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Published: February 14th 2008
We're just back from our first real shopping tour. We bought five pairs of Calvin Klein underwear after a real battle between us and the hawker. We thought we made a pretty good deal at 70 yuan and the local people that came to watch the battle seemed to agree somewhat. Erik bought quite a few DVD:s for 5,50 yuan each and we really got ripped off for some ties for 20 yuan (but it was our first haggle and we've learned a lot since).
As planned we took the night train form Beijing to Xi'an three days ago (monday night). It was quite a lot more comfortable than we had expected, though not quite like a Swedish train (though on the plus side, the beds were made). Waking up after a night of heavy sweating, since the heaters were on all night and it was like 28 degrees, we arrived in Xi'an. We quickly found out that we were stuck since all trains were full-booked for a week. We met a youth hostel promoter who helped us get airline ticket at the shocking price of 1400 yuan each! It really cracked our budget, and our spirits, but what can
you do?
Shortly after, we set out for the Terra-cotta warriors. We finally succeeded in using the local bus system and after travelling for an hour for 7 yuan each we arrived at our destination. A lot happier at having some luck at last, we went into the great archeological dig-outs. It was really something to see. Every single one of them had an individual face and was man sized. You can only imagine what it was like when they were new, painted and all.
The next day was the first day the sky was full of clouds, conceiling the sun. Only one day before had we seen the slightest incling of a cloudy sky. Fortunately this was the day of our departure from Xi'an.
Well in Shanghai, we met an extremely kind man on the airport bus. He really went out of his way to help us. First he paid the taxi to a cheap hotel he knew of. There weren't any rooms left there so he took us to another one and helped us check in. Later that evening he called and invited us out for dinner and at the same time told us he
had booked another, cheaper hostel in downtown Shanghai for us. He had to cancelled dinner, but promised to take us out some other time and show us around town.
It is almost a little bit scary that he is so helpful. We're both quite a bit suspicious of him.
We've really come to notice differences between the cities of China. Xi'an felt much more like a big suburb of 7 millions. Shanghai on the other hand really seems to be
the city to go to. It is warmer, the trees actually have leaves, and a lot more people speak English and seem a bit friendlier.
Today we managed to take the subway to our new hostel after really taking a slow morning. The booking was real and everything went smoothly. We left our bags in the dormitory and went out for a bit of sightseeing and, as said above, shopping. Now we're heading out for dinner.
Tomorrow we plan to shop some T-shirts and check out alternatives about sending stuff home. We also plan to do some sightseeing.
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JD
non-member comment
fukubukuro!
hey guys it seems that you have had a nice trip so far. If you want to buy something considerably odd that is almost certainly not worth it but yet very chineese I recommend that you buy a fukubukuro. It is a plastic bag that you buy without being given the slightest chance to find out whats inside. the most lucky persons that have ever bought a fukubukuro found a goldbar with some burnt cd:s and some random pokemon cards. i wish you good luck on your yournee and on your purchase of an extraordinary fukubukuro