Xi'an

27-30th January 2010

Day One
Arrived at 9.30am and, since the city has no Metro system, decided to head off in search of our hostel by public bus. So far, we have avoided them, partly due to the traffic but mostly due to that fact that they look like the human equivalent of a sardine tin. Turns out it is actually the driving which should have been our main concern - it seems the driver had been taught that as soon as you accelerate, you must immediately apply the brakes just as hard and just as quickly to balance it out. The result was that we ended up alternately lurching forward then screeching to a halt for the entire journey. We couldn't get a seat so we stood in the centre of the aisle, trying to keep our balance despite carrying more than our bodyweight in luggage.

After staggering off the bus, we soon found the vacinity of our hostel but spent thirty minutes wandering aimlessly around the block searching in vain for a sign. Numerous requests for directions were met, disconcertingly, with puzzled shrugs (even though we had it written in Chinese). Eventually, a kind lady working in a bank rang the hostel and, after ten minutes of stumbling down back alleys and into windowless buildings with dim, flickering lights and yellowing walls, she found it. I'd rather she hadn't. Relieved, we stumbled into reception only to be greeted by the same blank stares we received whilst asking for directions. We showed the girl at the desk our booking voucher. Blank stare. We attempted to gesture "we have reserved a room". Blank stare. We got out our phrase book and pointed to the Chinese. Blank stare. Realising that attempting to stay here was fruitless, we decided to leave. Luckily, we had met a nice couple on the train and knew where they were staying so we headed there and bagged ourselves the nicest room so far at the Han Tang Inn Hostel - a double bed each, ensuite facilities, English TV channels and all for three quid a night each! We even had heated floors!

Spent the rest of the day wandering around, getting our bearings. Had the first Chinese dumplings of the trip - little poached pockets filled with minced pork and served with a piquant dipping sauce of soy, vinegar, fresh coriander and sesame seeds. Then we visited the Temple of the City Gods, a completely different experience to our temple visits so far - incense was burning, locals were worshipping and the buildings were more authentic in their shabbiness. Finished the day ambling through the Muslim Quarter, a chaotic sprawl of alleys crammed with food stalls, souvenir shops, restaurants and rickshaws. So far so good...

Day Two
Today, we headed off to see the reason we came to Xi'an in the first place - the Terracotta Warriors. Took the bus as it is located 35km from the city centre and had another driver who thought he was taking part in Formula One.

Unfortunately, the exhibition concentrated more on the discovery and subsequent restoration than on the initial purpose for site (perhaps because so little is known?). It would be interesting to know more about why Emperor Qin Shi Huang felt the need to have this army of thousands of life-sized warriors, each one unique, moulded from clay and placed in underground chambers, to guard his tomb. Nevertheless, the excavated pits are breathtaking, imposing and thought-provoking, although, for me, the metal warehouses protecting them fail to capture the eerie atmosphere of the discovery. Definitely worth a sixteen hour train journey from Shanghai though.

Day Three
Our third and final day. Climbed up onto the city wall - Xi'an is the only city in China where it remains intact - which was impressive even if the view left a little to be desired, the wall not being high enough to afford the panoramic view we were seeking. Afterwards, we strolled through a small market of wooden carts selling everything from jade bracelets to silk scrolls and, for the first time since we arrived in China, were able to browse without being pressed to buy everything that so much as caught our eye. The traditional architecture and lack of traffic just added to the area's charm. Rounded the day off with a performance at the drum tower then headed back to prepare for our longest sleeper train yet, a mere twenty-six hours to Guangzhou.

I will be sorry to leave Xi'an; it is so relaxed and authentic, as though still untarnished by tourism - a stark contrast to the sterility of Beijing and the chaos of Shanghai.