoto to Tokyo on that high speed train is probably not that long, a couple hours maybe.

Silvia: 1:04:42

Yeah, two and a half hours a day, yeah okay, yeah, oh, my gosh Also reasonable Wow. Yeah.

Carol: 1:04:49

Fantastic.

Silvia: 1:04:49

Oh, last question, the money.

Carol: 1:04:51

I think we know that, but the money is called oh yen yen sorry, okay, yes, the yen.

Silvia: 1:04:58

Oh my gosh, the yen will go up, we know that.

Carol: 1:05:01

So yes, but the still, you know, still it's worth it.

Silvia: 1:05:05

It's worth it, absolutely. I would. I would go back, even if the yen is like double what Was last month. I definitely will go back.

Carol: 1:05:14

Okay, I'll play. I'm gonna go with you. That would be great, okay, but thank you so much. It was so nice to see you again and it's just so great that it's all like so fresh in your. Memory and you're just your passion for it. I learned so many, so many new things. We've done a few episodes on Japan, but everyone has like little take.

Silvia: 1:05:35

Someone else said yes, that's what I thought, because I listened to one of them and you know it's different to someone that is living there. I mean the same area. I thought I can bring something else from you know someone that wants to travel there and want to go to different places, so I hope this is gonna help as well.

Carol: 1:05:51

Yes, absolutely 100%. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Yeah, absolutely.

Kristen: 1:05:57

Thank you, it was wonderful and glad you enjoyed your trip.

Silvia: 1:06:01

I did. I did so much and I hope that this is gonna Motivate some people to to go, and if you want to ask me anything, you know, just feel free in my instagram Account, ask me anything, okay.

Carol: 1:06:13

That sounds wonderful Okay.

Kristen: 1:06:15

Okay.

Carol: 1:06:15

Thank you, see you soon.

Kristen: 1:06:16

Thank you guys.

Carol: 1:06:18

Bye, thanks, bye. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed the podcast, can you please take a second and do a quick follow of the show and rate us in your podcast app and, if you have a minute, we would really appreciate a review. Following and rating is the best way to support us. If you're on instagram, let's connect. We're at where next podcast. Thanks again.