A SLOW BOAT TO CHINA



SHIPMATES on the FERRY    Kobe, Japan to Shanghai, China



A Slow Boat to China: Not just a figure of speech.

We woke up in Kobe, Japan.  
Stayed at the same hotel chain, that I now get the "local members" discount rate. Thanks Taro!

 

This one was a bit smaller than the hotel in Oiso. But 1300 yen cheaper!
We ate another unknown breakfast. I am starting to differentiate between colors, shapes and texture of their foods. 
After piling up my tray with today’s meals I headed for a table. Everything was taken.
My eyes searched amongst the people until one caught my eye.
Bingo, we are in.

 
I motioned to mom from across the room,  I found us two seats!  We hustled over and sat down greeting our breakfast guest a good morning, "Ohio Gozaimas." Which comes natural to me. (over 20 years).

The lady was pleased and began to converse in Japanese at a speed that was incomprehensible to me. 
I understood, she was 61. Had two children. Both married and hasn't seen one in years.
She was amazed that mother and I took the time to make this adventure a true journey.   
She couldn't understand why at my age I wasn’t married, at home with a husband and children. It didn’t take long and she flapped her wings, and said "free" and smiled. 

We laughed and tried to converse with what little words I remembered from my Karate days in school with my "Sensei" and now longtime friend, Aki. 
 After a lot of fun and great conversation which included mother, "Italian Style", we returned to our room to double check our departure time and Yen. We are prepare for our bon voyage on the Jin Shin Zhen Ferry.
                
                             Our 47 hour slow boat to China.

Kobe, Japan

We arrive at the Port Terminal with 45 minutes to spare.
                            

It appeared we were the only passengers there. Perhaps, when it stated check in: 9:30 to 11:30 
Japan checks in at 9:30 :)
By the time we got to the actual check in counter, 3 flights of stairs, 2 elevators, 1 escalator, 15 minutes had past. Again our luggage was weighing us down. I had to put my wrist braces in action as our bags seems to increase in weight from our 8 days in Japan. Mind you, we only have carry on!

We greeted them with smiles and excitement for a ferry boat to China. Something different and down time for mom to relax!

What?? SH*T! How are our tickets 53,000 Yen?
We counted our bills and all our change down to the coins I saved for Carla and Holly. 
All we have is 49,054 Yen.


I looked at mom. She looked at me. This just didn’t make sense.
I saved enough for our tickets and a bit extra for FOOD. 
You know how much we love to feast!
I asked the man behind the counter, "Where is the paper I just gave you that had our amount due?" He ruffled through a few papers,
"No, I don’t see it." 


We need to find an ATM and quick. Time is running out.
This is the only boat to China from Kobe this week.
We now have 15minutes… 
Frantically, I said in an octave or two higher,"ATM! ATM!"  
The Port Authority Personal said" No, no time! 30 minutes away!"
I handed him a $100 dollar bill and a big smiled. As if I unknowingly thought he could exchange it. Again, he shook his head.
He proceeded to look through papers and again he counted my money. 
"AH HA!" He found my reservation and realized I booked 2^nd class.
"Westerners don’t normally book 2^nd class." He said. And he gave us a First Class Room!


  

OUR FIRST CLASS ROOM








UPPER BUNK



     













We all understood now. Another Japanese man standing in our vicinity heard what was going on. He handed us the 4,000 Yen we were short and calculated something on his hand held component.
"$48 doll-are" he said.
We gladly handed him the American money and got our tickets from the man behind the counter.
I thought the buck stopped there. 

But No! Mom said "How will we eat?" 
The man probably thought, "I'm sure you two can feed off yourselves for a few days."

4 oz Coffee $3.56 Plate of Noodles .59

                                   Mess hall Mimi Meal!

How am I going to continue to lose weight at this speed?

mess hall flat rate meal

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER
It didn't take long and beer was our primary liquid at just over $1.00 a can

The man who gave us food money!

The Port man saw mothers terrified face that we may only be eating leftovers in our food bag. Snacks from the 100 Yen shop. 
(Similar to our Dollar Store) and old water bottles that we filled at the last hotel.
You would have thought the $522 Social Security check was her retirement! Little did they know...
Her beautiful smile has done us wonders!


He slid across the counter 5000 Yen plus all our coins.
With a Big smile, said. "No Problem, Have Fun!"


We grabbed our Free First Class upgrade, food money and headed for the ships boarding plank.

Sayonara Japan, Sa-bi-shi-ku-na-ri-mas!

Goodbye Japan. We’ll miss you!

The Medicine Man, Kimmy and Mr. Marajuana

MR. MARAJUANA
An extremely kind man, showed us the safe ropes of the Jin Shin Zhen Ferry and  Shanghai, China.
Upon our arrival, His driver drove us to our downtown hotel.
Thanks Again!

Mom and Mamasan

Mother and Mamasan spoke without the knowledge of each others language.  But when Mr. Marajuana translated a few stories, they realized how much they had in common.
Mamasan respected our journey and reflected on her loss of opportunity with her own children.  When tears, I believe of joy, were in her eyes, mother explained...."Your daughter is your daughter for the rest of your life, Your son is your son until he takes him a wife."



The Medicine Man:

One thing you need to understand when you travel in Asia:

The medicine man took too much medicine :(

Another Shipmate? Hey, this is our room!

                                                                                                       





Some people are aggressive and perhaps perceived as a little pushy. It may also come across as RUDE. Now, that doesn't mean they are! In fact, it is just a way of life. You need to jump on the band wagon or you will be left behind, or you may have wished you were.

This was the case of one of our shipmates who felt embarrassed!

  

As this story goes, the Korean medicine man, is an outgoing, firm and attentive man who meant well. However, there was something  mysterious about black hat man and his modern male-pouch full of oils and herbs.

Out the corner of my eye I saw a man walk past our opened doorway. He glanced over and maybe there was a mili-second of eye contact, I didn't pay much attention. As I turned around and sat down beside the table in our room, Mr. Medicine man came up from behind and grabbed my hand.  He ripped off my wrist brace and started to massage my wrist and arm like a baker kneading dough. Needless to say, Mothers jaw dropped to the floor. I was startled and said "Hello?" No response from the baker. I next asked "Who are you?" and thinking to myself  "Why are you touching me?"  He was rough, and really into it! There was something mystical about this man and I think I liked it. I felt safe enough with mom, mamasan and kimmy present.
The fragrance of the oil helped me relax and accept whatever was going on. And soon, I absorbed the odd pampering I had received. POOF! Mr. Medicine Man was gone as fast as he had appeared. And I my wrist was feeling  better.

We all "sort of" talked and gestured about what just happened. Of course, we knew very little in each others languages and who knows what was said, but we all appeared at ease.

We finished unpacking, purchased a few Kiran Beers from the vending machine. You can get "ANYTHING" out of a vending machine in Japan and China. We got our daily exercise in walking the decks and inspecting our surroundings on the boat. Tired, we climbed into our upper bunks for a "good" night sleep.

I awoke refreshed and ready to go. But, lack of sleep woman, mom, pulled her curtain back and growled, "good flippin morning". I was whispering "Hey, they are sleeping." She jumped off the bed knocking over a few things intentionally making noise. Wow, what happened to mom? Mom told me the whole story.

We came to realize, medicine man was man handling a shipmate in the night!  
I was unconscious and missed everything! (sleeping pills, well, I vowed to not take another one on the trip)
All night they were talking, giggling and whispering and making noise and having you know what!
"Shhhhh" Mom said, it should be like the saying goes."What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!" 

I chuckled and said "What happens on the Jin Shin Zhen goes on the blog!"

Peace says Kimmy after a fun loving but loud night bunking with the "Medicine Man"

Morning stretch & meditation

5 stars...well... okay...But sure tried to treat you like it!

Entering Shanghai

http://www.seat61.com/china.htm 




  
 Flashback Japan/China

E.B.C. aka Everest Base Camp

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES-

OVERLAND TRIP FROM TIBET TO NEPAL

(IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER)

WILD HORSES CROSSING THE "OVERLAND" ROAD AS WE APPROACH THE EVEREST MOUNTAIN RANGE



Tibetan Lifeline River, Brahma Putra

 

Our first glimpse of Mount Everest. (8848 meters) E.T.A. 3 days to E.B.C.

 

With an idiot for a guide, cant remember his real name. We've called him "useless" for too long. Our contact and tour company, (someone Jane at China Yak used :( , cares even less.
Our lives and chance of survival was in our own hands. And my new i phone 4 was back up to call for help.

I contacted my Sahti Bir with a heads up, for concern. Something he doesn't take lightly is altitude sickness which has lead to many deaths. I recall years ago, how a women, carried like a rolled up carpet, quickly descended a  1000 feet of elevation and saved her life.

My Tibetan guide had no experience and would not take me to get oxygen. On the 4th day I emailed Beijing Gary (our INCREDIBLE Great Wall trekking guide and Chongqing Hospital SAVOR!) for guidance and he contacted Jane who called the guide to personally talk with me about my complaint.

With two cylinders of oxygen (Thanks again Gary!) and a large bottle of prescription time release capsules of Diomox (altitude medication we've been taking for several days) we headed towards the top of the world.

If Bir says have Oxygen on hand for mother, I'm gonna have it and I don't care what this 20 something year old boy says. He hasn't taken care of us or even adjusted our tour which we asked to be private to cater to mom.
The agency asked about adding someone to our party.
I said "If they collect social security they are welcome." I guess the agent didn't understand my serious sense of humor and added two young, fresh, health vibrant  people at the last minute.
Jane guaranteed this would be "our" tour. And it wasn't.
This was a simple yes or no answer; now that I look back on it. Clearly it should have been, NO!



Yamdrok Lake 



YAK YAK YAK

I AM ALREADY PLANNING MY NEXT TRIP AND THIS IS THE WAY TO GO! FREEDOM!!!



 



Who are you?  and Why are you here?





 Useless, sat in back with the luggage. Where he belonged. Thank God, mom was looking pretty good and the "old bag" had been forgotten:) Or she may have ended up there too!

As if "useless couldn't count. There wasn't enough seats for all of us and we paid extra to have a "premium" vehicle to take us overland.

I sat "bitch" for most days til the spring or whatever bruised my back and It made it difficult to breath. It felt as if something knocked the wind out of me. I guess at 5 foot they felt I deserved the "space" that lacked any kind of room not just legged room.

I suppose I really shouldn't be a b_ _ _ _  about something I didn't speak up about. But Hey, get a clue!

  


Thousands of hanging Prayer Flags worship the peak along our journey





CAMP....Brrrrrrrrrr...snuggle?



We got a late start this morning. Another "mandatory" permit needed to be purchased. It seemed every town had a fee of its own. I lost track of how many tolls were added along the way. 6-8-10? Anyways, toll fees were like monasteries. There were just too many. Mom couldn't help herself.
(We blamed it on age and/or turrets)
"Oh. goody" she would say with a big smile, "another f''n monastery". I could certainly understand, they were all starting to look the same.

I tried to purchase another ride to E.B.C. I was determined to see the sunset. Once the guide found out what we were doing, we were denied. Alternative motives, a permanent get away, maybe.
Or just wishful thinking:)
By the time the "group" saw another (F'n) monastery,  mid-day had past.
Now, it was clear, that mom and I were not going to see the sunset at E.B.C. :(

The local women helped us out when we broke down on the road.

When we broke down on our final approach to the top of the mountain, I thought, "Huh, What the hell did I get mom into now." Mom, she just rolled her eyes back and took another puff of oxygen.

''Useless", well he was useless. But the driver, he could take care of business. He opened the back hatch, Grabbed a bag of stuff and tried to rig the steering column and/or a belt  of the vehicle. (Scary)

It didn't make any sense and he didn't speak English, French, German or Spanish so none of us could understand.

But in the end, we were on the road again and boy was I ready to get "the hell on".



We arrived at the destination of a new nights sleep near EBC. The Rogue Monastery. The folded blankets appeared sufficient. We each grabbed a bed and prepare for a nights sleep. It was a sturdy stone-made one-storey dorm. The chill in the room was intensified by the stone walls, ceiling and floor. Or was it us?

The room was tense at this point but bearable. The conflict of whether or not we were going to make it here to EBC for the sunset (which we missed), sunrise and base camp had been in question.

Why did Jane add people to the private sunset to sunrise tour to E.B.C., if they didn't want to spend the night at EBC?

I couldn't understand and was pissed that we were even in this situation.

Private, Private, Private is like Location, Location, Location.




A good nights sleep at the Rogue Monastery...and an even better sunrise view!


After freezing my ass off (at my own will) and mom panting most of the night with O2 in hand (again, at my own will); we awoke the next morning to the monks gonging session "the sun is rising".

It was music to my hears!

I was so excited to see Mount Everest and the sun glistening off the peak that I couldn't get up and out fast enough.
Nobody else moved. But I didn't bat an eye. I knew everyone was worn out, physically and mentally.

I woke mom and we headed off to search for the bathroom hole.

As I stumbled down the dark corridor searching for the main entrance to exit the dorm and skip off to see the sunrise, our vehicle mate approached me looking for "Useless".
I didn't know which room he had spent the night and inquired what she needed? Apparently, Lionel, her boyfriend, was ill and had Altitude Sickness!
I though to myself, "Useless, Why the hell would you want him?"
He'd probably kill him off and sell his lean meat as food. I told her to forget about useless and grab the O2 cylinder I purchased for mother. (I had two)

30 minutes later, Lionel turned over a new leaf and the young stud was ready to see the mountain.

I reiterated with Useless, Altitude sickness can strike anyone! And as a guide, he should be prepared. (O2)

And we were off to the Top of the World...to set foot on Mount Everest Base Camp!

After going through inspection at E.B.C we hiked to the top of the mound for an outstanding view.
  

Peace from E.B.C

We made it to E.B.C.!!! Mount Everest in the background!!!

Frozen-Us & the phone, we managed to call Dad to say

"We made it to the top of the world (e.b.c.) & we love u!"



Laying on the ground, I rolled over and took a photo shoot



The Beautiful Himalayan Range is dwarfed by the vastness of the Tibetan Plateau

 On our descending route, we drank fresh water from the Tibetan Spring. Thanks to "useless" who hiked down the rocks and filled all of our water bottles!

YAK ITY--DOO-DAH, YAK ITY-AYE, MY OH MY, WHAT A WONDERFUL DAY!

  
 Other places we enjoyed along the "overland"

Mom wearing her Lhasa bought coat (XXXL) because they are so petite! Shigatse,Tibet.



With limited time, we quickly walked to see the "worlds" largest Budda.
(everyone we have met in Asia claims they have the worlds ______ Budda!)
largest, most expensive, oldest, most worshipped, tallest, most preserved, goldest
and the list goes on... 

 Mom and I spent part of the morning inspecting the new infrastructure developing within the community.
The Tibetans are pleased and I enjoyed learning a few short cuts that are acceptable in this part of the world. 
 

INSTALLING A NEW SEWER LINE YEAH!

 
 

CONCRETE MIXER



 

MINGLING WITH THE GUYS AT WORK

  

HOLDING TANK





We shopped with the local ladies and picked up a few precious stones, I mean fossils.

Gorgeous!(One of my top 5 buys)

Soaring through the Plateu

 

  


Known as a "yung drung" in ancient Tibet, this is a graphical representation of eternity.    

 



And before the story could end with "Useless",

My Dear Friend Bir and his brother Sujan came to China to make sure we would stay in good health!



We Loved Tibet, but we are ready for Bir. and Beer too!