August 13, 2024 • 11 mins
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN TODAY With my friend Bethany Manchester from Cruise and Tour. We're going to go deep into some of the stuff we're going to do on the next Mandy Connell Adventure, which you can find more about by clicking here. Call Cruise and Tour TODAY at 800-383-3131 if you want to go on this trip with me, Chuck and the Q. Bethany joins me at 2:30.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
One of my favorite people from cruise and Tour join me.
(00:02):
She is Bethany, Manchester. She is in terge of all
kinds of stuff, but she's also been everywhere. Is there
anywhere you haven't been that you're ready to travel to Bethany?
Because you've been in the travel industry for how long?
Like a long time?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Been in the travel industry just about twenty years without disclosing.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
My age started when you were tek.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Some of the destinations that are kind of on my
hit list are definitely exotics. Madagascar is on there, Mongolia
is really up there for me. But just one that's
a little closer to home is definitely the Dua River
in Portugal, which is on my hit list hopefully for
the next next year.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hofully, Portugal is definitely on my list. And then what's
that little island that's right off Portugal the Oh shoot,
I'm the Azores. That's it. I want to do Portugal
and the Azores all on one trip. We're not talking
about that today. We are talking about Japan, which is
our next Mandy Connell adventure, which is going to be incredible.
(01:00):
I have only been to Japan once when I was
a flight attendant and I went and laid over in
Ri to Tokyo and did not have any sort of
cultural experiences. So this trip that we're planning, what kind
of cultural stuff are we going to be doing? Because
this culture goes back thousands and thousands of years.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yes, Japan is one of the oldest civilizations that has.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
A beautiful and very diverse history.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And one of the best things about going to a
country that has this much history and.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Civilization is linking back to their culture.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
And what's so beautiful is that Japan is very modern
thinking as far as technology and ways to kind of
make things work that.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Are very sensible that the rest of the world looks
at in awe as being very modern, but.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Everything always connects back to your tradition and history, to
their core values.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
So they're kind of.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Known as the Yin and yinyin yang society and the
land of contrast because of that. So things like UNESCO
sites the country has currently twenty one with eight pending,
which hopefully should come through for twenty twenty five for
when all of you visit along your way. And it's
(02:19):
also known for the eighty thousand temples, in which most
of them date back almost one thousand years.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
And see that's the fast So that's the fascinating part
about for me because the first time I remember the
first time I went to Europe and I stood in
a church that had been built in seven hundred, right,
so we as Americans, that's ancient, that's ancient. Then I
had the chance to go to Greece and see that
level of ancient. I thought, well, Europe is they're like
a baby country and we're a baby country. But then
(02:45):
Japan is truly an ancient culture. They've been around for
how many years? I mean, like how far does this
history go back?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
The history goes back to the second century. Really, that's
dating back. So yeah, it's a huge history.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
So for example, many people think of Japan, they instantly
think of the Japanese gardens, which have a great little
mixture that all of them have to have stone, water
and plants. They're very minimalized, very natural kind of bringing
a setting of like reflection and meditation. Those gardens actually
date back to the fourth century that all the imperial
(03:25):
palaces would have them, and they're still building them today
in this with the same foundation of stones, water and plants.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
So the Japanese gardens, are we going to be visiting
any gardens that are truly ancient in origin. Obviously plants
come and go, but that would be super cool.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
There are many choices for short excurgeons throughout so some
of the Japanese gardens there, and I suggest visiting more
than one of them, because as your cruise is coming
down you start off.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
The first couple of.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Ports are very rural areas compared to the massive cities
that most people think of when they think of.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Japan, such as Tokyo and Kyoto. Because the country has over.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Six thousand islands, Oh wow, as well as three fourths
of the entire country is forest.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Holy cow?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
How big?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
What do most people?
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I have this vision of Japan as being very small?
So is it small or I just have this warped
view of how big it is?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Well, it is small as far as the areas that
are actually populated, because they they're very They have a
very large population, but in a very small area, because
they're only actually populating and living within about a fourth
of the country.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Somebody just said, enjoy the fancy toilets in Japan. Is
this something I need to worry about? The toilets in Japan?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
No, you're going to love them. Wait, what makes them?
They're smart?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
They're warm, smart, warm toilets. That's a reason to go
on vacation with us. Now, what is your favorite part
of Japan? What you've been several times? Have you done
this trip before?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I haven't done this trip with celebrity, unfortunately, but it
is a great one.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
The way that it's put together, it's a toss up.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I do like big cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, and
what's so great about both of them again going back
to that modern thinking, but going back to their roots,
is you're going to find ancient temples and tombs and
ruins that date back right next to or built around
modern buildings that were built in the last ten years.
(05:36):
And they really get the modern buildings and the old
architecture to really compliment and embrace each other. So that's
kind of why I generate to larger cities, and I
generally don't. I usually stay more in rural areas. But
I did leave a piece of my heart behind when
I was in Hiroshima. Twenty twenty five is actually eightieth
(05:58):
anniversary the first attime bomb. But what really generated with
me was peace park Yep because now, Harokshima, the locals
don't view it as what happened back eighty years ago.
They're actually viewing it as a beacon of peace, and
it prides itself on the natural beauty and the regrowth
(06:20):
and the new life that has actually come up since then.
And it was actually just a beautiful way not only
for the memorial to remember those who lost their lives
and what happened there that day, but more importantly how
they viewed, how they handled it, and how they evolved,
and how everyone became better.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
People because of it.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
You know what's interesting is We're going to a wedding
in Albuquerque right before we go to Japan next year,
and I'm going to go to the Nuclear Science Museum
in Albuquerque and learn about the bomb from that perspective,
and then go to Nagasaki and Heroshima to learn about
the bomb from that their perspective. And personally, that's one
of the things I'm looking the most forward to is
(06:59):
to seeing how these cities have responded and reinvigorated from
what happened eighty years ago. I mean, I think that
we have a perception as Americans that everything was flattened
and nothing has been rebuilt. But obviously that's not accurate.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
No, Japan has done an amazing job. I mean obviously
during World War Two, Kyoto and Tokyo are also hit
and devastated as well, and they've completely rebuilt. And again
you'll really see it as you're even if you just
stroll the streets in the city and all of a
sudden you see this pile of what you think is ruins,
and then as you're walking up to it, you see
(07:38):
how they made a historic piece of art and architecture
that was there previously, and how they made it into
a modern building that the framework.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
It's actually quite beautiful.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
How they they took a devastated situation and really turned
it around. And that's a piece of what Japan has
that I don't think any other country even comes close to.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So I want to ask you what is or what
is the What would you say to someone who who
hasn't thought about traveling in Japan? What's the upside here?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Why do it?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
The upside is it really is jaw dropping in very
unique ways.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I know one of our listeners was just talking about the.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Heated smart toilets, and it's all about the little things
for me in Japan. So, for example, the first time
that I went, I was very intimidated. I was young,
going there by myself. I jump into a taxi cab.
The service was incredible, having conversations back and forth as
I'm a riding to the hotel. He reached back with
(08:40):
his white glove, White glove service on a basic taxi.
As you get out of the vehicle, he noticed it
was raining, ran around the cab, made sure that I
didn't get what with the umbrella. These types of simple
things that I think were more alive in our culture
one hundred years ago. It's their heartbeat of what Japan is.
(09:01):
They are so warm and welcoming kind. The safety in
the country then one of the safest countries in the world.
You can fall asleep on one of their trains, or
on a park bench or one of the Japanese gardens
as you're sitting there doing your meditation.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
And you'll wake up your wallet, your purse, every thing
will still be there. Hopefully I don't sleep too long
and the boat leaves without you.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
However, Yeah, that was one of the was that shocking
for you as a Philly girl to see how safe
everything was and you know that you could fall asleep
and not get.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Robbed, not get robbed, so very very low crime rate
and is also impeccably clean. And it is an understatement
that you can eat off of the streets in.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Japan in every major city.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
They really take pride in their environment, their city, and
their country. You'll never find people littering, you won't find
people eating on the streets.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
It is immaculate.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Well, I talked with Doug earlier and he said, hey, Mandy,
because they booked the state. The travel company books different
parts of the trip in different chunks, and they just
got a screaming good deal on airfare. So I think
there's going to be a little bit of a price
adjustment down and everybody who's already signed up is going
to get that. But if they're working on that now,
(10:18):
so I'm super excited about that. This texter just said
there is no downside to Japan. If you want to
go with us, you've got to go and sign up,
Go to Mandyconnell trip dot com, or just call Cruise
intour because they can answer all of the questions. One
thing I did, and I don't know if you know
the answer to this. We have a lot of people
that want to go as singles, and I keep getting
emails saying, you know, can I go by myself? What's
(10:40):
the situation with that, Bethany.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Well, we are working on that now.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I was just talking to Megan and our team inside
the office and we do have a couple that should
be coming in in the next day or so.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Oh, excell So we are. We are increasing that a lotment.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Okay, So call one eight hundred and three eight three
thirty one thirty one to get on that list, especially
if you want to travel as a single.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Ethany.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Good to see you, my friend, hope I see you
again very very soon.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Same to thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
All right.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
That's Bethany Manchester with Cruise and Tour
One of my favorite people from cruise and Tour join me.
(00:02):
She is Bethany, Manchester. She is in terge of all
kinds of stuff, but she's also been everywhere. Is there
anywhere you haven't been that you're ready to travel to Bethany?
Because you've been in the travel industry for how long?
Like a long time?
Speaker 2 (00:17):
Been in the travel industry just about twenty years without disclosing.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
My age started when you were tek.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
Some of the destinations that are kind of on my
hit list are definitely exotics. Madagascar is on there, Mongolia
is really up there for me. But just one that's
a little closer to home is definitely the Dua River
in Portugal, which is on my hit list hopefully for
the next next year.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Hofully, Portugal is definitely on my list. And then what's
that little island that's right off Portugal the Oh shoot,
I'm the Azores. That's it. I want to do Portugal
and the Azores all on one trip. We're not talking
about that today. We are talking about Japan, which is
our next Mandy Connell adventure, which is going to be incredible.
(01:00):
I have only been to Japan once when I was
a flight attendant and I went and laid over in
Ri to Tokyo and did not have any sort of
cultural experiences. So this trip that we're planning, what kind
of cultural stuff are we going to be doing? Because
this culture goes back thousands and thousands of years.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yes, Japan is one of the oldest civilizations that has.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
A beautiful and very diverse history.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
And one of the best things about going to a
country that has this much history and.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Civilization is linking back to their culture.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
And what's so beautiful is that Japan is very modern
thinking as far as technology and ways to kind of
make things work that.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Are very sensible that the rest of the world looks
at in awe as being very modern, but.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Everything always connects back to your tradition and history, to
their core values.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
So they're kind of.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Known as the Yin and yinyin yang society and the
land of contrast because of that. So things like UNESCO
sites the country has currently twenty one with eight pending,
which hopefully should come through for twenty twenty five for
when all of you visit along your way. And it's
(02:19):
also known for the eighty thousand temples, in which most
of them date back almost one thousand years.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
And see that's the fast So that's the fascinating part
about for me because the first time I remember the
first time I went to Europe and I stood in
a church that had been built in seven hundred, right,
so we as Americans, that's ancient, that's ancient. Then I
had the chance to go to Greece and see that
level of ancient. I thought, well, Europe is they're like
a baby country and we're a baby country. But then
(02:45):
Japan is truly an ancient culture. They've been around for
how many years? I mean, like how far does this
history go back?
Speaker 3 (02:55):
The history goes back to the second century. Really, that's
dating back. So yeah, it's a huge history.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
So for example, many people think of Japan, they instantly
think of the Japanese gardens, which have a great little
mixture that all of them have to have stone, water
and plants. They're very minimalized, very natural kind of bringing
a setting of like reflection and meditation. Those gardens actually
date back to the fourth century that all the imperial
(03:25):
palaces would have them, and they're still building them today
in this with the same foundation of stones, water and plants.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
So the Japanese gardens, are we going to be visiting
any gardens that are truly ancient in origin. Obviously plants
come and go, but that would be super cool.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
There are many choices for short excurgeons throughout so some
of the Japanese gardens there, and I suggest visiting more
than one of them, because as your cruise is coming
down you start off.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
The first couple of.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Ports are very rural areas compared to the massive cities
that most people think of when they think of.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
Japan, such as Tokyo and Kyoto. Because the country has over.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Six thousand islands, Oh wow, as well as three fourths
of the entire country is forest.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
Holy cow?
Speaker 2 (04:14):
How big?
Speaker 3 (04:14):
What do most people?
Speaker 1 (04:16):
I have this vision of Japan as being very small?
So is it small or I just have this warped
view of how big it is?
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Well, it is small as far as the areas that
are actually populated, because they they're very They have a
very large population, but in a very small area, because
they're only actually populating and living within about a fourth
of the country.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Oh wow.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
Somebody just said, enjoy the fancy toilets in Japan. Is
this something I need to worry about? The toilets in Japan?
Speaker 3 (04:46):
No, you're going to love them. Wait, what makes them?
They're smart?
Speaker 1 (04:50):
They're warm, smart, warm toilets. That's a reason to go
on vacation with us. Now, what is your favorite part
of Japan? What you've been several times? Have you done
this trip before?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I haven't done this trip with celebrity, unfortunately, but it
is a great one.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
The way that it's put together, it's a toss up.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I do like big cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, and
what's so great about both of them again going back
to that modern thinking, but going back to their roots,
is you're going to find ancient temples and tombs and
ruins that date back right next to or built around
modern buildings that were built in the last ten years.
(05:36):
And they really get the modern buildings and the old
architecture to really compliment and embrace each other. So that's
kind of why I generate to larger cities, and I
generally don't. I usually stay more in rural areas. But
I did leave a piece of my heart behind when
I was in Hiroshima. Twenty twenty five is actually eightieth
(05:58):
anniversary the first attime bomb. But what really generated with
me was peace park Yep because now, Harokshima, the locals
don't view it as what happened back eighty years ago.
They're actually viewing it as a beacon of peace, and
it prides itself on the natural beauty and the regrowth
(06:20):
and the new life that has actually come up since then.
And it was actually just a beautiful way not only
for the memorial to remember those who lost their lives
and what happened there that day, but more importantly how
they viewed, how they handled it, and how they evolved,
and how everyone became better.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
People because of it.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
You know what's interesting is We're going to a wedding
in Albuquerque right before we go to Japan next year,
and I'm going to go to the Nuclear Science Museum
in Albuquerque and learn about the bomb from that perspective,
and then go to Nagasaki and Heroshima to learn about
the bomb from that their perspective. And personally, that's one
of the things I'm looking the most forward to is
(06:59):
to seeing how these cities have responded and reinvigorated from
what happened eighty years ago. I mean, I think that
we have a perception as Americans that everything was flattened
and nothing has been rebuilt. But obviously that's not accurate.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
No, Japan has done an amazing job. I mean obviously
during World War Two, Kyoto and Tokyo are also hit
and devastated as well, and they've completely rebuilt. And again
you'll really see it as you're even if you just
stroll the streets in the city and all of a
sudden you see this pile of what you think is ruins,
and then as you're walking up to it, you see
(07:38):
how they made a historic piece of art and architecture
that was there previously, and how they made it into
a modern building that the framework.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
It's actually quite beautiful.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
How they they took a devastated situation and really turned
it around. And that's a piece of what Japan has
that I don't think any other country even comes close to.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So I want to ask you what is or what
is the What would you say to someone who who
hasn't thought about traveling in Japan? What's the upside here?
Speaker 3 (08:07):
Why do it?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
The upside is it really is jaw dropping in very
unique ways.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I know one of our listeners was just talking about the.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Heated smart toilets, and it's all about the little things
for me in Japan. So, for example, the first time
that I went, I was very intimidated. I was young,
going there by myself. I jump into a taxi cab.
The service was incredible, having conversations back and forth as
I'm a riding to the hotel. He reached back with
(08:40):
his white glove, White glove service on a basic taxi.
As you get out of the vehicle, he noticed it
was raining, ran around the cab, made sure that I
didn't get what with the umbrella. These types of simple
things that I think were more alive in our culture
one hundred years ago. It's their heartbeat of what Japan is.
(09:01):
They are so warm and welcoming kind. The safety in
the country then one of the safest countries in the world.
You can fall asleep on one of their trains, or
on a park bench or one of the Japanese gardens
as you're sitting there doing your meditation.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
And you'll wake up your wallet, your purse, every thing
will still be there. Hopefully I don't sleep too long
and the boat leaves without you.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
However, Yeah, that was one of the was that shocking
for you as a Philly girl to see how safe
everything was and you know that you could fall asleep
and not get.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Robbed, not get robbed, so very very low crime rate
and is also impeccably clean. And it is an understatement
that you can eat off of the streets in.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Japan in every major city.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
They really take pride in their environment, their city, and
their country. You'll never find people littering, you won't find
people eating on the streets.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
It is immaculate.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Well, I talked with Doug earlier and he said, hey, Mandy,
because they booked the state. The travel company books different
parts of the trip in different chunks, and they just
got a screaming good deal on airfare. So I think
there's going to be a little bit of a price
adjustment down and everybody who's already signed up is going
to get that. But if they're working on that now,
(10:18):
so I'm super excited about that. This texter just said
there is no downside to Japan. If you want to
go with us, you've got to go and sign up,
Go to Mandyconnell trip dot com, or just call Cruise
intour because they can answer all of the questions. One
thing I did, and I don't know if you know
the answer to this. We have a lot of people
that want to go as singles, and I keep getting
emails saying, you know, can I go by myself? What's
(10:40):
the situation with that, Bethany.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Well, we are working on that now.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I was just talking to Megan and our team inside
the office and we do have a couple that should
be coming in in the next day or so.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
Oh, excell So we are. We are increasing that a lotment.
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Okay, So call one eight hundred and three eight three
thirty one thirty one to get on that list, especially
if you want to travel as a single.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Ethany.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
Good to see you, my friend, hope I see you
again very very soon.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Same to thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
All right.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
That's Bethany Manchester with Cruise and Tour
The Mandy Connell Podcast News
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