Boring

Tokyo

Arriving at Narita, I smoothly transferred to the city center by the Narita Express (N'EX) - but not before grabbing a copy of the "TOKYO Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant Guide" distributed for free at the Tourist Information at the airport. From there, I transferred to the highly recommendable hostel CITAN. Highlights were the bar that caters not only to hotel guests but draws business people from the Nihonbashi/Chuo district near Tokyo station/the financial hub and the fact that they rent out laptops for free for guests. Forgetting about must-do's (I even skipped the "New York Bar" from "Lost in Translation"), I treated Tokyo as an open air museum, especially Chuo. There were public phones at every corner and none of the empty seats were occupied with bags. The best: I found that a combination of my two favourite foods makes a common dish: cold noodle soup with added vegetable tempura. The two best ones I found within Tokyo Station (main train station) or should I say did not find again when I wanted to visit them a second time because it is a real labyrinth. For drinks, I did not have to go further than the hostel bar. Next station: Fukuoka ferry port as a starting point for the Korea-bound ferry.

Ferry Fukuoka - Busan

Everything went smoothly again, I bought the ferry ticket at the location but note that the counter closes at 13.30 punctually. The 6-hour ride flew by and I spend my time on deck with some other passengers, among them a few westerners like US army guy. Noodles can be bought at kiosk shops and vending machines and hot water dispensers are available. Arriving at Busan port early in the evening, the procedure at the customs was formal and severe: I had to provide a hotel name and adress (that I proforma looked up earlier on the internet) and was ask if I had reservations. Being as honest as possible (despite or maybe especially with custom authorities) I told them the name and said I did not have reservations. The usual "BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY HAVE FREE ROOMS THEN" ensued like there was never a generation who traveled the world before internet and reservations existed. I kept calm and passed. Looking for the/a hotel, I stumbled upon a location that looked cheap but clean enough and it was. I always enjoy watching Bloomberg channel after a travel day, and this is the only one between some other mass media outlets I can actually bear. Having no korean currency I did not go for diner but dozed away just to wake up in the middle of the night. This gave me an early start the next day to go to the metro station to travel to the intercity bus station 40min away. A currency exchange machine accepted my randomly found 20 Euro notes to WONs. The busan bus station offers some snacks and coffee options but not before I bought the ticket to incheon for the same day/two hours later bus.

Bus Busan - Incheon

I arrived at Incheon bus station early evening and was surprised not to find a hotel nearby. I got a bit nervous as I was unprepared but took my best shot at heading to the actual port of the port city and try my luck there. There was one hotel that had a huge hotel sign on. It was the only one in my price range I discovered by walking around a bit and they gave me a room. I had one and a have day and spent them all in the port part, exploring Incheons China town featuring the famous jajangmyeon (Black Bean noodles) - not veggie in the original version but veg versions can be found. The next morning I ventured for the business district Songdo for a stroll. Internet access can be found provided for free at the tourist information desk at Songdo Central Park Area (Main Branch) at Central Park Station, right next to the Urban History Museum. There are a very high density of interesting little museums but so many options, so little time. I was helped at the tourist information at the train station/metro station as to which bus to take to the Incheon International Ferry Terminal (there are two with a similar name, it is the southern one!) He was very helpful and wrote down the address and to takt bus number 13 which takes about 40min in total. I wanted to buy the ticket in cash with the bus driver but that obviously wasnt an option so he just waved me through. At the ferry port, the trouble started.

Ferry Incheon - Qingdao or so

I wanted to buy a ticket to Qingday with Weidong Ferry Operator but was "told" (= via phone translator) that the ferry is not operational (contrary to what I found on the net). As I wanted to leave that ferry terminal asap, I book a ferry to Yantai instead as a desperate way of going further. To fill out the arrival card for China, you have the option of using pen and paper or doing it online (in advance or on your phone at the port). IN THEORY. No arrival cards available or it was not provided for some reason. Instead, when I mentioned I have no phone, the lady at the desk called the ship to inform them that I will approach them and fill it out there. Once I was on the ship, they approached me and knew already it was me who needed an arrival card out of the 1000 passengers or so (although only 5 westerners at least that I have seen.) https://my.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/fwzc/zytz/202512/t20251203_11765712.htm By the way, the cheapest options don't seem to be available for western tourist which is a tatami filled room for sleeping on the floor. Asking for the cheapest options which was also displayed on a printed table, I got a dorm bed in a four bed floor, upper bed.

Ferry Incheon - Yantai

They questined me wny I have no phone in a maybe slightly reprochable way. I did not want to add additinal suspicion and lied for the first time: I lost my phone in Japan. The reaction was an expected "aaaah ok...looost". The rest went smoothly and the the bed and especially the blanket was one of the most confortable beds I slept in. There was even a shower for the four of us and super clean and even working! It goes on like this: the food was complementary and I tried and finally was successful in telling the responsible food person that I am vegetarian and the provided me with tofu, veggies and rice! In the morning, it was red bean buns and veggies! Delicious! After a really good nights sleep, I woke up at 5.30, took a shower and went down. A staff approached me and asked me if I could say a brief "hello" to the camera. Horrible, but he had gifts (key rings and magnets) and I did not want to be rude! Then he told me a chinese line I had to say which turned out to be the name of the ship! He told me that it is too short and to tell something about myself. Man isn't this the favourite thing I like to hear, especially considering to be landing on some kind of advertising page for I dont know what...

Arriving in YANTAI

Now things start to turn ugly: at Chinese Customs, a almost hysteric "why are you traveling without a mobile phone, you need to buy a mobile phone in China" proved that it most probably was not about a mobile phone but about control. As a next step, my "Lonely planet" guidebook was confiscated because it "contains mistakes" and is a "threat to national security". The mistakes was one double paged map containing Taiwan. This travel guide of 1000 pages was my everything and I almost cried when I was forced to sign that I "agree with the seizure". I left the station and was completely lost in city I could not prepare myself for. I found the train station but the self-service kiosk demanded a Chinese phone number and the queue at the counter was too long. I went to look for a hotel but did not find any. With some help I found the bus station but was "told" by a translater that there are no buses anymore to any bigger city. My last shot was the train counter and I was praying you do no need a mobile phone. I was lucky! to my "one ticket to Qingdao i received a "Passport please" and I that saved me. Otherwise, I probably would have had to turn back to Korea. Nobody, really nobody there spoke English although it was, according to my lost LP, one of the economically fastest growing cities in China. I arrived at Qingdao at night.

Yantai - Qingdao by train

Chinese trains are fast and confortable and Qingdao an upgrade on every level although also, no one speaks English. I hotel was found pretty quickly and indeed a nice one. Breakfast extra but totally worth it with noodles, veggies and buns. Tried to to a bit of sightseeing but it was too hot and I decided to go on and take the next train to Shanghai.

Shanghai

I really appreciated to be in a big city, although, still - no one speaks english. My next quest was to finally find an internet cafe (BTW no one calls them like that anymore and if you do, you will be directed to the next Starbucks with the comment "WIFI in Starkbuck". I then was like "no I need computer" and the tried to lead me to the next computer store. I then went to the starbucks indeed and by a big deal of luck there was a nerd present who told me that the next esport cafe (that is how it is called by millennials) is just around the corner. No english spoken but the coolest keyboards. It was a complicated procedure till we found out how to adjust the browser to english and finally, to my greatest horror, I realized that my mailprovider is blocked in China (I am looking at you, proton). Thank god there is still good old gmx but the problem remained: I could not connect gmx to the 2FA that was connected to proton. no way. Of all the almost-neckbreakers, this was the biggest. I tried to figure something out an find another esports cafe just to have a back up. Every single one I checked upon was abandoned itself, or in an abandoned plaza, or just not there. Crazy!

the oldschool, smartphoneless, like-your-parents-did traveller