My friends and I took a forty-hour ferry ride from Osaka to Shanghai. Since we had time to spare, we took the cheapest option available which was to cross the Sea of Japan by boat. Little did we know that this ferry ride would be so unforgettable.

Our group was composed of nine people - two Moroccans, three Americans, one Brazilian, one Filipino-American, one Ecuadorian, and one Filipino. The ship, named CHINJIF, is actually a cargo ship that links Osaka to Shanghai, its only route. There were only four private rooms and a common sleeping area for the passengers. I guess the shipbuilders realized they had extra space so they made cabins for low-budget passengers like us. We traveled during the peak of winter with temperatures dropping to as low as five degrees on a sunny day.

The food they served on-board was crap. The spring roll was drenched in oil, the dumplings were cold, the vegetables looked rotten and the porridge was tasteless. I almost finished half of the soy sauce into my bowl. We got what we paid for! But at least there was coffee.

With the boat constantly rocking from side to side, seasickness hit us. A few hours into the trip, I felt my legs turn into jelly. I couldn't stand straight and my vision started to spin. Almost everyone had it except for Jose from Ecuador whose family runs a fishing business back home. We felt our stomach constantly turning; we could throw up anytime. I spent the next 30 hours lying down on the bed lest I make a regurgitated mess. A group of Chinese ladies fell ill too. Some couldn't keep it in anymore. The corridor started to smell sour.

It was chilly outside and the wind was so strong that it was it took all my strength to pry open the door to the main deck. After I let go, the thick metal door instantly slammed shut, banging the door frame. It sounded as if a dynamite had exploded and shook the entire boat.

The night was terrifying, like a scene taken straight from Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger. In our room, there was a small window from where we saw the bluish sky which glowed with moonlight and starlight. Midnight struck and the gleam of the sky withered into complete darkness. The ferry entered a thunder storm that roused the peaceful ocean into an angry mob of waves. Rain and sea water splashed on our cabin window. Every now and then, a flash of lightning would illuminate the sky. From the window, I saw the horizon wobble from one side to the other with each flash of light. I heard the metal cargo containers below deck slide and hit the walls as the ferry danced with the storm and winds. I grabbed on to the bedpost, closed me eyes and forced myself to sleep.

Thirteen hours left before Shanghai.

It had been a grueling forty-hour ride but the sight of Shanghai Bay and the Oriental Pearl Tower made it all worth it. From afar, we saw the thick gray smog that covered Shanghai. Smoke-belching cars and a million motorcycles greeted us as we stepped foot on China. Almost everyone had sea legs -- this makes you feel like your feet aren't actually touching a flat floor but a rounded surface. Just when we thought we've had enough of ferries, the hostel we booked was ship-themed! With bunk beds, sailors' uniforms and lifesavers as decorations to match!

Ah, China, at last. The journey is just about to begin.

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ROUTE:

1. Ferry from Osaka Port to Shanghai (40 hours)

2. Shanghai (two days) then train to Beijing

3. Beijing for (four days) then train to Xian

4. Xian (three days) then train back to Shanghai

5. Shanghai (one day) then ferry back to Osaka