Tianjin Port

After over 2 full days at sea, we arrived in China around 2 pm of the third day. You could sense the proximity to China when, even upon waking and going outside on the morning of the third day, the air and water quality seemed a bit worse. I don't think it was an illusion.


The massive Tianjin Port was so crowded that our ship had to wait in a queue, it seemed. We stalled for a bit, then finally pulled in.


Immigration was a drag. I always get really nervous entering new countries, and this time they took me (and another guy) aside for further questioning. They took my passport to a backroom, which, oddly, we could kind of see from where we were standing, and we could tell that they were scrutinizing our passports, with magnifiers, I guess to authenticate them. But the process lasted for 45 minutes. We were just waiting. Actually, they were very friendly to us, but it was a bit unnerving, what with the beefed up security for the Olympics. I hadn't shaved in a few days and so I realized I must have looked potentially other than innocent. I will definitely shave when possible before entering strange countries from now on.

Japan to China by ship

Our sleeping quarters

We each had a bunk. We shared a room with 2 young American girls. The accommodations were basic but sufficient. Very nice place to take a nap. No window in our central room, plus with the curtains, napping was extensive. The second day of the cruise, especially, when there was absolutely nothing that had to be done, but relax, eat, sleep, sit on the deck, watch the sea, take a bath (hit the sauna), and then drink while watching the ocean. I would most definitely do such a trip again.


P.S. I know Amber wouldn't want this picture to be up, but I needed it. Sorry ね！

Dinner on the Yanjing

This is the view from our little table in the cafeteria on the Yanjing, which ferries between Japan and China. The food was not bad (we thought it was pretty good on the way to China, but on the way back to China, it seemed subpar). The prices, too, seemed amazing -- until after we'd spent time in China. The dishes didn't vary much. It was designed to be Chinese style. You'd get some dishes, your friends would get some, and you'd all share. Every night there was a big group of people at the center banquet tables having a lively dinner and drinking party. The food was sometimes cold, sometimes warm. There were lots of green beans, rice, soups, tofus, pears and watermelon, Japanese and Chinese beers, tea, and mystery meats.

The slow boat to China

The view from the deck. Our first evening, sunrise, after dinner. The sea in Japan is beautiful, dotted with soft little islands rising gracefully above the surface, a friendly green. That's Amber and some mysterious teenage girl who spoke Japanese and silently wrote her diary in Chinese in the smoking section. a 16 year old smoking menthols on the boat to China. Isn't that everyone's dream summer vacation. Taking the ship to China from Japan for 50 hours to visit family. Like a road trip in parallelia.

Kobe, Japan --> Tianjin, China

We (I?) decided to take the ship from Japan to China. Lots of my friends have done it, and it seemed like it would be more interesting than flying. Plus, we weren't pressed for time at all, an it's affordable, so we did it. We took one that goes from Kobe to Tianjin weekly. It takes 48 hours. The ship accommodates about 400 passengers.


It's pretty nice. You can get a private suite, for about $1000 round trip, or get a 4-, 6-, or 10 person room. If you get the cheapest one, you sleep on futons on the floor next to a bunch of strangers. We opted for beds.

One night in Osaka

This is Carp. We stayed with him in Osaka for a night before heading to China. Osaka is awesome. Tokyo people think Osaka people are loud. It's true, they are. Thank God. Tokyo people are often too quiet for me to handle. Sometimes it drives me crazy. Osaka people are far more outgoing.


We stayed with Carp thanks to Couchsurfing.com. He was great. He took us to this festival, the Tenjin or Tenjinbashi Matsuri. It was held in an area of downtown Osaka alongside a river, and there were more stalls than you could shake a stick at -- all kinds of Japanese food, drinks, sweets, games, and a haunted house.