2003-01-21 - 10:43 p.m.

Visa Run to Japan

Saturday, January 18, 2003

10:10 a.m. -- Waiting for the crew to cast off. I'm riding the Beetle 2, a jet-foil boat, powered by a jet engine, with hydrofoils that lift the hull up above the water. It sounds like a jet plane, firing up, and the hydrofoils act like wings to give it lift, thereby reducing drag. It's also just short enough to avoid needing a harbour pilot.

It's a sunny, slightly hazy day, "shirtsleeve weather" is what we call it in Maine. Typically, most passengers are (what I'd call) dressed too warmly. Everyone around me has on long-sleeved shirts, sweaters and down or heavy woolen coats. Well, these are the folks who keep their houses between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit all winter. The funny thing is, in the summer, they'll run the air conditioner on screech and wear sweaters.

We just sped up to 50 kilometers per hour (30 mph) in the outer harbour. Actually, we're accelerating steadily: 76 kph is coming up as we approach the breakwater, with its small red, solar-powered lighthouse. There is also a tall white lighthouse outside the breakwater on a "mountain peak" island that juts up about a kilometer away. The ocean here is deep blue, almost teal, with the sort of chop that is made by a 5 to 6 mile an hour breeze. There's a three to four foot swell running, too.

Ah, we just made the turn to starboard that aims us toward Fukuoka. This 'foil boat leans into the turns, like a motorcycle.

[A break while I experience the ride directly.]

If I should fall asleep, it'll be due to lack of sleep last night. Two hours isn't enough for me.

Small fishing boats are about all there is to see; that and the cargo ships going to and from Pusan. It's too hazy to see the Corean coast clearly.

We got a good view of the mountains on an island briefly. Now, 11:50 a.m., the ship is turning more to port, left, (easterly) toward Hakata Harbour. They slowed her down to 75 kph when she changed the angle at which she was plowing into the swells. The reason I can tell you this is that I'm sitting right in front of the remote digital readout screen of the speedometer.

12:05 -- Just spotted the outermost "haystack" island outside the harbour. The "inflight movie" is a Korean film about a school for young sorcerers fighting an evil wizard. I'm not really following it, but the special effects are great (martial arts and impossible stunts).

13:00 -- About halfway across the harbour from the ferry terminal. It looks even warmer here than in Pusan. The other Beetle went past on its way to Pusan and the kid next to me said, "Wow!: I'm not sure that he realizes we look just like that, a boat on stilts, throwing up a broad fan of spray.

13:15 -- Right on time! 14:00 -- In the terminal -- It took a little longer for Immigration this time. But, 45 minutes isn't bad for at least 250 people going through four Immigration booths, plus Customs inspection. I'm very frank, "I just came to renew my tourist visa." They understand. "My son works in Korea."

I walked for about 20 minutes, but I don't want to get too far from the terminal. It's so warm in the sun on this wooden flight of stairs that I shed my windbreaker. I'm on the west side of "Marine Messe Fukuoka," a large building with an interesting roof that prompts me to think of seagulls landing. I've seen no sign of PC bangs, but may have spotted a sheltered spot, for sleeping.

I asked the Customs officer about any departures this afternoon. He indicated there were none, so I'm here for the night. In fact, the whole Customs and Immigration crew left the terminal within 5 or 10 minutes of processing the last person.

The parking lot behind Marine Messe is a plantation of young ponderosa pines. There's one for every three or four parking places, and a double row lining the sidewalk, which has benches. It looks like a nice place to eat lunch if you work at "MM."

There's a bank of clouds off to the west with cirrus ahead of them, so the sun is getting a bit cooler. I'll go see if there is a hot and cold water dispenser in the ferry terminal. It's time for a late lunch at 3 p.m.

6 p.m. -- Nope, no hot water dispenser, so I won't be having coffee any time soon. The bathroom sink gives only cold water. The terminal is warm and dry, so I'll stay until they close. According to the sign, the restaurant on the third floor is open till 10 p.m. One of the attractive distractions of this terminal is a seemingly unending stream of Broadway show tunes, most of which I can "sing along with" in my head. And they are tastefully orchestrated; it's not Muzak.

Preparations: I just put on my longjohns. I've got 2 spare pairs of pants, but I can put those on over everything, anytime. Also pulled the orthopaedic supports out of my boots to have room for 2 pairs of clean socks. I'm thinking about insulation even though Fukuoka's climate is about like San Francisco or the south coast of Ireland. When I go from here I need to keep an eye out for bus shelters and wide eaves. That late afternoon sky looked like rain.

7 p.m. This puffed rice cereal I'm nibbling is not filling the hole. It seems to take more energy to get a handful that won't dribble on the floor into my mouth than the energy that's in the handful of rice. I've been at it 30 minutes now amd I still feel as hungry as when I started. -- Well, there! A cup of water solved that! I refilled my orange juice bottle with purified water in Pusan at the PC shop and added a little tap water here. The Pusan water tasted better, but it's just the dash of chlorine that spoils the taste in Fukuoka.

Yesterday, I came down from Seoul to Pusan on the "same hour" train, the fastest one, so I got to Pusan in plenty of time, around 2:30 p.m. Took a taxi to the terminal, but both the overnight ferries were sold out! This has never happened before. I can only guess, but there were more than the usual number of vacationing school kids, amateur sports clubs, and "smugglers" mobbing the place. After I found out that I could go on the Beetle for only 3 manwon more, I signed up and paid the price. That seemed the only option open. However, I didn't change any won to yen because I was so close to my financial limit. Now, that seems slightly foolish.

11:10 -- On the quay, near the replica ship "Teiwa." {Just had a mutually incomprehensible, but pleasant conversation with a man about my age on a bicycle. He said, "Samweak," and I said, "Good evening," at the end of it.}

This area is a public promenade, well-lighted and with wooden benches under a canopy. It is paved in brick trimmed with scallop-edged granite tiles for broad terraces leading down to the water's edge. Here there are larg bollards (knobby posts for tieing up ships). About 150 meters away, on the other (west) side of this artificial inlet, gleam the lights of a couple of swanky restaurants and an observation tower. The restaurants are labelled "Bayside Place" and "Hakata Futoh," in green neon letters.

There's a ring around the full moon overhead. The rattles and clanks of ships being loaded come from up the harbour. A girl laughs off to my right. A young man strides by, lost in his own thoughts.

The "Teiwa" is elaborately painted and has carved dragons either side of the bow. The tall bow looks like the stern of a dory, but much bigger. Halfway up, 2 large anchors are lodged, and right above them, an elaorately painted lion's head. The upper decks have many detailed paintings of pastoral and nature scenes on the panelled "guard rails" and pagoda-style roofs overhang the decks. At the very top is something that looks like a stylized carved fruit tree! Maybe it's to disguise the radar?

It's after midnight and I've got to walk and get the blood moving.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Part One~~~~~~~~~~~

More tomorrow......

Thanks for reading.

Happy Trails!

~ Sil in Corea

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