It was Sunday July 22nd that we arrived in Xi'an. I've wanted to visit Xi'an for a long time. When I was first planning my trip out here to China I was all set on spending the year in, or near to, this city. In the end it didn't turn out that way, but from the few days I spent here I could see that I would have been equally as happy here as I have been in Lanshan. I found the city to be a really nice place to relax in. There was none of the animosity I felt in Beijing and being bound still by it's city walls, the centre was well-defined and relatively walkable. There are loads of sights to see and we didn't manage a fraction of them, but that was ok as it was time to slow down a touch and chill. Xi'an was the right place to do this.
I say that we relaxed...but the first few hours were anything but relaxing, being spent in the station booking hall queuing for tickets only to get 'mei you', the Chinese equivalent of 'computer says no...', which was kinda awkward and meant settling for a ticket halfway and embracing the unknown with a spot of improvisation to come. Not the best way to spend your morning. Pizza Hut made it all better though (super classy out here, love it).
After our late lunch we visited the Little Wild Goose Pagoda (as opposed to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda - they had a thing for waterfowl here...) which we climbed to get a view across the city. It used to be something like 17 floors high, but the top few have fallen off. Still pretty tall. There was a really cool museum in the grounds that we had no idea existed and only discovered half an hour before closing, but the little bit that we did see was quite excellent.
That evening we went out to the muslim quarter to get something to eat. It is at this point in China and all across to the west of here that muslim (Hui minority) culture begins to have an appreciable presence in cities, contributing an extra dimension to the Chinese experience, which I really liked. The muslim quarter in Xi'an was just behind the drum tower, which was spectacularly lit, and consisted of a network of small streets branching off one main avenue that was lined with small restaurants with outdoor seating that were just packed out when we went. I love these night markets. They are such a fun and entertaining place to hang out. You just go along with your mates, sit down, order a couple of small dishes and some beers and enjoy the atmosphere. It's like a party every night. I wish the UK had this kind of free and easy attitude to catering, but I know regulations would prohibit anything like this on any number of counts. This is why I love China - anything goes.
It was Sunday July 22nd that we arrived in Xi'an. I've wanted to visit Xi'an for a long time. When I was first planning my trip out here to China I was all set on spending the year in, or near to, this city. In the end it didn't turn out that way, but from the few days I spent here I could see that I would have been equally as happy here as I have been in Lanshan. I found the city to be a really nice place to relax in. There was none of the animosity I felt in Beijing and being bound still by it's city walls, the centre was well-defined and relatively walkable. There are loads of sights to see and we didn't manage a fraction of them, but that was ok as it was time to slow down a touch and chill. Xi'an was the right place to do this.
I say that we relaxed...but the first few hours were anything but relaxing, being spent in the station booking hall queuing for tickets only to get 'mei you', the Chinese equivalent of 'computer says no...', which was kinda awkward and meant settling for a ticket halfway and embracing the unknown with a spot of improvisation to come. Not the best way to spend your morning. Pizza Hut made it all better though (super classy out here, love it).
After our late lunch we visited the Little Wild Goose Pagoda (as opposed to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda - they had a thing for waterfowl here...) which we climbed to get a view across the city. It used to be something like 17 floors high, but the top few have fallen off. Still pretty tall. There was a really cool museum in the grounds that we had no idea existed and only discovered half an hour before closing, but the little bit that we did see was quite excellent. 
That evening we went out to the muslim quarter to get something to eat. It is at this point in China and all across to the west of here that muslim (Hui minority) culture begins to have an appreciable presence in cities, contributing an extra dimension to the Chinese experience, which I really liked. The muslim quarter in Xi'an was just behind the drum tower, which was spectacularly lit, and consisted of a network of small streets branching off one main avenue that was lined with small restaurants with outdoor seating that were just packed out when we went. I love these night markets. They are such a fun and entertaining place to hang out. You just go along with your mates, sit down, order a couple of small dishes and some beers and enjoy the atmosphere. It's like a party every night. I wish the UK had this kind of free and easy attitude to catering, but I know regulations would prohibit anything like this on any number of counts. This is why I love China - anything goes. 
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