:00:00. > :00:00.In all, around 41 million people have been affected,
:00:00. > :00:00.many have been displaced or left homeless.
:00:00. > :00:14.It is just after 5:30am. Now on BBC News, it's time for the Travel Show.
:00:15. > :00:16.This week on the show, we're on Colombia's unspoilt
:00:17. > :00:21.Henry heads to Turkey to try his hand at painting
:00:22. > :00:33.Plus - we're in a medieval city in Belgium for our whacky race,
:00:34. > :00:36.One that looks like a shed on a bathtub.
:00:37. > :00:39.And I'm having a cracking time in northern Japan.
:00:40. > :01:12.We start off this week on the remote Caribbean island of Providencia,
:01:13. > :01:14.with its breathtaking scenery and golden sand beaches.
:01:15. > :01:16.It's a slice of paradise you won't have to share
:01:17. > :01:19.with the package holiday crowd, because up until now, there's no
:01:20. > :01:43.But all that could be about to change, as James Clayton discovered.
:01:44. > :01:45.Basking in the south of the Caribbean Sea
:01:46. > :01:48.lies Providencia, known throughout its history as an island
:01:49. > :01:49.that's harboured pirates like Captain Morgan.
:01:50. > :01:54.People still speak English creole here, even though it's been part
:01:55. > :02:18.The island is a paradise, but there's something missing.
:02:19. > :02:21.On one of the most idyllic beaches on one of the most idyllic
:02:22. > :02:24.islands in the Caribbean, why are there no tourists here?
:02:25. > :02:26.The lack of holidaymakers seems almost bizarre,
:02:27. > :02:30.Getting to Providencia is actually really hard.
:02:31. > :02:33.For example, if you're coming from the UK, you have to get
:02:34. > :02:37.a flight from London to Bogata, then get a flight to a little
:02:38. > :02:46.Then either get a rickety flight or a catamaran to Providencia.
:02:47. > :02:49.And it's not surprising as a result that there really
:02:50. > :02:57.Providencia's isolation is nothing new.
:02:58. > :02:59.It was established by English Puritans,
:03:00. > :03:01.in part, seeking isolation to practise their religion.
:03:02. > :03:03.Elkin Robinson is one of Providencia's biggest pop stars.
:03:04. > :03:19.He proudly traces his ancestry back to his English relatives.
:03:20. > :03:21.In the history, this island had been English always.
:03:22. > :03:30.The Spanish always try to take over the island.
:03:31. > :03:32.He says there's a danger of Providencia losing its identity
:03:33. > :03:36.Colombia is a country with a lot of different culture.
:03:37. > :03:48.Different climate, different food, different music, different people.
:03:49. > :03:50.But Providencia's isolation from the mainland has
:03:51. > :03:53.Food and drink are, for example, much more expensive
:03:54. > :04:03.And so Colombia has committed to extending
:04:04. > :04:06.Providencia's airport so it can take international flights.
:04:07. > :04:13.Sophia Huffington is leading protests against the expansion.
:04:14. > :04:20.She fears what happened in San Andres sets the precedent.
:04:21. > :04:23.They opened the airport there in 1953 and started pulling
:04:24. > :04:27.We have an example for them not to come and make
:04:28. > :04:44.60 years after San Andres got its international airports,
:04:45. > :04:47.there are now high-rise hotels, casinos and 40 times more
:04:48. > :04:51.Crime is now a problem and the locals are in a minority.
:04:52. > :04:53.However, other people in Providencia are more realistic
:04:54. > :05:00.Manuela rents out a spare room to tourists.
:05:01. > :05:03.As soon as the government tried to open more to the tourists,
:05:04. > :05:05.people right away it's like a strike.
:05:06. > :05:08.They all get together and they say no, this is not what's
:05:09. > :05:21.It's not like the big tourist companies haven't tried
:05:22. > :05:24.This spa hotel was built by a prospector.
:05:25. > :05:28.Locals never allowed it to be opened, claiming it breached
:05:29. > :05:33.They will lose all those roots, all that culture.
:05:34. > :05:37.In San Andres the island has changed completely.
:05:38. > :05:40.The children are not even speaking the language any more.
:05:41. > :05:48.Providencia is afraid that the same thing will happen.
:05:49. > :05:50.Although work has begun on the airport, locals have,
:05:51. > :05:56.But Providencia's conundrum is a microcosm of the challenges
:05:57. > :05:58.that communities face from globalisation across the world.
:05:59. > :06:01.Opening the island up would undoubtedly boost its economy.
:06:02. > :06:03.But the overdevelopment of the island of San Andres means
:06:04. > :06:15.many Providencians simply don't believe it's a price worth paying.
:06:16. > :06:19.But I don't feel it will live from tourism.
:06:20. > :06:31.I feel like the tourism will live from us.
:06:32. > :06:33.James Clayton reporting there from the untouched
:06:34. > :06:44.Now we head to Istanbul for a spot of Ebru painting -
:06:45. > :06:47.a Turkish art form that involves marbling or painting on water.
:06:48. > :06:50.Enru has been around for centuries, growing in popularity under
:06:51. > :06:52.the Ottomans and then spreading to Europe.
:06:53. > :07:03.We sent Henry Golding to give it a go.
:07:04. > :07:16.Daisies are usually white with yellow.
:07:17. > :07:21.How do you do it, what's the technique?
:07:22. > :07:41.The reason why the paint sticks on the top here
:07:42. > :07:45.is because the canvas we're using is made of water and starch.
:07:46. > :08:09.We are using them to make these shapes.
:08:10. > :08:15.First we're going to start with the leaves.
:08:16. > :08:18.This takes a little more control that the flicking.
:08:19. > :08:28.We're going to do this to the leaves.
:08:29. > :08:35.That looks like an egg rather than a daisy.
:08:36. > :08:47.This is where we print it out on paper.
:08:48. > :08:55.You think it's pretty good for a first time?
:08:56. > :08:59.Do you think I'll be able to keep the Turkish
:09:00. > :09:23.We're in Belgium for the annual International Bathtub Boat Race,
:09:24. > :09:25.trying to keep The Travel Show's reputation afloat.
:09:26. > :09:36.And my mission begins in the first part of a new series
:09:37. > :09:38.as I travel through Japan, taking on some of its
:09:39. > :09:48.The Travel Show - your essential guide,
:09:49. > :09:57.The town's an hour's drive south of the capital, Brussels,
:09:58. > :10:00.and is known as the birthplace of the saxophone.
:10:01. > :10:02.But in more recent years it's become famous for its very
:10:03. > :10:16.We sent Joe along to take part in one of the world's wackiest races.
:10:17. > :10:19.The River Meuse flows for nearly 1000km through France,
:10:20. > :10:23.Belgium and the Netherlands and has been an important trading route
:10:24. > :10:29.But in more recent decades, a stretch of the river
:10:30. > :10:33.here in Dinant in southern Belgium has become better known for its epic
:10:34. > :10:37.water fights that happen each year as part of La Regate de Baignoires -
:10:38. > :10:47.Alberto came up with the idea for the regatta 35 years ago.
:10:48. > :11:22.He shows me the one kilometre route where the boats will race.
:11:23. > :11:25.The race was intended to be a one-off.
:11:26. > :11:43.But 35 years later, it's still going.
:11:44. > :11:47.Originally, each competitor had their own bathtub.
:11:48. > :11:50.But now people create huge, elaborate floats.
:11:51. > :11:52.The only rule is that somewhere the design must
:11:53. > :11:57.People spend months secretly constructing their boats.
:11:58. > :12:01.I'm heading to meet one crew who are putting the finishing
:12:02. > :12:06.touches to the raft I'll be racing on.
:12:07. > :12:31.The theme this year is famous people in Dinant.
:12:32. > :12:35.Emmeline has chosen to represent the town's doctors.
:12:36. > :12:55.Emmeline and her family have been taking part in the regatta
:12:56. > :13:07.It's all hands on deck to finish their fleet of three boats.
:13:08. > :13:21.Fully kitted out in my doctor's scrubs, all that's left to do now
:13:22. > :13:45.In what I think is the wrong direction.
:13:46. > :13:55.Further down the river, we join the rest of the tubs
:13:56. > :14:08.There's a lot of shouting, a lot of chanting.
:14:09. > :14:20.But I get the impression it's more about showcasing the bathtub designs
:14:21. > :14:23.than how quickly you can complete the race.
:14:24. > :14:27.There is some seriously impressive contraptions on this river.
:14:28. > :14:31.One guy over there is barbequing on his bathtub.
:14:32. > :14:35.Further down the river, there's something that looks like a shed.
:14:36. > :14:41.Soon, it becomes clear that splashing the opposition
:14:42. > :14:45.You aren't allowed to try and sink other boats.
:14:46. > :14:48.But it seems that anything else goes.
:14:49. > :15:01.And the thousands of people who've come to watch aren't safe either.
:15:02. > :15:04.The town's bridge marks the end of the race.
:15:05. > :15:12.But no-one seems to be too bothered about hurrying towards it.
:15:13. > :15:17.For us, the regatta ends in the same chaotic way it started
:15:18. > :15:22.as we haphazardly paddle past the finish line.
:15:23. > :15:26.I'm not sure there were any winners or losers there.
:15:27. > :15:44.They've told me this is the only way to finish the race.
:15:45. > :15:46.After I've dried off from my dunking,
:15:47. > :15:54.there's an anxious wait to see if we've won a prize.
:15:55. > :16:08.An award for the team's creative bathtub design.
:16:09. > :16:12.It might seem silly, but I'm actually really excited about this,
:16:13. > :16:24.because it was an intense race and I think I've earned it.
:16:25. > :16:28.To end this week, Japan's food can be just jaw dropping and most people
:16:29. > :16:32.new to the country make a bee line for the Yakatori joints or sushiers
:16:33. > :16:38.I've lived here in Tokyo for over three years now
:16:39. > :16:44.But there's still some I find quite intimidating.
:16:45. > :16:46.With a little help from my translator, Yoko, I'm
:16:47. > :16:50.taking my tastebuds on a trip through this country
:16:51. > :17:03.to try and understand what I'm missing out on.
:17:04. > :17:11.In the winter, it's a snowy wonderland.
:17:12. > :17:15.After the thaw, the islanders are left with Alpine meadows
:17:16. > :17:24.I'm told this is one of the best places in all of Japan
:17:25. > :17:36.Uni is Japanese sea urchin, or to be more exact,
:17:37. > :17:43.which you normally eat with soy sauce on top of a bed of rice.
:17:44. > :18:04.That's just less than $45, around 30 quid.
:18:05. > :18:18.Because the fishermen can only fish for it at certain times.
:18:19. > :18:28.So this is the best uni in Japan, is that correct?
:18:29. > :18:33.The sea has to be perfectly still for the fishermen
:18:34. > :18:46.Luckily, I'm here at exactly the right time of year.
:18:47. > :18:59.You don't have to cook it or anything?
:19:00. > :19:15.This man has been fishing here for years.
:19:16. > :19:19.If anyone's ever earned the title Mr Uni, it's him.
:19:20. > :19:42.Japan is such a hi-tech country and the way he's finding the uni
:19:43. > :19:45.is by using some massive goggle and a net.
:19:46. > :20:18.Eurgh, it looks like a soggy dish sponge.
:20:19. > :20:47.A bit like an oyster, really salty, but the consitency of eurgh!
:20:48. > :20:50.Hokkaido is also famous for its dairy.
:20:51. > :20:53.They say about half of all Japan's dairy cow population
:20:54. > :20:58.Another thing people eat when they come here
:20:59. > :21:04.This is a seven-tower rainbow ice-cream.
:21:05. > :21:09.My goodness, it's grape, strawberry, green tea, melon,
:21:10. > :21:26.Right, let me guess, this is uni ice-cream, right?
:21:27. > :21:35.So maybe this is one way I might actually enjoy uni.
:21:36. > :21:43.It does taste a little salty and a little bit seafoody.
:21:44. > :21:47.But I think this is the best way to enjoy uni, really.
:21:48. > :21:57.but it's a genuine passion for some of the people who live here.
:21:58. > :22:00.And if you're looking for a proper, authentic taste of northern Japan,
:22:01. > :22:05.You're sure I can't have that one back?
:22:06. > :22:19.That's all we have time for this week.
:22:20. > :22:24.Ade travels through Sweden to find out about Stockholm's plans
:22:25. > :22:27.to become the most futuristic city in the world.
:22:28. > :22:35.This microchip implant sits right here under my skin.
:22:36. > :22:40.He also heads to the far north of the country to experience
:22:41. > :22:47.Don't forget, you can join in our adventures on the road
:22:48. > :22:51.In the meantime, from me and this melting ice-cream
:22:52. > :22:54.on the Japanese island of Hokkaido, it's goodbye.