The ferry to China

28.09.2012

Saturday was the earliest day that I could catch the ferry to China and enjoy my five day holiday from school.

I woke up at 5 and walked down to the bus station. I had to catch a two/three hour bus to Incheon and then hop the ferry for 3:30. I wasn't sure how exactly to get around Incheon, so that's why I went super early. Also, I wanted to beat what might have been a crazy rush to get out of Korea for the week.

When I got there, I promptly took the wrong bus to the wrong ferry terminal. The ferry terminal I went to was about an hour walk from the right ferry terminal. I asked a few people how to find the other terminal (it's close to E Mart so it was easy), but they were all very worried about me walking that far. One man even tried to put me in his car and drive me there himself, because I refused to take a taxi! What? Noooo thank you sir.

Finally I got there and decided to purchase myself a little picnic. I found some apply flavoured soju and some chicken on a stick with sauce. I sat down in a little pagoda thingy and enjoy the silence. While I was munching on my meat on a stick, I noticed an old Korean couple point in my direction. I was hoping that they were pointing at something behind me when they slowly ambled over to my picnic area. Quickly behind them rush about eight more older Korean people. They gingerly laid down a bunch of newspaper and sat on it, breaking out the songpyeok and various other foods that they began to force feed me. They heard that I was travelling alone and were predictably shocked. They told me that they would take care of me and that I shouldn't worry about anything.

I don't know what they might have thought I was worried about, but I soon found out. After we boarded the ferry, they brought me to their room where they kept pouring me soju and beer and giving me various types of dried fish to eat. They said that I should never go out on the deck alone, because Chinese people would rob me and then throw me overboard. They also said that I should sleep in their room, because in my room (which had about 50 bunk beds) there were men who would probably stare at me while I slept.

Uh... OK. So I stayed there until the boat started moving, and then I went up on the deck and watched us leave Korea. I met the only other foreigner there, who was a Swiss guy traveling around for a few months. I told him that he would help me hide from my kidnappers. He agreed. We stood around until it got too cold. On our way in, I found my tormentors. They had been looking "all over" for me. I was in fact, only on the other side of the boat. I didn't even go up any stairs! Chucksong said that he couldn't even EAT he was so worried that someone had already thrown me overboard. So of course, I apologized, (because this is all my fault) and told him that I was tired, and wanted to go sleep in my own bed. Remarkably, they let me collect my backpack and return to my bunk to sleep in peace and quiet, with weird Asian men staring at me or not.

My cubby hole