Up before six to find a black dawn with a crescent moon giving way to a new day. In the car quick and down to the ferry port. Streets dead so no traffic. Picked up tickets and waited. Waited some more. Waited some more. Trucks going on and off the ferry loading, unloading. Ferry smaller than we imagined. Finally waved on an hour after we arrived. Abandon car and take everything upstairs to find we have twenty minutes to make the most of a buffet breakfast. Food obviously been here before. Some of it several times. Glad we only have twenty minutes. Find something very pleasant: there are only about twenty passengers on board and no one else is going all the way to Kobe. This means we have an entire dormitory room to ourselves. Usually meant for 26 people it is hardly roomy for us anyway but we make the most of it after breakfast and crash out for a while. Find bath which is huge and Japanese style. Bathing while watching the world go by from the ferry must rate as one of the most relaxing experiences on the trip. Also have to watch who can see in through the windows! Spend the day watching the fascinating world of the Seto Inland Sea go by. Lots and lots of different ships, boats, tankers, ferries etc etc. Pass under three of Japan's longest bridges - and they are loooooonnnggg. More relaxing after lunch and we watch one of the best sunsets on the trip - marvellous. We tackle dinner which looks like re-heated breakfast with sauce. Yuck. Stuck to salad. Spend the evening watching the lights of Kobe draw nearer. Dock around 9 and mapread Dad through very busy and complex downtown Kobe. Eventually find the road we want. Change drivers halfway and arrive home with one short break at around 12:30pm. Sleep very, very, very soundly until very, very, very late!