Fukuoka trip #4

After failing to make it to Japan on Sunday, I was able to secure a 2:30 ferry to Fukuoka on Monday. The only sticky point of this trip was when I forgot to change my Korean won for Japanese Yen before leaving Korea. When I arrived in Japan at about 5:30, the exchange bank in Fukuoka was closed. As I've learned from previous experience, neither my Canadian bank card, my Canadian credit card or my Korean bank card works in any Japanese bank machine that I have tried. This trip was no different. I was in Japan with no money. At least the guy that I travelled on the boat with switched me 10,000 won for 1,000 yen (about $10). So, I was now in Japan with about $10. Not exactly a lot of money in the most expensive country in the world. I started walking from the port area to downtown. Luckly, it's not a difficult trip if you are even slightly familiar with the city.

So, after walking around for awhile, I decided to see if my credit card would work manually in a hotel. Much to my delight, it did. After having 6,500 yen taken from my card, I had a hotel room in downtown Fukuoka (Tenjin). I took a shower, and headed out into downtown Fukuoka on the Monday night. I spend 500 yen in a Korean resturant, where I ate some bibimbap (fried rice and veggies). It tasted pretty good, but you definetely don't get as much food as you do for the same price in Korea.

From there, I went into the pipe and tobacco shop, which was appropriately named 4:20. I'd been there once before, and the same cashier was there. Since he didn't speak or understand any English, I spent quite a few minutes entertaining him with funny gestures. Eventually, a couple of older ladies wandered in. One of them spoke marginal English and Italian. I probably spend around and hour talking to the three of them, trying to understand just what the hell she was saying. I understood most of her Italian and English, but of course my Japanese vocabulary consists of a dozen words and phrases. At one point she was able to ask if I was hungry, so of course I said yes. After telling me to wait in the shop, she left and came back with food! Ice cream and some strange octopus pastry things. They were okay, and I was happy with the free food. Around that time, another white guy came in and started talking in Japanese with a Russian accent. It was pretty amusing to me to hear that. He knew some English too. He moved to Japan with his mother about four years ago to open a resturant. I guess that explained why he was in Japan and why he could speak the language. At least it was entertaining for me.

So, I left 4:20 and started walking around and talking to anyone who would listen to me again. Before long, a big black guy on a bicycle with dreadlocks stopped and talked to me. It turns out that he's from New York and is a radio DJ in Fukuoka, in addition to having some other English related jobs. He was pretty cool and directed me to a Reggae bar called Uprising, which is in Tenjin. After tooking for around an hour, I found it in a back alley. It was a pretty small place, but still cool. When I went in, there were no guests. There was only the owner, who was listening to raggae and watching WWE wrestling on TV. I ordered a beer (heineken) with my last 500 yen and watched wrestling and bullshitted a bit with him. He's been living in Fukuoka for abut 8 years and is originally from Ghana.

Before I knew it, a pretty girl named Mikki came in and we started talking for a while. After she'd had a few drinks, I decided that it was time to go, so I asked her to walk with me to my hotel. Of course she was happy to. Unlike what my cousin Neal might say about always walking the girl home, I did the exact opposite thing here. So, after arriving back at my hotel, I headed up to my room and went to bed.

I woke up on Tuesday at about 9:30. I basically just walked around and took pictures, while making my way back to the port area. When I got to the ocean, I found a small naval museum. When there, I met a good guy names Urs from Switzerland. He was heading to Korea for a bit of a vacation from working in Japan for a few days. He was happy to switch me $20 worth of won for yen. After doing so, we sat down and had some Italian food for lunch. Pizza and beer was on my menu. It tasted pretty good. After lunch, we said our goodbyes and I was on my way back to Korea.


















Some recreational boats in the Fukuoka harbour.
















Some multi-level highways.

















More of the same.
















and some more.
















Nighttime in Fukuoka.

















It's a blurry night photo.
















Here's a few shots of my room.




































































In Tenjin, downtown Fukuoka.
















Here's a Catholic Church.
















A street in Tenjin.
















More of the same.
















Same, same.
















Does this look any different to you?
















A pachinko parlour.
















Here's a small shrine that I found,
















with some goldfish.
















Actually, there was a lot of goldfish.
















A nice view of the shrine area.
















Don't ttoris look cool?
















A Lutheran church.
















Here's a more panoramic view of it.
















Here's when the services are.
















What's that car called? It's a That's. That's a That's? Yes, that's a That's. It's a Honda That's.
















A nice view down the canals.
















A different angle of the same thing.
















Here's looking west, to the ocean.
















If anyone has ever told you that there is no grafitti in Japan, they are lying.
















Just some of the harbour.
















They were having boat races in here.
















The harbour tower. See mom? I told you there were palm trees here!





















This view is nice too.
















Here's a model of a boat in the museum.
















Here's a few more.
















Here's a lot more.
















This is the padio where I ate lunch.
















Here's Urs trying to talk to the waitress. He ordered a "grass of wine". A lot of Asians get "L" and "R" confused, making things like seeing a "grass of wine" on a menu a semi-common occurance.
















Who's that handsome fellow?
















It's my pizza and beer.
















This is what the international ferry terminal in Fukuoka looks like.


I am now back in Korea on a six-month tourist visa.