It’s no surprise that dried fish in all its forms is prevalent in much Korean cooking. Other than fish, pork seems to be the main source of meat. In case you are wondering, there is dog here to be eaten, but it does not seem to be a featured ingredient in every day restaurants. I did actually see a man selling dogs, kept in small cages on the back of his truck. To me meat is meat, but I have to say I felt sadder to see this than I thought that I would.

Our mid morning snack consisted of the phenomena that is the Korean “Pizza”. It’s not a pizza in the Western sense, but a fried buckwheat pancake containing kim chi and other vegetables. Explaining the process of making kim chi would take some time, but it’s basically the most important ingredient in Korean cooking, a fermented vegetable in a spicy sauce.

Time for a Korean BBQ for lunch. This consists of three different cuts of pork, self cooked and assembled at the table with the usual range of side dishes – lots of lettuce, chilli and garlic. It’s all to soon time to head down the the ferry terminal in the port.

It’s here that I have to say a sad farewell to the amazing Mr Taegeun Kim. He is heading off to his family having been on the road in Europe for over three months. I gave him my lucky Russian Railways pocket watch as a momento of his Trans-Siberian journey. It’s brought me nothing but good fortune, so I hope it brings him good luck to. Time to head back up the gang plank of the Eastern Dream..

Probably just as well I didn’t look at the shipping forecast. Although it’s a nice day in port, it’s immediately clear that the ship is going to be rolling badly tonight. The crew issue a warning (even in English) about walking around the ferry without holding on to something, and advise against going out on deck due to the high wind and waves. Fortunately before we sailed I have taken a quick inventory of the lifeboats and found the best looking one to head for in the event of an emergency – deck 3, port side..

I debate weather eating anything is a good idea given the sea conditions, but decide it’s better to have something to throw up if it comes to it, so I treat myself to a final Korean “pizza” in the bar. Apart from a few shouty people (I can’t work out why, they don’t seem drunk, just very loud) most of the passengers are pretty friendly. My journey is a real icebreaker and I’m soon enjoying a few farewell to Korea toasts of Makguli.

My last night at sea isn’t a good one. I contemplated changing the title of this post to “The Cruel Sea” but that would be over dramatic. The problem is part sea and part cabin, so a better description would be “The Cruel Cabin”. I should point out that it’s not the occupants who are cruel, they are all super well behaved. The problem is there is no ventilation, the temperature feels like the Congo, and the cabin moves badly in the roll and the swell. The ship has no stabilisation and a small sea is all that is needed to recreate something more epic in room 1203. At one point I throw my cards in and go to find a public space to sleep in but this has other problems – an icy wind from the gale, shouty passengers and poor security. The night is a long one and I almost get no sleep at all. It’s the last thing I need, as I have to be at my train best for the logistics of the day ahead.

The next morning our problem was where to leave our luggage whilst exploring Donghae. What would you do if there was no left luggage service in a town you were travelling in? Well the solution here was to leave it at a police station. Yes that’s right, a police station.. Feeling vaguely guilty of some recent train based window opening offences, I sheepishly stepped inside the local cop shop. I need not have worried though as we were met by two very helpful officers who took personal responsibility for our luggage. They were packing automatic 9mm pistols, but seemed far to nice to ever draw them. Good to know that my suitcase was well protected though.

Taegeun served his conscription time in the police, and I didn’t ask if there was a secret handshake. Nonetheless this is a world away from interacting with the police in Russia, where any meeting might involve a big problem for you.

The Eastern Dream is breaking with its usual schedule and stoping here overnight. I’m guessing this is to let the crew have a night off for New Year. I have booked to stay in a hotel that is an hour away from the port. It’s famous in Korea for its view of the sunrise each day, and I’m staying here for the biggest sunrise of the year – bringing in the New Year. Oh, and yes it’s also a ship, built on a cliff. The problem with my plan is that it’s not a unique one. There are in fact over a million South Koreans who have a plan that goes as follows – (1) drive to Jeongdongjin (2) find a hotel (3) find a restaurant (4) get stuck in a huge traffic jam after sunrise (5) drive home.

My secret weapon is of course Taegeun, so I get there with the minimum of fuss. He is in fact so keen to ensure I enjoy my trip in his country that he has decided to travel with me. He isn’t worried about where he ends up sleeping for the night and explains that it’s quite normal to just end up on a mat on the floor of the hotel sauna for a small fee. I’m touched by his kindness and resolve.

I now have to reveal to you a secret plan for this side trip. In 1996 a North Korean submarine sailed into Donghae port in a suspected defection attempt, with all but one of the crew mysteriously killed. It is now possible to visit this submarine. Amazingly, it is on display in a South Korean military “theme park” just 7 km from my hotel. This would normally take just 15 minutes in a taxi, but on the 1st January the estimate is over three hours due to horrendous traffic. It’s rum news having come this far, but I shall have to return again to visit it on a more sensible date.

Having just got off a ship, checking back into one on dry land plays tricks with the mind. The hotel even goes as far as to play the sound of waves and sea birds in its grounds to complete the effect. The check in staff laugh at us, and I discover that this is because they are amazed to hear that we have come here overland from Moscow.

I don’t have much time to dwell though, as its time for some local sushi before the other million visitors to Jeongdongjin have the same idea.

It’s not a meal for you if you don’t like lots of slightly strange fish based things. I seem to pass the initiation test by managing to consume a complete raw green chilli and a clove of garlic with my raw octopus. The owner acknowledges my achievement – my palate is determined to be almost Korean.

The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere with lots of families enjoying a New Year feast. The Korean children don’t know what to make of me. They come over to stare at me with incredulous eyes and their mouths wide open.

After dinner on the streets of Jeongdongjin it’s quite lively – this is a lovely Korean beach town with loads of places to eat and drink. I’m amazed to see that for New Year it’s possible to buy huge fireworks by the armful from street vendors. Their are piles and piles of three foot long Roman candles. This could get messy later on..

I finish up back at my hotel which has a very 1980’s revolving bar on the 9th floor. It’s a nice to people watch. Mainly Koreans and Chinese here tonight, and certainly no one from Europe. The staff are really kind even though they speak very little English. An unexpected pleasure of the revolving motion of the bar is that the Phillipino man playing the piano rather badly gradually rotates further away from my table..

New Year goes off with a bang, and then it’s time to enjoy a good nights sleep in a real bed without tannoy announcements, screaming children, drunk Russians or a sea swell. That is until the compulsory and non cancelable telephone alarm call for sunrise wakes me at 07.28.

It’s not an uncomfortable boat to be a passenger on, but the accommodation is rather spartan and hugely expensive. My bunk is in a room shared with seven other Russians (they seem to segregate nationalities) at a cost of $350 USD. Most people are in dormitory rooms of 30 or so, some in bunks, some sleeping on mats on the floor. If you want an en suite cabin it’s $800 USD. Madness!

I’m lucky to have Taegeun to talk me through the Korean buffet dinner. It is very popular with the Koreans on board, but the Russians are all absent from what feels like a supper club.

After dinner I’m treated to an introduction to Makguli. It’s a Korean rice wine, and it takes a couple of bottles for me to perfect the mixing and dispense. Taegeun is clearly a master and I am his Padawan learner in the science of this. To complete my Korean 1.01 cultural crash course, it’s an after dinner Korean sing along in the disco.

Sleep does not come easily to me once again, this time as I feel the hot and cramped conditions of the room to be pretty claustrophobic. I drift off in the early hours to be woken by a tannoy announcement at 7.00am in three languages, but not my own.

I then remember why my sleep has been poor – the Russians have been holding a full on party in a stairway near my room all night with some game Koreans. The Russian Far East really is a melting pot of nationalities that seem to tolerate and get on with each other. It feels like a “wild frontier” to me – where Moguls meet Russians, where Koreans mix with Chinese, and where the boundaries of ethnicity and language are at times blurred.

North Korea is now to be seen off the starboard bow and there is reasonable sea swell. We are pitching and rolling in the waves as much as to make me feel on the edge of being unwell. As if by magic Taegeun appears outside my room and says we have been delayed due to Russian ship movements in Donghae harbour. Time for breakfast.. Kill or cure.

It is supposedly Western, but the advertised choice (with a life like plastic model above) has many substitutions – my toast for a bread roll, my bacon for a hotdog, but I am blessed with some complimentary lettuce dressed in a Korean version of soy sauce.

On deck it’s a windy but warm day. The temperature was cold overnight but is now well above freezing. The hills of South Korea are getting closer out of the window of the cafe. I’m can’t put my finger on why, but I’m feeling great. It’s partly about the sunshine and warmer climate here, but also good to be arriving in a new country for the first time.

In 1989 “Around the World in 80 Days” was a major success for the BBC and a new turn for Michael Palin’s slightly flagging career. This show was at least partly to blame for creating my latent desire to attempt off beat journeys, something that I had little time for until a couple of years ago. After all, not many people would be able to get away with telling the boss, their clients, and significant others that they were off for a journey where phone coverage was scare and without a return date! Today I’m lucky enough to have the time and nothing to get in the way of such adventure. So when my friends jibe me with the Palin or Alan Whicker tag, I always secretly smile, as to me it is high praise indeed.

Looking at Michael Palin’s route, I think perhaps Phileas Fogg would have been much better to head across Russia, rather than heading as far south as Bombay and Singapore before arriving in Japan. I plan to get to Tokyo overland in just 21 days. Incidentally, whilst researching for this post, I learned that the series was originally planned for Alan Whicker, who declined to take part. Fourth choice was Palin – I thought he was perfect. After all, I certainly could not have imagined Alan Whicker kipping on the deck of a dhow or swabbing the decks of a container ferry.

From a planning perspective, one of Michael Palin’s biggest problems was the scheduling of shipping, and I can relate to this, even on my much simpler journey. His problems were in Dubai and Singapore. Mine are perhaps less insurmountable and are in Vladivostok and Donghae.

The only ship that sails to Japan from Russia is called the “Eastern Dream”. It is scheduled to sail once a week from Vladivostok, heading south to Donghae in South Korea, then crossing over to Sakaiminato in Japan. It is supposed to sail each Wednesday, arriving in Japan on Friday. However, whenever my man in Moscow speaks to his contact in the port (a 10 hour time difference from GMT) the ship seems to have different and unpublished plans. Sometimes just sailing to Donghae, and other times stoping an extra day.. oh, and also leaving a day early. I hope other travellers are in the loop on this, as if you just believed what it says on their website you would possibly be stranded in Vladivostok for the winter.

I’m told that I have now been ticketed on the ship, (in third class!) so I’m hoping my information must be right. That means arriving in Vladivostok on a Monday, and having just a day until the weekly sailing. If this is all sounding too easy, the Rossiya train (002) only works Eastbound on “odd” calendar days of the week..

Part ferry part ice breaker in winter?

The “Eastern Dream” looks relatively modern and was built in Japan in the 1990’s. It is run by a Korean company called DBS. I’m hoping she is up to the task, as I can see that it has to endure a pretty tough environment in the winter. I have seen photographs of small icebergs in the port and three feet of snow on the deck. I’m also mindful that it has to sail around North Korea and there are frequent military interventions around the contested territorial waters. Needless to say I will carefully practice the abandon ship procedures, but in honesty I don’t think you would live for more than a minute or two in the Sea of Japan unless you had access to a really good lifeboat. These are probably reserved for first class passengers.

Bring snow shoes!

Both of the above photos are from a blog I found in Korean that sadly I cannot translate. You can see the pictures here though. Other traveller’s blogs are often such great preparation for a journey.

In other ship news I have once again booked a cabin on the MV “King Seaways” from Newcastle to Imjuden (Amsterdam). This is a good ferry – the trick is that its sister ship isn’t quite as nice, so again it needs booking on the right day of the week – especially if you want to benefit from the private Commodore Class area that keeps you separate from the rabble of students on a rather big booze cruise.

Everything else is coming together, and I just need to organise my Japanese adventures now. I’m still waiting for D Bahn to publish the winter rail timetable that starts on 13 December, so there could be some changes to my plan getting to Warsaw. My visas are now in the system (thanks once again to Real Russia) and I now have a pile of gear sat here in HQ ready to pack – I’m aiming to carry a bit less this year, but will still need both winter and summer gear as the temperature will range from -40c to +30c over the course of the trip.

I think thats all for now, other than to say, if you read this blog and are enjoying it, do please share it with others you know who might also find it of interest. More to follow next week I hope. I am trying to get into more of a pre-departure blog routine.

Apologies for not posting recently. I have been swithering a lot about my next trip, and today I have made the final decision. I need to update the “departure board” to read “Tokyo via Vladivostok”!

If you have not read my recent blog posts, this winter I had hoped to travel through Central Asia, taking advantage of the route out of Russia and through Kasakhstan. I encountered several problems planning and researching this journey. Firstly that travel to the other Stans was looking like hard work by train – not impossible, but for example, there is just a single weekly train connecting Tashkent and Almaty, and limited certainty of getting a ticket on it.

Secondly that the security situation on parts of this trip looks like they are getting worse rather than better – significant terrorism in Xinjiang, moderate levels of corruption in some of the Stans, and now even unrest at my planned objective, Hong Kong. Thirdly, I discovered the train to Almaty isn’t as good as Seat 61 suggests, nor is the train to Astana.. (no first class) – it wasn’t a deal breaker, but adding these points together it feels like hard work. Sometimes you just have to follow your gut feel, and this now feels like a trip for another time. My “Man Who Would be King” plans are therefore on hold, for the time being anyway.

So that takes me to “Plan B” – across Siberia (once again), and onward to Vladivostok, then by ferry to South Korea and Japan, finishing up in Tokyo. With my train anorak hat on, it is the longest scheduled train service in the world – taking nearly seven days from Moscow to Vladivostok. I understand that sometimes there are two carriages on this train that actually go on southward to Pyongyang, but even if I fancied this run, it is currently barred to non North Koreans (you have to enter North Korea via China). For my trip I plan to use the “Rossiya” train, which is supposed to be a good one. In Russian trains, the lower train numbers are the better quality “fermeny” services – this train is numbered “002” (“001” runs West bound on the same route). It will be strange travelling for a week without having to deal with customs, borders and visas.. or change wheels!

I had been working on this plan for several days, and just when everything looked like it was “on”, my agent in Moscow was informed that the ship that sails to Japan once a week from Vladivostok would in fact not be doing so on my requested dates. It is also about to change its schedule that means an earlier weekly departure (Tuesday) and stopping off in Korea. Just as well we checked! I think this has now been overcome, and I’m waiting for confirmation that since last week it has not decided to re-route again. The ferry is Korean, and looks quite bizarre (hopefully in a fun sort of way). As for my stay in South Korea, I have a cunning plan that should be quite interesting too if everything works out.

The only other train problem I can foresee is the imminent closure of some of the Euro Nightline services – this might mean the loss of the brilliant EN447 “Jan Kiepura” service that travels every night from Amsterdam to Warsaw. If this is the case I have a contingency of getting a day train down to Cologne and then getting a night train from there to Warsaw.

To be honest I’m relieved to have made the decision on the trip – for the last few weeks its been frustrating not being sure what to do, and now I have made the decision, I can just get focussed on pulling the plan together. To quote Lao Tzu “the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step” How true.

I will keep you posted as I go into full steam ahead trip preparation. Or is that full diesel-electric trip preparation?