Xi'an times

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So...having met my amazing intrepid crew consisting of a wide age range all the way from 18 (me) to 65+ we got to know each other being herded around the major sites in Beijing (Forbidden city, Summer palace) with what might as well have been a cattle prod. There appears to be no people more into tourism than the chinese ...they walk around in massive tour groups being identified by their matching coloured caps and flags...if there are 1.5 billion people in china at least a third of them are in a major tourist attration at any one time! Not only this but they seem to want to have the odd westerner photographed with their children.. which will be strange when they have their family holiday photos developed; "...And this is the random western girl we met at the temple of heaven..."

The best day yet was our day walking the great wall of china...we got taken to the least toursity and most preserved bit of the wall where we walked and talked in the sunhine, we got some amazing pictures! The day was rounded off by taking a zip wire over a hot spring and then a boat to our youth hostel which was surrounded by the hills that support the great wall; a magnificent retreat!

After having spent an amazing 8 days in Beijing we set of on cramp but comfortable 14hr overnight train to Xi'an; the oldest city in China. We got taught the card game "Yukered" by our kiwi friend in the group and, after being joined by a fellow chinese friend, we finally learned how to play the game all the old cinese play in the parks! (It seems that once retired, most chinese regress to childhood and spend their days in the sunny parks playing card games and dancing...sounds like a plan to me!)

We arrived in Xi'an at 6:30am off the train smelly and bedraggled, and dragging our bags behind us. After a great western brekki (musili, yoghurt and actual real orange juice!! score!!) Me and Carl cycled the the Xi'an city wall; 14km in the sunshine (I could get used to this sunshine!) and went to see the terricotta warriors with the group the following day. Found a magnificent travellers cafe which are now chilling in, playing pool, darts, table tennis and drinking cheap beer! Life is good!

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