Episode 9 The Travel Show

If you think Japanese food is all about sushi, think again.

This week we will be getting a taste of Tokyo from the locals.

This week, my chopsticks get a workout in arguably

the world's foodiest country.

We're unplugged and 3,000 metres up a mountain

for Europe's biggest acoustic music festival.

We go in search of an original Panama hat,

but not necessarily in Panama.

And you're away on holiday and discover your passport's expired.

Simon Calder's here to explain why you don't need to panic.

Hello and welcome to The Travel Show with me,

Carmen Roberts, coming to you this week from Tokyo.

Now, most visitors here will tell you that the food is amazing,

but now it's official.

Traditional Japanese cuisine, washoku,

has recently been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

It's only the second national culinary tradition after

French to be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

But to truly experience Japanese cuisine,

you have to eat with the locals.

There's certainly no shortages of places to eat

here in the Japanese capital.

# So you come a long way. #

Well, Tokyo has certainly earned a name for itself

in culinary circles.

Behind me is a popular two-Michelin-starred restaurant,

one of almost 60 in and around this city.

And there are a staggering 14 restaurants here that have

earned the much-coveted three Michelin stars,

the most in the world.

# Can't get enough. #

But if you don't want to blow your holiday budget on just one meal,

there are plenty of cheaper options.

There are vending machines like this dotted all over Tokyo.

And if you don't understand or read much Japanese,

it can be a bit like playing Russian roulette with your lunch.

But that's part of the fun.

Usually, restaurants will have pictures to help you

with your choice.

So, I've got my tickets,

so I give it to the waitress and hope for the best.

Arigato.

So, this isn't quite what I was expecting.

These noodles here are cold, but I've been watching everyone else,

and they've all been putting them in this hot soup, so here goes.

I've had some surprisingly good meals

at these fast food restaurants.

And while these establishments are filled with locals, it's not

quite the same as eating in the home of a real Japanese family.

So I head to Musashi-Sakai, a suburb west of Shinjuku,

to get a taste of real home-cooked food.

It's been arranged by Nagomi Visit,

a start-up that puts tourists in touch with Japanese families

willing to open up their homes and their kitchens to visitors.

Usually, when you come to Japan,

there's just no way to meet a local

and actually go to their home, and so I think

the only time people would actually talk to a local

would be asking directions or maybe,

if you're adventurous, you would talk to someone at an izakaya bar.

We just wanted for this to be a chance for people to eat

something a little bit different than sushi or a tempura.

-Hi. Konichiwa.

-Konichiwa.

-Hello.

-Please come in.

-Thank you.

So, Yasukosan, thank you so much for inviting us over.

So, what's for dinner tonight? What can I help you cook in the kitchen?

At first, I like to make salad.

-Salad, great.

-Yes.

-I use tuna and avocado, and wasabi sauce.

-Great, OK.

-Please cut these Japanese basil.

-OK.

-Japanese basil smells almost like a sweet mint.

-Yeah, good smell.

In with the fresh tuna, and now it's on to the dressing.

-Wasabi.

-Wasabi, OK.

-So, will this be very hot?

-Very, very hot.

-But if you use with avocado, it gets mild.

-Oh, OK.

The meal we are preparing is a mix of washoku as well as modern

Japanese family-style cooking.

What's it like for you cooking for foreign guests?

I want to share the happy time with my guest.

And I want to teach very little, but a bit of Japanese culture.

-Yeah.

-And I want to enjoy.

And now it's time to set the table before our guest arrives.

Je tre Turkan.

-Oh, hi, nice to meet you.

-Nice to meet you.

Finally, our guest is here.

Turkan is originally from Turkey, but lives in Finland.

This is her first trip to Tokyo.

She's been corresponding with Yasuko for many weeks

about this meal.

Yasuko has printed out a menu

and explains to Turkan about Japanese table etiquette.

We are joined by Yasuko's son and daughter.

-Itadakimasu.

-ALL: Itadakimasu.

Itadakimasu means "I gratefully receive,"

and is generally said before meals here.

There is a Japanese proverb that says eating rice out of the same

pot can be a good way to connect with people from different cultures.

I wanted my research to Japan to be as natural as possible, you know.

Now that it's my first time,

I don't know where to go, or what to see, what to eat.

But if somebody had organised this in advance, you know,

meeting with the local people and, you know, sharing the culture,

and food, and everything, all together... It sounded really good.

And I feel like a family member was waiting for me in Japan,

that's really very heart-warming.

Well, if you're thinking of heading to Tokyo to

try your hand at learning to cook, or just to indulge in the cuisine,

here's the Travel Show guide of things to think about

before you head over there.

The bullet train, which turns 50 this year,

is still the quickest way to get around Japan.

However, if you're on a budget, try the highway buses,

which run overnight and are often much cheaper.

When visiting Tokyo, don't count on seeing Mount Fuji.

Although it's well within viewing distance of the city, you can

only get a clear view on about 80 days a year.

Visibility tends to be better in the colder seasons

and at the beginning and end of the day.

Japan can be a bit of a challenge if you're a vegetarian,

especially if you don't speak the language.

Head to Kyoto, which has some of the best veggie restaurants

around, thanks to its long tradition of vegan Zen Buddhist culture.

If you're sharing a drink with other people, it's

customary to fill your friend's cup first rather than your own.

It's also considered rude to start your drink

until everybody raises their glasses in a collective kanpai.

Still to come, Simon Calder recommends his top tips for anyone

heading to Italy with Global Guru.

But, first, here's this week's travel update.

An investigation is under way

after a ferry carrying more than 470 people, mostly children,

capsized and sank off South Korea earlier this week.

The ferry was travelling from the port of Incheon, in the north west,

to the southern resort island of Jeju.

Many people are still unaccounted for.

Egypt's tourism revenue has dipped

by almost 45% in the first quarter of 2014

due to the ongoing unrest which is keeping holidaymakers away.

The first three months of the year is traditionally when travellers

flock to its beaches for some winter sun.

And finally, British Airways is hoping to run future flights

on rubbish, as it plans to build the world's first facility that converts

landfill waste into airline fuel.

A former oil refinery in the UK

will become the home of the Green Sky project,

which is scheduled to open in 2017.

Ever since being made famous by such debonair men as US president

Teddy Roosevelt, the world has been enamoured with the Panama hat,

A dashing symbol of dignity and worldliness.

It's a very sad and unfair truth, but the fact remains, if you

want to do something big in this world, you have to have a great hat.

Indiana Jones had a great hat. The Vikings, Mr Peanuts...

And I need a great hat.

So, aiming to follow in such well-regarded footsteps,

I set out in search of the most authentic of Panama hats

in the town that used to boast a nonstop flurry of orders

and artists - Montecristi, Ecuador.

See, back in the early 1900s, all shipments of the hats travelled from

Ecuador through the Panama Canal and on their way to the US and Europe.

Workers on the canal took note and started sporting them,

thus earning the name Panama hat.

And without a Made In Ecuador stamp anywhere on them,

the name stuck, which meant it was time to both find one of these

handmade treasures, as well as set the record straight.

But upon arrival in Montecristi, the nonstop flurry of orders

and artists were nowhere to be found.

It seemed even the residents had forgotten that once

they had laid claim to a fashion powerhouse that created

the most popular hat that a man can wear.

Today, the town was basically deserted,

the hat-making industry having been diminished since the late '90s

by the increase of Internet access to cheap knockoffs.

But I wasn't interested in a fake,

I was determined to find the real thing from a true artist,

which meant it was going to take some looking around.

On a dusty corner, I found Victoria Pashe,

one of the last true remaining Panama hat makers.

-Hola.

-Hola.

-Como estas? Bien, bien.

For more than 30 years, she has handled the entire process

herself, from picking the straw to the back-breaking work

of weaving it, ironing the hat and then shaping it -

an art most recently added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural

Heritage list, but still quickly becoming antiquated.

As in the rest of the town, there was a certain sadness to the shop.

The boxes ready to be mailed had begun to pile up over the years

and the previous lines of visitors had diminished.

Her once thriving shop was now more of a museum,

a testament to an art that goes back almost 200 years.

But, nonetheless, Victoria was still actively making hats,

even the Superfino, the highest grade of Panama hat available

and one that takes an unbelievable amount of time to make.

This is going to be the Ferrari of all hats,

and it's going to come with a Ferrari-like price tag - 1,200.

When rolled up,

the Superfino should be able to fit through a gentleman's wedding ring.

And when turned upside down, it should be able to hold water.

But since I didn't have 1,200 lying around,

I decided to purchase a Normal,

a respectable grade just below the Superfino,

but one that's only going to run 150,

a small price to pay for a fashionable piece of art

and one that is quickly becoming a thing of the past,

unless buyers make the effort to purchase the real thing.

Stay with us on The Travel Show because coming up...

We head into the Alps with our guitar and tambourine.

All that still to come.

Welcome to the slice of the show

that tries to make your travelling life easier.

Now, the subject that's got you going according to the

weight of the electronic mailbag here is Croatia, and in particular,

the most useful currency to take to that lovely Adriatic nation.

Well, Terry and everyone else who's got in touch,

Croatia joined the European Union last summer,

but hasn't yet signed up for the euro,

so the Kuna remains the national currency for a while at least.

You'll sometimes see prices quoted in euros, but mostly that's

to give the Germans and Italians an idea of costs.

I've only ever paid in the local currency.

The key list exchange rates are for euros,

but if you're travelling from outside the euro area,

such as Britain or the US,

then just bring your own national currency such as pounds or dollars.

It's not worth changing into euros first.

Next, Maggie Jackson from Somerset,

who asks for a recommendation for Italy.

Maggie, there are plenty of towns strung out between southern

Italy's two big cities - the capital and the wonderful city of Naples -

but to make the most of your criteria,

I recommend you park yourselves in Naples.

Even though it's a big, busy city, it doesn't have to feel like that.

Park yourself just around the shore, away from the port,

and you'll feel as though you are in a grand old resort.

Yet, in minutes, you can be in the middle of a vibrant

Mediterranean city, enjoying superb food and great bars.

For anyone who loves the sea and the mountains,

the Bay of Naples delivers beautifully.

And access to Rome is easier than it's ever been - a fast train

will take you from Naples Centrale to Rome Termini in 70 minutes flat.

Brian Collicot from London is one of many viewers who's

a regular visitor to Turkey, and who's confused by the new

rules for travellers who've previously obtained

a visa on arrival.

From this month, travellers from many nations in Europe

and worldwide who want a weekend in Istanbul or a fortnight on the

beach are supposed to obtain an E-visa at least 24 hours in advance.

You apply online and pay US20.

But the new rule has caused confusion and so the authorities have relented

and say you can get the visa on arrival until the end of the year.

What's worrying us here at the Travel Show is that some airport

staff may not be aware of the relaxation and could deny boarding

to Turkey-bound travellers who don't have the right piece of paper.

So, my advice - get the visa ahead of time,

but make sure you go to the official Turkish government site or you

could pay much more than you need.

Finally, John Thurston got in touch just before a planned trip

to Egypt in a bit of a panic.

John, you're in luck!

The Foreign Office here in the UK says simply,

"Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of six

"months from the date of entry into Egypt."

That's entry, not exit,

so you shouldn't encounter any problems when you land.

It's worth printing out the Foreign Office advice just in case

you run into any problems at your UK departure airport.

That's all for now, but if you've got a travel question,

I'm here to help. Just e-mail the Travel Show at...

..and I'll do my very best to find you an answer.

From me, Simon Calder, the Global Guru,

bye for now and see you next time.

We end this week with a little Alpine musical adventure.

Zermatt Unplugged claims to be Europe's biggest acoustic festival,

and it's an annual event which takes place in Switzerland.

We sent Greg McKenzie to discover why some

prefer their music at high altitude.

Nestled in a deep valley bordering France and Italy,

the ski resort of Zermatt is surrounded by 29 Alpine giants,

making this one of the most popular resorts in the Swiss Alps.

And, once a year, it becomes the backdrop for Zermatt's Unplugged.

# Well, you can tell everybody

# Yeah, you can tell everybody

# Go ahead and tell everybody

# I'm the man, I'm the man I'm the man, I'm the man

# Yes, I am... #

A week-long musical festival dubbed the Glastonbury of the Alps,

which attracts more than 20,000 people.

# You might as well tell everybody... #

Headlining the festival, the US soul singer Aloe Blacc,

who recently scored his second number one hit

in the UK singles charts.

# I'm the man! #

I loved the experience the first time around.

I've had a chance to meet with the promoters -

they've come to LA, we've had dinner.

And just...

It's sort of like making a family out of the business

instead of the business coming first.

In Zermatt, it is a different kind of relationship with the audience.

It's a seated event, so it changes the dynamic about how much

energy we put into the music to make people dance.

I mean, either way, they're going to be dancing in their seats.

The event, now in its seventh year, aims to offer fans

an intimate musical experience.

Artists perform live acoustic sets,

which helps make this event unique,

setting it far apart from the many other festivals

taking place in ski resorts across Europe and beyond.

We wanted to do something that really fits the town.

And we think these smaller stages, these intimate stages,

even the big one,

are pretty close to the audience and pretty intimate.

And I think this fits very well Zermatt,

and that somehow makes the magic of the event.

One of the main challenges with staging the event -

how do you get equipment up a mountain?

Because this resort is car-free. Simple - use a helicopter.

The piano is part of a set for The Ronnie Scott's All Stars -

a five-piece jazz band from London who are hoping to break

a European altitude record by performing a string

of free concerts more than 3,000 metres above sea level.

We were looking for something a little different

from where the jazz club is, which is in Frith Street, in Soho, in London.

And it's warm, and cosy, and small, and intimate.

And we thought, "Well, what might be a little different?"

So we went for this.

# I had too much grappa in my brain. #

We've been to Oman, we've been to Dubai, we've been to Hong Kong.

But this is the most left-field

that we've ever pulled together!

Many of the concerts take place in venues in the village

and at the lower mountain, across nine stages.

Most during the evenings, allowing you time to spend

all day on the slopes, which is what Zermatt is known for.

As a novice and first time I've ever been on a ski slope,

I've enlisted the help of a trained instructor

for a lesson in how to snowboard.

Now, of course, the only way to get around here in Zermatt

is by using one of these gondolas.

The great thing is, our trip takes about half an hour,

which gives us enough time to take in some of these stunning views.

We're about two miles up now.

And the altitude makes it quite hard to breathe.

So if you're a novice like me, you have to take deep breaths.

At first glance, it looks fairly straightforward... Or so I thought.

Aaah!

How do I stop?

Zermatt attracts more than two million visitors a year.

It's also a playground for the rich and famous,

so you'll need plenty of money to truly enjoy yourself here.

But it wasn't always this way.

In the early 19th century, the region was known

for its agricultural and farming communities.

Now its only industry is tourism.

We are now at the end of a long winter season,

and usually the numbers drop.

And thanks to Zermatt Unplugged,

we have again a very strong week, almost fully booked,

and it's definitely a big impact for our local economy.

# I'm a man, I'm a man... #

And as Zermatt Unplugged comes to an end for yet another year, the focus

now turns to staging and planning the week-long event next April.

APPLAUSE

Greg McKenzie reporting from the Zermatt Unplugged Music Festival,

in Switzerland.

That's it for this week. Thanks for joining us on our travels.

And don't forget, you can see those stories

and much more online on our website.

Or why not join us real-time on our journeys by signing up

to our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed.

Those details are on the screen now.

Coming up next week on The Travel Show...

..teeth, terror and treacherous drops.

I've got nothing to grip on.

Rajan's in South Africa, driving the ever popular Garden Route.

Cape Town is celebrated for its diversity,

but the task now is to make good on the promises

of the Rainbow Nation and fuse all its disparate elements together.

Today, South Africa is laying out its stall for the 21st century -

a new chapter begins.

Join us for that, if you can.

But, in the meantime, from all the Travel Show team here in Tokyo,

it's goodbye and see you next time.