Incheon (korea) To 天津 (China)

Incheon (korea) To 天津 (China), originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.

I had a good time on the ferry. It cost 120,000W (200Sing), approximately 170sing cheaper by flight. I never regretted taking the ferry though it takes 25hrs to get to TianJin and another 2hrs or so to Beijing.

Incheon (korea) To 天津 (China), originally uploaded by Jerry Tok.

Well, there are 3 level for passenger to explore. My cabin is on the 3rd. It is communal. But it's fine for me. I don't like to stay in the room. I like to walk around.

Well, you've got everything you need. Communal toilet, restaurant (Chinese and Korean), karaoke, playstation, jackpot, viewing gallery, large screen TV, lounge, Cafe...

Weather was a disappointment. It was mostly cloudy. I couldn't get any good pictures in the day nor can I find a sea of stars at night.

I spend my time writing my stories. I like singing to jay chow songs on my mp3, totally ignoring the fact that others can hear me. I don't care. I think I sounded good. I met 2 Australia guys, one of them I met in a youth hostel in Seoul. The other guys is a student studying in Beijing. He can speak Mandarin.

We arrived at Tanggu International Ferry Terminal at 2030hrs but it took us 2 hrs to get tot eh immigration and clear the custom. I was a little worried about my Visa situation. According the the China Immigration website, Singaporean can enter China WITHOUT a visa for a period of 15days. I told the officer upfront that I don't have a Visa and reminded him that I can enter China without a Visa. He was a little hesitate. I believe I am the first Singaporean he met without a visa. I didn't get a visa because I didn't plan to stay long in China. I wanted to get to Nepal asap. Enough of China for me. By God's grace, he let me thru. I wonder what will happen to me if I overstay.

At the ferry terminal, there is a bus that can bring us to Beijing for 60yuan. By 1am, we arrive at the terminal station. It was besides a university. We stop a cab, ask for direction to the nearest 24hrs MacDonald's. 3 mins in the cab, we saw the familiar M logo. I felt conned. Sigh. this is China.

After our meal, we decided to check into the hostel that was highly recommended by a hostel website. We grab a cab to a place near the hostel. We didn't know the exact address, neither do we have the contact no. We are trying out luck.

Well, we spent 1 hours walking around. Until we found this motel that has an internet access. From there, we are on the right track. By 0300hrs, we were at the counter of Lama Temple youth hostel checking in to our rooms.

When I was brushing my teeth, i saw a familiar Chinese. I was too tired to confirm if we knew each other.