Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jg]

Hello,

I am thinking of coming to Korea by one of the ferries from China, particularly Shandong province.

Anyone taken the ferry from Qindao or Dalian to Korea? Whats it like? I already have a general idea about the prices and time involved, but am curious about the passenger makeup, and is it a rough journey? Certainly I am not expecting anything approaching luxury but I am curious, it seems like a fun alternative to flying.

Hope to hear from some adventurous spirit out there!!!!

JG

[Seoultrader]

AVOID AVOID AVOID

-unless you're into 24 hours (Tianjin-Incheon in my case, but from what I hear they're all similar in quality/atmosphere) of listening to cackling ajummas, soju-swilling ajussis, never-ending boarding procedures, crap food and utter boredom (hanging out on the promenade deck dodging birdpoop gets old really fast).

I shared a mediocre 2-person "deluxe" cabin (I won't even begin to guess what the bunk bed-class was like) with a friend and we eventually got so drunk that we were able to sleep through the rest of the journey.

I suppose if you're the backpacker/vagrant-type, you'll find the experience "surreal" but for anyone with the least bit of class it'll be a nightmare. Pass the bubbly.

[Tiger Beer]

I took the boat from Incheon to Tianjin..

If you can, go with someone else, it'll make it more fun if you do it..

I was on a big boat, met an assortment of other foreigners.. not many.. but a few.. the few others I saw I got to know fairly quickly..

We had the usual assortment of dancing budweiser-drinking (of all things) ajummas on are boat.. they were having a great time!! dancing to techno and getting drunk.. (that was an experience to see!)..

There was a TV and a Bar.. they were okay.. its not bad if you are with a friend.. if you are alone.. maybe you better bring a few good books..

The cabin that my friend and I had a TV in it.. there was also a vcr and we could rent videos.. this passed some of the time fairly quickly..

There was also a casino on board with about 40 workers standing and waiting.. unfortunately the prices were too high.. the minumum bet was 5000 won for a game of blackjack.. and since there were ZERO patrons in their playing.. whats the point of putting money down and probably having zapped away in one second? so we didn't go in there..

There were meal times.. I recall being completely indifferent to the meals.. in the bar/restaurant you could also order food.. i think the menu was pretty good and somewhat reasonable if i remember right..

The stars were beautiful at night.. great place to be at night.. drinking a beer and listening the boat cut waves into the ocean.. plus whatever conversation you might find yourself get involved in..

[jg]

TB and ST,

Thanks for the replies, well I must say my interest has been sparked!!!! Funny... not just Korea but getting there sparks some wild stories/discussions!

Tiger Beer, how dare you just drop that little "dancing ajummas" line in and not follow up? That sounds thread-worthy in itself! From my readings I had gathered ajummas to be a feared, rude, and dour bunch - Seoultrader called them "cackling" (which invoked some Wizard of Oz images for me)... but beer-swilling rump shakers? Can they cut the rug or what? Or do they bust out with the electric slide, I would pay my weight in gold to see that...

Well, I like to drink, though the novelty of drinking on a boat is actually not much of a novelty at all. A boat full of druken ajummas and "ajossi" - whats that? Sounds like a spicy condiment, but I guess I'm off a bit. I would probably have to do it alone, but I am a sociable sort and I can hold my own anywhere, so who knows...

Seriously TB, I want more! Bust out the elipses... I always dug that... makes me think of thoughtful pauses... probably a natural move for your right pinky now, hmmm?....

jg

[Tiger Beer]

[Zyzyfer]

The Incheon-Tianjin was summed up well by Tiger Beer. You should do it with a friend. I went with a drunk with anxiety attacks and an Irishman, and we watched SUPERTROOPERS during the boat ride, so it wasn't too bad for me.

However, the stretch from Beijing to Tianjin was very, VERY rough going for me, so watch out for that part. It's quite possibly the only time in my life that I've been in a moving vehicle while the engine was being repaired on the fly.

[JustCruizin']

[Pootie]

I've heard it's a decent cheap ride, but you can't just come back the next day as if you were doing an inexpensive run, like I've heard you can't get a boat back for a few weeks...is this true?

[Tiger Beer]

I'm no expert..

But..

I think..

China.. NO

Japan.. YES

(regarding same day trips)