a while ago five

Thank you Shanghai Airlines for the most unpleasant flight I ever had. I certainly will never fly again with you. Still it was the best coffee I ever had on a plane.

My trip to Seoul, Tokyo, Kyoto via Shanghai.
It all began right after work on 22nd with the Shuttle Bus to the train station in Hangzhou and then with the CRV train to 上海南. One night stay in Shanghai in captains hostel…. Didn’t really do lot just walking around a bit…and admiring the pollution in Shanghai compared to Hangzhou.
Early get up next morning 23rd…. subway to maglev station (maglev=Transrapid). First disappointment, the subway ticket I bought the day before to save time wasn’t valid….it can only be used on the day of purchase… whatever….. arriving at maglev station. Second disappointment, during that time the top speed was 300 km/h instead of 430km/h. Yet it was really cool and so fast. It just accelerate to 300km/h quickly and runs and runs….. 30km in 7 min, pretty impressive. Yet the ride was slightly rough. Even though the maglev (made in Germany) was flying (and moving) due to a electromagnetic field, the track made in China was limiting its performance.
Arriving at Pudong International Airport (PVG), good structurized Airport, efficient. The secureity and custom control went easily.
My flight was with Korean Air. I most certainly recommend this Airline.
Arriving at ICN Icheon Airport neat Seoul. One of the two airports near Seoul, mainly used for international flights. Arriving went well, slightly long wait for luggage.
Good information, I took then a bus to Seoul near my hostel for 9000 Won which is about 5EUR. Due to an immense drop of the won’s value end of 2008 Korea was actually a cheap place.
One big problem, which I was also facing in Japan, was that foreign credit card are rarely accepted by ATM’s. So the main source of money had been 7eleven ATMs.
Anyhow before arrival they announced a temperature of -7 C…ahumm, but due to a missing layer of pollution in the atmosphere the sunlight could get to me directly, could warm me, and reveal a clear blue sky. The tasteless air was cold but fresh.
My arrival that day was slightly late and when I got out of the hostel (nice one) it was already dark/getting dark… I walked a bit around near the area…. And later had some foode, where by I was some how pointing on some writing. But from outside I had seen what the have…and it was good. Noodles in soup with shells, as side dish meat with sth, and kimchi (cabbage with spice), very hot. Trying to find a bar later seemed bit difficult, and I wasn’t really successful. Everything is written Korean and it was not possible to look into some places. So I took the subway to Itaewon. Subway system is pretty awesome in Korea, extremely easy to get around, always good directions/ informations. After a bit searching…and following some music I found some bar with American soldiers. In Korea are plenty of them in where I was is an area close to the base in Seoul. So it was really fun. Some American gave me a “Jaegerbar” which is a glass Jaegermeister dropped in a glass of energyjuice and then drunken very fast…. Was ok…. But you barely taste the jaegermeister…. So I guess sth to get drunk for those who don’t like the taste. Later I was drinkin with Ken also a soldier, we had few rounds of Korean beer…… at this point the censorship jumpes in, not the one of some country but mine. No, actually nothing special happend, time passed by, once in a while MP looked in the bar to take care there is no fight and that the soldier behave ok. As the times passed by the subway stopped to operate….on 3am the curfew began for the Americans. As I wasn’t allowed to enter the base, I had to take a taxi back to the hostel. However, I only had a bit money left, which was enough for the subway but certainly not for sth else. Due to the lack of 7elevens around, or any cash machine, the cold temperature of minus, and my condition I decided to take a taxi anyhow and figure out the payment later…… and at some point we could find an 7eleven ATM, and everything was easy going all the time.
On 24th I was supposed to meet with Jiwon (I have known her in Nottingham)….. there is a time difference between China an Korea of one hour, I was aware of that and on the flight I changed the time on my watch. However I never did so with my mobile, which by the way, I use as alarm clock. But luckily the hostel was near the meeting point and I was only slightly late. It also had snowed the night, so I got snow!!!
It was really nice to meet Jiwon again; I haven’t seen her for about 7month. I had a very pleasant day with Jiwon and also Jiwon (Won) a friend of her, who had to leave earlier. I had Korean food with is nicer, but sometimes still spicy. I really enjoyed the time with Jiwon, I thank her for showing me around. An I’m still sorry for being a bit late, and regret that I didn’t had much appetite to eat the food and that I only stayed in Korea so short time. I have seen many places but to remember the name is very difficult
The next day I visited Geumbokkko, and there was still snow…… later I got bit into rush, coz I lost direction and ran out of time… I took again the bus to the airport.
Overall the people in Korea are very friendly, the dress different, and everything felt more western like, but still Asian. The traffic is more like Germany to. There are less people than in China, everyone seems relaxed.
In the evening 25th I had a flight from ICN to NRT Narita airport near Tokyo.
This should end my fantastic, (too) short time in Seoul, Korea.
25th arrival, flight with Korean Air, again ok. Train from Narita to Ueno. The people in Japan a very friendly, and very accurate. I saw this several times….here few examples….they always put away their litter; in the train you could turn the seat, they put back to original; in flight back (yes the crappy one) a Japanese was sitting next to me, on his tablet he put the stuff in a very accurate order after using it.

The flight was very crappy overall. No friendly welcome while boarding. Unfriendly looking faces. I was skipped for service several times. They were unorganized for all the service, so they had to run from one to the other service car several times, to get sth. they needed ages to go trough, for everything, first the drinks, second the food, and the most annoying thing to pick up the litter.
While doing this the also blocked the gangway. So at one point there were nearly 10 passengers including me, the cabin personal and 3 wagons in the gangway…. Such a chaos…..the first time I was worried about an emergency situation, then I’m pretty sure they wounldn’t get out everyone safe ore something near that. Any how….. and while waitin between cars,,, the stewardess asked me to pass her some tablets not even very nice, and she certainly didn’t say thank you….what the fuck, I thought one point…. I am not working for this fucking airline………what the fuck, she was asking me to do her job, and this even in a very improper way… such bullshit…whatever, as said the coffee was the only good thing about it so I just think I bough a cup of coffee for 3469RMB and got a can Asahi beer and a crappy flight for free. …. I hope the Chinese govnmant will allow them to go bankrupt!


Anyhow…Japan, lets get back to the cool interesting parts…. The hostel was, but I know before, kind of a hotel…but it was good, was as expected….to get around in Tokyo was at the beginning a bit difficult. There is the JR (Japanese railway) then Subway (Metro and Toei) with a very mixed grid…. But after a time it was ok. Yet there is always confusion for free….sometimes I walked during and endless seeming transfer at a station and suddenly the sign is gone (also some Koreans in the hostel felt so, I felt relief that’s not only me). Another thing that was supprising me in Tokyo is that all cars were so damn clean, they looked as just washed, but also Busses Lorries…any car…. Quite different what I am used to it over here. Also everyone was respecting common sense traffic rules….as well as stopping a zebra crossing. Also the sky and the air have been clear….. temperature around plus 1-7C
So Tokyo area was nice, but like as in Korea the best time I had with my friend there. One day I met Shoko and we spent the day together, it was much easier to get around. Had Suhsi for lunch and dinner we spent in a Japanese bar. Quite cool, with take shoes off and sit kind of on the floor. The order was over a touch screen, very interesting place which I wouldn’t have found alone.

The Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto was nice, yet not that impressive then I thought it would. The Hostel was pretty cool, as expected…good to meet people too. Kyoto was ok, temple….temple………….anyhow the last day was half raining, and the following day should be travel the whole day………but I took Maglev with 430km/h hahha, but not so impressive as my first ride……..

Anyhow great vacation time!!!!! Thank you a lot!