Guilin, the Li River and the spectacular Yangshuo region

As our time was again short, due to the limited time granted by our visa, we had to cross some of the places from the list we had in mind when we started planning our journey in China. The list got even shorter when we decided last minute to make the best out of the Tibet experience that was planned for the end of the trip, and extend it a bit longer by traveling overland to Kathmandu. So we choose Guilin as our first stop in this big country.

China offers endless possibilities to lose yourself in unexpected places, dominated by beautiful nature and strong traditions. We hoped that Guilin would offer us just that and we were not disappointed.

With a stop in Guangzhou East, from where we boarded the connection train, it took us more than six hours from Shenzhen, our entrance point into China, to Guilin. The first two hours have been a bit of an adventure as the first train had a delay which led to missing the connecting train. Luckily in China missing a train is not a big deal. You only need to go to the ticket counter and ask for a new ticket for the next departing train. You can change your ticket only one time and seats will be granted to you only if available. We didn’t find any available ones and had to seat on out backpacks till the end of the journey. We considered ourselves happy for meeting Helen, a friendly Chinese girl whose friendliness and good English skills helped us understand what was going on and how to solve our little problem. China had rules that we needed to learn and understand and we spent our first day learning some of them already.

Welcome to Guilin

We finally arrived in Guilin, a busy city with countless shops and restaurants, with crowds that were driving their tuk-tuks and scooters in an insane way, ignoring traffic lights and abusing their horns that were contributing to the symphony of lights and sounds which were making the city feel extraordinarily alive.  We arrived late in the evening at Cyan Box, a lovely hostel with lovely people, where we spent three nights. The reception personnel helped us organize our first day trip along the Li River.

A bus picked us up on the following day to bring us to Yangdi, a small river port where we were welcomed to board one of the bamboo rafts that offer daily cruises to Nine Horses Hill. There are also big touristic boats that will take you on a four-hour cruise directly from Guilin to Xingping, but we considered that the bamboo raft is a better option.

 

Our cruise lasted only 1 hour and the little boat offered places to just four people, so we didn’t need to fight with anybody for the best view. Later a bus transferred us to Xingping, where we left the group and went to discover the surroundings by ourselves.

GUILIN LI RIVER AND THE YANGSHUO REGION

 

After lunch in a small local restaurant, we went to find the path towards Lao Zhai Shia, a 220 meters high peak. Climbing it was about to become one of the most extraordinary hikes we ever did and that we highly recommend. The hike is difficult but possible for everybody. We even saw a family of 4, including two small children reaching the top. The path is easy to find, just let yourself guided by the signs or by the locals who will show you the way… while trying also to sell you something. If you take the long cruise, at the arrival in Xingping, before passing the big gate at the waterfront, turn right and you will see it.

 

It was a hot day, but we found pleasure in hiking through steep rocks, protected by the shadow of a dense forest that surrounds the mountain. In less than one hour we reached the peak and the landscape we got to see from up there let us only a few words to describe it. It was simply beautiful and the scenery quite rewarding.

GUILIN LI RIVER AND THE YANGSHUO REGION

 

As the sun went down we contemplated the river valley that felt more and quieter by the time tourists were leaving the valley. We used the last hour of daylight to climb down the mountain and find the bus station from where we would take the bus to Yangshuo and after back to Guilin. The bus to Yangshuo wasn’t easy to find, but luckily we found again friendly people that showed us the way. Not speaking Chinese didn’t seem to be an obstacle. We just had to tell them the name of our destination and after successfully communicated through signs.

 

Find out more about our time in Guilin and our trip to the famous rice terraces. For more pictures of our three days stay in Guilin click here.

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Hong Kong – love on a second look

What should I say about Hong Kong? It is a city that I wanted to visit for a long time. Actually, it is the first big city I ever dreamed of. When I was 13, I read a book about the adventures of a girl in Hong Kong and since then I always wanted to visit the so-called Pearl of the Orient.

Now the time had finally come, but the magical feeling that I had expected and the enthusiasm that I usually feel when I’m in a new place did not arrive. Why? I can not tell exactly! I know what it means to explore big metropolises as I have lived in Dubai for 2 years and in Sydney for some time, I visited New York, Tokyo, Berlin, Lima and Moscow, but Hong Kong couldn’t fascinate me at first.

Probably the contrast to Japan was bigger than expected or did I expect too much? I’m sure that some of the important factors were my own well-being, because I had a cold, and the value for money in our hostel was not the best either.

HONG KONG CHINA

A second chance for Hong Kong

But there was something that convinced me to give Hong Kong another chance. It was the day we planned to visit a major tourist attraction in Hong Kong, Victoria Peak. We arrived at Central Station and walked between the cold looking skyscrapers towards Peak Tram Station. We knew, like any other area in the city, we had to expect many visitors.  Therefore we had previously informed ourselves about the walking distance to the lookout point.

HONG KONG CHINA

 

Once we arrived at the station, our guess came true. I can not say how many meters the queue was, but it seemed with no end. It took not long for Alex and me to make a decision. After a last look at Google Maps to find the right path to the peak we set off. We agreed that even with the flu, the heat and the steep path, we were still faster than waiting in line for the tram. Besides, we both prefer walking.

And then came the wow effect.

On the way to Victoria Peak

Our walk led us through the Botanical Gardens and between the skyscrapers. From here you can already imagine what view will be offered to you. It’s easy to find your way. After the garden you can see the pink signs leading towards the peak. In the end, you just need to walk up.

HONG KONG CHINA

At some point, you will reach a pedestrian zone. From here the road is steep, but it is a very nice path in the shade of the trees. Suddenly you will find yourself far away from the city bustle in the middle of nature and only the skyscrapers that occasionally dart through the trees, allow you to understand that you are still in the city. During our little hike we even saw a boar.

Finally, we arrived at the top… We were sweating and were exhausted, but it was worth doing it for the view from the almost 400 m altitude. The moment we found ourselves in the big crowds again, we knew it was the right decision to do the walk. A quick glance at the watch told us that the walk took only 40 minutes, so we can definitely recommend it to everyone.

HONG KONG CHINA

 

However, we do not want to question the Peak Tram. The almost 130-year-old train ride is definitely worth a try. There is a reason why the Peak Tram is called “The Pride of Hong Kong”. While driving, it is said that you feel like the houses are falling over. Of course, that’s just an illusion. A study in 2013 showed that this illusion arises from the oblique position of the body (from 4 ° to 27 ° downhill).

History of the peak

The Victoria Peak or Tai Ping Shan (Chinese) means “mountain of great peace”. At 552 meters above sea level, Victoria Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island and served as a signal position for incoming cargo ships in the 19th century.

The cooler air that prevailed at this altitude attracted privileged locals, who gradually settled on the mountain. At that time they were still carried up on sedan chairs. The exclusive residential area became increasingly popular and in May 1881, the Scottish man Alexander Findlay Smith made a plan to reach the mountain faster and easier.

The tram line was opened in 1888 by Governor Sir William Des Voeux and offered space to 52 passengers. This has been expanded to 120 passengers per trip until today. These and many more information can be found at the visitor center located on the top, in an old train.

Victoria Peak is more than just a lookout

If the train journey and the view are not sufficient as highlights, you can visit for example the Madam Tussauds wax museum or the Sky Terrace. At the Peak Post Office, you can send souvenir cards with a special peak stamp. Of course, there is a whole lot more to discover. Here is something to enjoy for everyone: shopping lovers, gourmets or connoisseurs.

HONG KONG CHINA

 

If we get the chance to come back, we will try to arrive in the late afternoon to enjoy the skyline with evening lights and we’ll spend more time wandering on the peak itself. Various hiking routes are listed on the website of the peak.

By the way, there is also a bus that goes directly to the peak. Line number 15 runs daily from Pier 5 Central to the Peak (cost about 10HK $). More information about the buses here.

The day itself was very successful and even during our descent I could not restrain my enthusiasm for this magnificent view and walk. That day helped me change my mind about Hong Kong and I’m sure that someday I will come back and have a better start.

Here you will find more pictures of Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong – between skyscrapers and lights

After a whole month in Japan, arriving in Hong Kong felt like a big change. Suddenly we knew that we will miss the Nippon lifestyle, the beautiful and quiet places and the extraordinary people.

We prefer being closer to nature but we also enjoy getting lost on the streets of the big cities sometimes. Hong Kong just happens to be more than a big city. It is the fourth-most densely populated region in the world, with skyscrapers popping out from everywhere and large masses of tourists that move continuously, making this place feel more alive and also more crowded than any of the other ones we’ve already visited.

HONG KONG CHINA

 

We landed on the Hong Kong International Airport late in the afternoon with a well-organized plan to make the best out of our 6 days stay in the city. Our priority was to finish with the formalities necessary for obtaining the Chinese Visa so that we could cross the border at the beginning of the following month. The best practice is to apply for the visa at the embassy in your home country, but since our plan has been to visit the Russian Federation and Japan in the first months of our travels, it just felt like a good idea to apply for the Chinese visa in Hong Kong. There are several agencies that will get the job done for you, two of them having an office at the airport, which makes the process easy right after your arrival. It just happened to be less easy for us.

Visa for China in Hong Kong

We did our homework before the arrival and read all the available information on how to obtain the visa. We were sure that everything was ok, so we headed confidently to the Chinese Travel Service’s office in Terminal 1. After a very short inspection of our passports, we were told that the visa cannot be obtained, due to one of the passports being “too new” (released on October 2016, so less than two years earlier). The Chinese authorities require a complete list of all the countries that applicants for the visa have visited prior to their arrival in China. For this reason, passports released after the year 2015 will not be accepted if not presented together with old passports, containing data about previous travel destinations.

Our enthusiasm turned into despair during the one minute of silence that followed after this shocking news. The straight and unfriendly face of the person in front of us made us feel hopeless as we asked if anything else could be done. Without saying any other word he just pointed at another desk 3 meters away from us, marked with the name “Aloha Travels”. We went there with the same request and were happy to get a different answer. It was obviously a special situation… that required a special price (of course). We found out that a group visa could be arranged, that would get us across the border into China. Another good thing about it is that it could be obtained in less than 24 hours, which for us it was not needed as we were planning to stay longer in Hong Kong anyway.

Unhappy for seeing our budget suffering so much but pleased that we could find a solution to our unexpected problem, we took the express train to the city. A tiny room has been our accommodation for the five nights that we spent in the city. It was less than what we got in other places for the same price, but property in one of the most expensive city on the planet isn’t cheap, and budget travelers get budget rooms. We weren’t planning to spend too much time inside anyway and the location of the hostel offered us easy access to all the places that we wanted to see.

Hong Kong – a unique world

The Special Administrative Region of China, Hong Kong, is made up of four parts: Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and the Outlying Islands, all being home to approximately seven million people, mostly Cantonese speaking Chinese. Most of them speak also English, which leaves little space to language barriers and making the former British colony one of the hottest travel destinations in Asia. As communicating didn’t feel like a difficult task, we had a hard time understanding why the people here, with a few exceptions, don’t smile or don’t respond to a “good morning” or a “thank you”. Probably in such a big city, the busyness of everyday life doesn’t leave much space for politeness.

We experienced good weather during our stay, which gave us the chance to forget about our bulky clothes and to finally enjoy wearing shorts. We spent our first morning exploring the Avenue of Stars. At the entrance several statues greeted us, representing movie setups with lights, chairs and video cameras, where tourists can take pictures, and a replica of the statuette given to winners at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Along the promenade we got acquainted with the cinematic history of the city, told by many plaques containing the names, and (some of them) handprints and autographs of honored celebrities. Special attention is given to the well-known star Bruce Lee, who has his own statue.

HONG KONG CHINA

 

Later in the afternoon, we continued our walk towards the Victoria Harbour, one of the most visited touristic spots, offering a beautiful panoramic view of the city’s skyline.

Lantau Island

Lantau Island is one of the special places in Hong Kong open to tourists, which we decided to visit during our third day. Its main attraction is the giant Buddha, located near the Po Lin monastery. If you are planning to stay for a longer time in Hong Kong, we recommend waking up early and hiking all the way to the monastery. We instead had to fight with flu symptoms that day, so we chose the lazy way and went there with the cable car. The view is truly spectacular as the cable car crosses the waters and the green hills revealing behind them the shape of a 34 meters tall Buddha statue.

HONG KONG CHINA

 

The arrival place felt noisy and crowded with shops, tourists and sacred cows that openly roam the grounds of the Po Lin Monastery. At the end of the shopping area we climbed 268 steps up to the impressive Buddha statue that is watching over the region, surrounded by other six smaller statues known as “The Offering of the Six Devas” that symbolize generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which is believed that are necessary for enlightenment. You can spend an entire day in the area, enjoying walks, taking pictures and having short breaks at the many coffee places in the area.

 

We came back in the evening, just in time to buy a “to go” meal and enjoy our dinner under the lights of the colorful skyline at the Victoria Harbour, where tourists can enjoy the light show every evening at 8:30PM.

HONG KONG CHINA

Hiking to Victoria Peak

Our fourth day in Hong Kong started with the decision to discover more of the green parts of the city, which brought us on the path to Victoria Peak. The initial plan was to take the touristic tram towards the peak, but the long queue at the ticket counter made the idea of hiking the path more appealing. It took us around 40 minutes to reach the end of it and the view on top made it feel like an incredible hike that we highly recommend. Restaurants and bars are waiting for visitors with refreshments and a viewing platform is available for a cost, which we didn’t think was worth paying for as most of the views worth seeing are available for free during a relaxing tour around the area.

 

The fifth day has been quieter. We only went for short walks around and spent some time at a coffee place nearby, in order to prepare the necessary things for the departure on the following day.

We crossed the border

On the morning of our sixth day in Hong Kong, we took the A21 bus to the airport, where we could pick up our passports with the Chinese visa. Later we headed to the bus terminal, from where the bus A43 took us on a 50 minutes ride to the Sheung Shui MTR station, which is the connection point to Lo Wu Station. We chose this transportation option as we needed to return to the airport anyway for the passports and the visa and it has been recommended as the fastest and cheapest from that point. Getting through Hong Kong Immigration building and after walking to the China Immigrations building took us another hour. The Lo Wu checkpoint to enter China can be extremely crowded as it is being chosen by many travelers. On less crowded days the whole process can last less than 20 minutes.

And so we arrived in Shenzhen, where we spent our first night in China and where we found again friendly and helpful people that offered their guidance to the two lost people whose digital map didn’t prove very helpful in the new country.

Shenzhen is one of the best-rated destinations in China, but our visa guaranteed us a stay of only 30 days, so we had to plan carefully our itinerary and give up some of the destinations that were left for another time.

For more pictures from Hong Kong, check out our gallery here.

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Taste of Japan

For us, besides seeing places, trying the different foods of each country that we visit plays an important role during our journey. We love to immerse ourselves in the culinary world and experiences new flavors that our taste buds can enjoy. Japan is a country where gourmets will find an endless number of culinary pleasures, that’s why we listed some of our favorite foods that we think you should not miss while being in Japan.

  • Udon
    Udon are Japanese noodles made from wheat flour, water and salt. The noodles are the thickest in Japanese cuisine. They are prepared in many different dishes. Some of the best-known Udon dishes are:
    Kake-Udon: are doused with broth based on soy sauce.
    Bukkak-Udon: are mixed with various ingredients and then doused with hot water.
    Kitsune-Udon: are cooked in hot broth and with deep fried tofu (Alex’s favorite Udon).
    Kamatama Udon: are served with some broth and raw egg (my favorite Udon).
  • Okonomiyaki
    Okonomyaki is my favorite dish in Japan, although I did not know it before. “Okonomi” means taste and “yaki” means grilled or fried. The base consists of water, cabbage, flour and egg. Depending on your preference, different ingredients such as cheese, fish, meat etc. can be added. Each one of these ingredients is typical for a different region. The dish is prepared on an iron plate and in some restaurants you can fry the Okonomiyaki yourself. Depending on the type, first the base is being formed. It can be associated with a crepe, being filled and turned after a short roast.

JAPANESE FOOD

 

  • Sushi
    Not rare I heard from people: “Sushi? That’s not for me, that’s nothing proper to eat “or” Sushi is just something for snobs! ”
    No idea why people think so, because there are many sushi types in different flavors, there should actually be something for everyone. As many things in Japan, sushi might seem an expensive thing to try, but there are cheap alternatives, like running sushi. Even in Tokyo, we could find good sushi at a reasonable price.  (Click here for our best Sushi experience). Small Sushi vocabulary: Shari (斜里) = Expression for sushi rice in the sushi bar

Namida (涙) = Tears:
Wasabi, which is located between the rice and the stuffing or toppings. It reflects the tears that come to you when you eat it. (Japanese basically do not eat very spicy) And yes, in Japan wasabi is not served separately like in Europe.

Gari (ガリ) = Crunch:
This is the ginger that is served with the sushi. The word refers to the crunchy sound when you eat or cut it.

Murasaki (紫) = Purple:
This is the soy sauce, so-called because of its purple shimmering color. Important: It is taboo to waste soy sauce or “drown” the sushi in the sauce.

By the way, it’s okay to eat sushi with your hands. It used to be finger food, but we did not see anybody doing it. There is nothing wrong with the sushi you find in the supermarket. Mostly sushi is offered in Izakaya restaurants (small Japanese bars) or sushi from the line (Jap: Kaiten-zushi or Mawari-zushi).

JAPANESE FOOD SUSHI

 

  • Onigiri
    Our little lifesavers in Japan were the Onigiri. These rice snacks can be found in supermarkets and also in Convenient stores (Seven Eleven or Lawson for example) and have different fillings. Perfect for a snack in between.

JAPANESE FOOD ONIGIRI

 

  • Ramen
    Isn’t Ramen a Chinese noodle soup? Yes and no! Undoubtedly, the roots of Ramen come from Chinese cuisine and like many other foods it was implemented in Japan after 1859, when the ports were opened.

The father of ramen is the Chinese noodle soup, but the mother is the Japanese food culture. – Quote from the Yokohama Ramen Museum 

The difference between normal Chinese noodles soup and Ramen are the ingredients. While for the Chinese noodle’s soup is always the same, the different types of Ramen are based on different types of soups. The five elements of the Ramen are broth, toppings, oil, spices, noodles. Ingredients are matched depending on the region.

 

  • Mochi
    Mochi is a Japanese sweet made out of sticky rice (Mochiko). Some Mochi species are filled with Anko (red bean cream) or wrapped in a cherry leaf for example. However, this is a “dangerous” food because the sticky texture can keep the mochis stuck in the throat. Every year there are incidents caused by Mochi.
  • Dango
    Dango means round dumpling and often it is served with green tea. They are very similar to the mochi and are served on skewers.
  • Taiyaki
    Taiyaki means sea bream. It is not a fish dish, but a delicious Japanese sweet. It is a waffle whose dough is baked in a fish form and filled with vanilla cream, Anko (red bean cream) or many others.

Japan’s world of taste is diverse, in addition to the above-mentioned dishes, there are of course many more. You can find even international foods with a typical Japanese flavor. For example, we tried different KitKat versions (Matcha, Wasabi etc.).

What you should know before you start your trip to Japan, are some rules when eating with chopsticks:

  • Never point with the chopsticks at a person or object
  • Do not stick the chopsticks vertically into the rice.
  • Do not play with the chopsticks, like using them as drum sticks.

We hope you’ll enjoy Japan from a culinary point of view. Here you can find more pictures from Japan.

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Train system in Japan

The train system in Japan is enormous. In 2015, the route network connected over 27,311 km. That means you can reach almost every place in the country by train. Japanese trains are almost never late, unless there is a serious problem. For example, when we experienced a fire on the tracks it took only 10 minutes for the problem to be solved. Japanese stations are totally organized, even at rush hour, when thousands of people go to work or back home. At these times, there is additional staff who coordinate the crowds and show to lost tourists (like we were sometimes :) ) the direction.

JAPANESE TRAIN SYSTEM

 

As soon as you arrive at the track, you join the row marked on the ground. At some stations the arrival of the train is announced by a bird sound. First, passengers get off and then you can get on the train. If you have not managed to get on the train then do not worry, the next one will be coming in a few minutes. We have never waited more than 5 minutes. Most stations and subway stations have a free wifi connection and Google Maps makes finding the connections super easy. There are also the apps MetroMan and Visit Tokyo, which can be used as an offline alternative in Tokyo and other big cities.

In addition to the regular trains and JR Lines, there are subways in some cities and, of course, the Shinkansen express trains that connect the major cities within a few hours.

 

How do I know which train is going in which direction?

On the tracks there are signs showing in which direction the trains go. In the train itself, the announcements are usually made in Japanese and English and the number of the station is called, so you can not miss the exit. In addition, the stations are marked with lights showing the exits of the train. If you board the wrong train, just get out and take the next one back. As mentioned above, the trains are coming regularly.

JAPANESE TRAIN SYSTEM

 

Where can I buy tickets?

As a foreign visitor, you can buy a Japan Rail Pass via the Internet before arriving in Japan. The pass is available for 7, 14 or 21 days. The website http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/ offers all the necessary information regarding this subject. You should first calculate whether it is worth it for you or not. In our case it would have been more expensive.

JAPANESE TRAIN SYSTEM

 

Tickets can be bought at the station at the ticket machines, at the ticket windows (Midori No Madoguchi) or on the internet. The handling of the machines is self-explained and available in English. When buying tickets to stations in the immediate vicinity, just look at the board with the route network to see the price (price is always at the respective station for adults and children). Te board always hangs directly over the machine. The Payment is done in cash and the machines also give back notes, if you just just don’t have change at hand.

If you are in the area for a longer time or go regularly with the trains, a Suica Card or Pasmo card is a better option to consider. These prepaid cards are particularly convenient and save time when buying tickets. Instead of inserting the ticket at the light barrier, you put the card on the reader and it deducts the necessary amount automatically.
Tickets can be booked on the same day, but Shinkansen trains are often fully booked, so it is recommended to book long trips in advance.

 

How are the tickets checked?

The tickets are checked both when entering and exiting the tracks. The exit is marked with a light barrier which indicates if you have bought the right ticket. During our 4 week journey, we were only once checked for our ticket on the train, but it happened when we accidentally entered the first-class carriage. The controller was very nice and showed us the way to the right compartment.

Conclusion: train travel in Japan is super light and comfortable, although not always cheap. It is also very entertaining. In the trains or stations, there is a lot to discover. The train system is just another thing that made us understand that Japan is simply a different world.

Would you like to see some pictures of Japan? Click here. 

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Some curious facts about Japan

Japan, land of the rising sun. In this incredible country, we spent 1 month and sometimes we were really surprised how the world runs over there. We have summarized a few interesting facts. Some things are probably new for you too.

Fact #1

The first thing we noticed at the airport was the Japanese toilets. In Japan, the hygiene aspect is very high, therefore you can always find clean toilets.

 

The toilets are not only clean, but they also make you “clean”. Most toilet seats have a bidet with various functions and integrated seat heating, which can be controlled via an operating system. Often you will also find a sink above the water cistern.

These systems are Eco-friendly and the water used to wash your hands will be used in the next rinse. These toilets are “Western-style” toilets. There are also the “Japanese style” WCs, which have only a hole in the floor, but they are still clean and always with the instruction to throw the toilet paper in the toilet and not in the bin.

In addition, there is often a “rinse-sound” button, which should provide more privacy. When leaving public toilets, space remains environmental friendly: there is always only cold water for washing your hands, sometimes soap, but never dry towels, from time to time you will find a hand dryer.

Fact #2

Japan, land of technology and progress ?! Not, when it comes to payments. In Japan, mostly everything is paid in cash,  often there is not even the option to pay by credit card. So while in Japan, make sure you always have enough cash and change with you, as in some buses, for example, drivers can not change. But finding an ATM is not difficult. Most convenience stores (Seven Eleven or Lawson) have an ATM. Moreover, Japan is very safe, so with a lot of cash in your purse, it is not very dangerous. But please do not lose the purse.

Fact #3

The third fact remains technical. The train system in Japan is enormous. You can reach everything by train and Japanese trains are hardly late. Japan has the fastest and most modern trains, so-called Bullettrains, but these are not cheap. As a foreign visitor, you can buy a Rail Pass,  which you can use to get cheap train rides. But you should first calculate whether it is worth doing so. In our case it would have been more expensive. We often took buses that took a long time but were a lot cheaper. Bus connections can be found, for example, at japanbuslines.com, hyperdia.com, willerexpress.com, kosokubus.com (under the last page we always found our connections).

JAPAN TRAIN

 

Within the cities, we have always been traveling with Metro or JR Line. The train system deserves its own article and we have summarized everything for you. You can find the link here.

Fact #4

Japanese are incredibly polite people. So many times people asked to assist or to help us when we were in need. Many Japanese speak English, but even if they do not, they have done everything they could to help or to guide us. Right on our first evening we were invited by strangers to eat with them (here you can find the article about it) and we only have met nice people. We also learned that hardly any critic is expressed in Japan.

Japanese also know how to line up. Very often you can see long queues in front of restaurants or cafes. This does not necessarily mean there is something special going on, it can be that the restaurant is just full. But the Japanese line up without complaining and they will wait patiently for their call.

JAPAN

Fact #5

“Everything is cute in Japan”. No matter where you look, you will be bombarded by bears, kitties or other “cute” creatures. Advertising, clothing, handbags, mobile phone cases, warnings, food, packaging and much more can be found in bright colors or with some imprints. We even saw a Hello Kitty fire extinguisher.

Fact #6

A special feature in Japanese houses is the tatami. It is a mat made of rice straw, usually used in the sleeping area or in the dining room. These traditional rooms are called Washitsu. I personally like this style very much. It is important to never walk with shoes on a tatami floor because it is very sensitive. Generally, it is very inappropriate to enter a house with shoes and this also applies to some restaurants. When you sleep on these tatami floors, a kind of mattress is rolled out, the so-called futons (the Japanese word for blanket) to provide a comfortable bed. At first we were skeptical, but we slept very well in the hostels with tatami beds and also at our host’s place during our Workaway project where we found the same setup.

TATAMI BEDS JAPAN

Fact #7

This curiosity is about a very serious topic. Japan is hit by more than 400 earthquakes every year. You can find many escape routes leading to a safe zone. Just in the month when we were in Japan, there were 35 earthquakes. We did have the feeling that the earth would shake, but we were never really sure.

DISASTER SIGN JAPAN

Fakt #8

In some areas, especially in the countryside, you can find bottles of water in the corners of many houses, garden entrances or around plants. At first, we thought that maybe the water was being delivered here or is provided for dogs, but after some research we realized we were wrong. These bottles serve as a deterrent to animals. Especially against cats or dogs, the light reflection of the water shall fear them away in order to not urinate on the plants or house walls.

Fact #9

The last fact is probably the oddest thing. Our host Rio told us during our Workaway project that Christmas is usually celebrated with the girlfriend or boyfriend. There is no big party and gifts are rarely being given, not even to kids. The food served for Christmas comes from KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). Yes, you read it right, it’s so typical that you even have to make reservations at the fast-food chain to get your fried chicken on Christmas Eve.

Do you want to see some pictures from our journey in Japan? Click here.

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