A Slow Boat to Japan: Day 1

When we booked our ferry to Japan, we were warned that our temperatures would be taken before we were allowed to embark to ensure we didn't have flu. As a result Ben has been suffering acute hypochondria for the last couple of days, convinced he was getting a sore throat and a fever. The worrying was for nothing, however - not only did the flu not materialise, he somehow evaded having his temperature taken altogether. The doctor appeared to be more interested in chatting up the girl on the ticket desk than preventing a lethal viral outbreak.

Our boat left Shanghai at 1pm, taking a good hour or two to reach the open sea. The banks of the river Huangpu were lined with cranes - a reminder of just how important a port Shanghai is.

Despite a capacity of around 350 people there are fewer than 50 on board - we wouldn't be surprised to learn that the crew outnumber the passengers. Whether this is down to the season or residual worries about radiation after the tsunami in March, we're not sure.

So we're not expecting wild karaoke parties on board. The karaoke machine provided background music as we ate dinner. The first track played was My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion, the theme tune to, er, Titanic. We didn't appreciate the connotations.