Check-in for the ferry began at 3:30, which didn’t leave me any time to explore Weihai. I took a run in a park and spent the morning on my computer in the hostel common room. After checking out at noon and making sure my electronics were fully charged, I decided to walk over to a well rated Sichuan restaurant in a mall, from where I could easily catch the bus to the International Port. However, I took a wrong turn and found myself in Weihai’s “Happy Korea Village” and I stopped at a vegetarian buffet for lunch. I need to write a post about buffets and this was certainly something unique.
The process of actually picking up my ticket, going through security, going through Immigration and Customs, and boarding the vessel were all straight forward, except the slow pace of it all. Boarding is between 3:30 and 4:30, but the ship did not push off until about 8 pm. The Korean-operated ferry far exceeded my expectations. Even the economy class fare put me in a very comfortable 8-bed dorm, where each bunk had privacy curtains. The ship had a restaurant, karaoke rooms, a duty-free store, a cafe, and a convenience store. I also wasn’t expecting the showers and a (free!) laundry room. The ship was also well-heated.
I stuck to coffee and water, though it seemed like everyone else on the ship (I estimated a 20-80 split of Chinese-to-Korean and an average age in the 60s. I was the only white face on the boat) started breaking out the beer, soju, and baijiu. It turned into quite a party, but I kept my head down. I was so full after lunch, I made do with a bowl of Korean instant ramen from the convenience store.
In the morning, it felt like forever before we berthed. The ship had to pass through a lock to get into the inner harbor. I was expecting some questions from Korean immigration (i.e. “What’s your job? When are you leaving?”), but they stamped me through so quickly, they didn’t even mark an exit date in my passport. I assume that means I can stay forever.
| Vegetarian Buffet Lunch | 20 RMB |
| Bus Fare | 1 RMB |
| Kimchi Ramen | 1,500 Won (9.08 RMB) |
| Total: | 30 RMB (USD 4.48) |
Running Total: 1139.5 RMB (USD 169.7)
Daily Average: 569.75 RMB (USD 84.9)