An early flight means another early start to the day. I wake up at 4:00 so I can get ready and packed before we have to head down for breakfast at 5:00. Our guide will be here to pick us up at 5:45, just enough time to eat and check out.
Right on time, we are loaded into the car and begin the forty minute drive to the airport. The driver stops at our entrance and removes our bags from the trunk. Once on the sidewalk we decide this is a good time to tip our guide. Having painfully agonized about the amount based on what our tour company had provided as guidelines and how much we enjoyed our guide, we were very confident of our offering. We hand him the tip and wait for signs of gratitude.
"Is there something for the driver as well?"
Uh oh, according to our guidelines we were supposed to give our guide the equivalent of $10 each per day and that would cover both him and the driver. In the same sentence he explains that a typical tip would be $6 for him and $3 for the driver from each of us ($18 total - ok), or about 200 yuan each day. But wait a minute, 200 yuan equals about $33! Either he's trying to hustle us or he has just blown the stereotype that all Chinese are good at math to smithereens. By the end of the conversation, we leave him with a couple more dollars but refuse to pay what he wants. I'm comfortable with our decision and just hope I didn't botch the math.
All checked in and through security we wait. The plane is about half an hour late but we board quickly. I had a window seat for this flight but there is so much smog and cloud cover that I can't see anything. I decide to try and catch up on my journaling so I don't forget anything from the past couple of days, I'm cursed with a very short memory. I'm lost in thought only to be interrupted by the flight attendant handing me a breakfast tray. It's only a two hour flight but they are serving breakfast! Being a texture person when it comes to food I'm not a big fan of congee so I took a look in the box to see what else there was. Cucumber salad with a big brown blob in it. I looked over at Aaron and hope he knows what the heck this is. It's a tea egg, and I don't think I can stomach it. "It's good", he says, "try a little". I break off the tiniest piece and give it a chew. It's not bad!
We arrive in Xi'an to cool temperatures and a little rain. We easily find our guide this time and are shown to the car. The airport is outside the city and the drive takes about 40 minutes. Along the way our guide is telling us all that she can remember about the area's long history. Because of the rain she suggests we move our planned activity for the afternoon to the next day when the weather will be better. We agree and actually welcome some time to ourselves.
Dropped off at the hotel we get checked in and assess our room. Definitely not as nice as the hotel in Beijing but still very comfortable. It's been updated and has a king sized bed, there is nothing to complain about.
We have an entire afternoon to wander around the old city so we grab our rain jackets and head out. Xi'an's old city is located behind a very well preserved city wall and our hotel is about a block from the south gate. First on the agenda when we are inside is to find the bell tower and grab some lunch. According to the guide book there is a recommended restaurant just to the NW of the tower. Finding the restaurant isn't as easy as we had hoped and we spend some time getting lost. To the north of the bell tower we find a really busy street with lots of chaos, we decide to explore once we have had lunch.
We found the restaurant and ordered some dumplings. I'm not sure what we are going to get, I think Aaron had to do a lot of pointing at pictures. What came to the table was quite good even if it wasn't quite what was expected.
Photo by Aaron Salus - Food stall in the Muslim Quarter
Back in the streets we head north of the restaurant to find some adventure. Our guide had mentioned that the south and east directions from the tower were the more prosperous parts of town so we deemed them avoidable. Right away we notice the birds in the trees. There were many cages of them, singing away. It appears to be a normal occurrence, to bring your pet out for some air and socializing. A few blocks north we come across a westerly street that grabs our immediate attention. It is packed with people and vendors selling everything imaginable so we don't hesitate. Liver on a stick, squid on a stick, spiralled sausages on a stick, organ meats on a table where portions are chopped off and sold, noodles boiling away in big pots, walnuts being roasted, and dumplings everywhere. Some of it even looks edible but most of it just seems so odd. Handfuls of people all tucked away in tiny noodle houses with steaming bowls of broth. All of the grills and pots seem to be fired by coal and you can smell it in the air.
There are people everywhere, though I don't feel as claustrophobic as I thought. My senses are on hyper alert as the streets are also filled with soundless electric scooters and bicycles that will run you down. Their horns are the only warning and often not until they are on your heels. Luckily the streets are too narrow and too busy to allow cars.
We walk many blocks west until suddenly the noise gives way to birds chirping and we are almost all alone. Feeling slightly more conspicuous we only wander a little farther until we find a street back to the crowds. Going back along the same street we already travelled I'm amazed at how different it looks just by going the opposite direction.
Our wandering kept us out for three hours and I'm getting tired. I want to take a quick rest before having to search out our dinner. Because our hotel is close the walk is not long but crossing the busy road to get there is somewhat treacherous. Traffic laws are not abided by and pedestrians do not have the right of way. The order seems to be based on size. If you are a truck or a bus you go wherever and whenever you want. Then cars, scooters, bicycles, and lastly pedestrians. If you don't pay attention you will get run over. Our best defence has been to get close to some locals and do what they do. So far so good.
A few moments in the room and my feet thank me. It's nice to put them up for a minute. Suddenly we hear what sounds like rapid gunfire or fireworks from below our window. A quick peek reveals nothing so we assume its from the construction area very close by.
Dinner has been chosen though I'm not thrilled about walking there. Aaron assures me it's only a couple of blocks. Heading south away from the old town we walk along streets lined with shopping malls and modern buildings. It's a little farther than I had expected but the Tang Dynasty Xi'an restaurant appears. Luckily there is room for us and we are shown to a table.
The menu has English so ordering is quite easy. We select a dish of beef and wild mushrooms, BBQ pork with vegetables, and pork filled dumplings. It was all excellent. I decided to splurge and tried a glass of Chinese white wine. While not a great wine it was still refreshing.
The walk home was nice. Once again, with stuffed bellies, a stroll after dinner is welcomed. There are a few faint raindrops falling but nothing too concerning, until about half way home it starts to pour. Thank goodness for the rain jackets! We pick up the pace but are still soaked from the hips down when we arrive back at the hotel.
Up to the room and out of our wet clothes, we are getting ready for bed when the gunshot/fireworks noise comes again. In the dark it's easy to see now that the rain is causing the transformer on the power pole to spark. Aaron grabs the camera and takes a few shots, it's causing quite the commotion on the street below. The sparking subsides a little and I've seen enough. I turn to go to my luggage and find my PJs when, BANG! There is a bright flash and the whole transformer blows. Luckily we still have power in the hotel.
With nothing more to see and exhaustion taking over, I'm fast asleep by 8:30.
Photo by Aaron Salus - Dumplings for sale