Returning to Gifu

Summer break has come to an end, and I returned to Gifu last Wednesday.

Although I came by driving all the way down, on the way back I took the ferry.

I had avoided taking the ferry on the way down because, although normal tickets are quite cheap, it is very expensive to take your car with you. But a friend in Oita informed me that, if you know how to do it, you can actually get a cheap ticket. It’s just a matter of knowing where to go.

For instance, if you buy your tickets in Fukuoka, and buy a package, you can actually ride the ferry (and take your car with you) for a cheap price.

And so, I took the ferry to Osaka, and from Osaka, it was only about 3 hours back to Gifu.

Taking the ferry doesn’t shave any time off of the trip. In fact it is very slow going, but it does afford a lot of freedom of movement, which makes it preferable to other forms of transportation. You can walk out on deck and see the view, go down to the cafeteria and eat some food, even play video games and take a bath. And get in some quality sleep on your cot, which is good because it’s a night ferry.

But it’s a lot more fun with friends. I remember taking the Ferry down from Hokkaido with Greg and Jess, and even though we were stuck on the boat for 2 days, it was a ton of fun. I didn’t want the Ferry ride to end.

But nothing is more depressing than standing on the deck of the ferry all alone as you see the coastline fade off into the distance.

It also occurred to me that usual when I take the Ferry, I’m excited because I’m going on vacation. This time the vacation is ended, and it’s time to start work again. Can you imagine anything more depressing than that?

Link of the Day
I'm not sure why I didn't link to this ages ago, but Dean Dozeman wrote a nice little piece back in January on why it is that we always wish we were somewhere else than we are.