Xi'anadu

I was so impressed with Xi'an that I have more to write than I could finish in one typing session. Internet access is not ubiquitous here, even though the Xi'an hotel had free internet access (another example of Xi'an's class), and the hotel rooms have a bathroom sink made of clear glass, mounted above the granite countertop. It was the best hotel we had been in so far.
The hotel also served the best and most varied breakfast buffet so far on the trip, including Cheerios and Rice Krispies. Even the KFC here was excellent, and they had flan / custard cake desserts on the menu.

Xi'an is the most real city we have been in so far, with both positive and negative experiences. For example, at the end of the last post I mentioned Calligraphy Street. As we sat down to our kebabs and beers, we were immediately joined by one of the locals who wanted us to buy him a beer even though he had obviously had too much already. I thought he was going to get sick right in front of us. He sat down between the two of us with the best Mandarin, and made his desires known. We were considering honoring his request, but he lost patience before we could decide, and he grabbed for one of our beers. Quickly there were three hands on the bottle, and even more quickly his niece rushed in and whisked him away. We were left in peace after that. The pickpockets were also active in Xi'an. I caught someone trying to open my backpack while it was on my back, and someone else caught a strange hand in her purse.

Both of the pickpocketing incidents occured in the pedestrian tunnels, where it is easy to disappear in a crowd, or pick someone's pocket as they step on the down-escalator, so that if they try to chase you, they have to run up the down-escalator first. Imagine the head start they get. But those same tunnels are wide, well lit, and clean, and even had the first street musicians I had seen on the trip.

Our main purpose in going to Xi'an was not the Silk Road but the Terra Cotta Warriors. They have the exhibition site housed in a big open-air hall. They let you take pictures, with flash, and do not seem too concerned that all the visitors' sweat and CO2 will harm them. The warriors themselves were not so grand. I think the real attraction is in their age and the majesty of the undertaking. One is supposed to be in awe of the effort.

We left Xi'an by sleeper car. It was another type of bonding experience for the group, and very fun for all of us. We played hearts and chess, and watched movies on a portable taptop run off electricity from the train. The train passed through territory that reminded us all of the movies Blade Runner and the Terminator. In the night, through the lingering smog, we saw several nuclear and coal power plants spewing steam, several other manufacturing facilities outlined with lights, and passed through several fields where waste vegetation was being burned. Some of the grass fires were so close to the train tracks that I could feel their heat on the window as we passed. I would expect a similar scene after a battle between mechanized armies. There could be no humans in such a landscape.

At 7:18 and 30 seconds, we arrived punctually at Beijing train station. All of us had managed to get some sleep, and we walked to our bus (there is always a bus waiting for us, its like magic) and went to the new best hotel we have stayed in so far on this trip.