Gettin My Chi On in Xi'An!

Following our interesting overnight train experience, we landed in Xi'An (she-on).  Since it was our tour guide's hometown, we got to hear plenty about the area and kind of got tired of hearing that it was his hometown.  Since we were several hours late to arrive, we had to cut some things out of the itinerary, which was honestly okay, because we were so hungry and tired.  Our first night consisted of a trip to the Muslim Quarter, which was the best shopping place for little souvenirs.  And, the best place for me to eat...pork free!  It was super crowded, but a really great atmosphere.  

As I mentioned above, there was tons of shopping and I felt that this was much more authentic shopping than Beijing.  We had a great time browsing the stores and trying local foods from the booths and from the street food hawkers.  

This is the drum and bell tower which was a central location in the city.  It was beautiful during the day, but stunning all lit up at night.  

Our first night in town, Michael insisted on taking us to the fountain and light show.  So, we hopped on the bus and followed him and the beaconing lights to the fountain.  

Once there, we were amazed at the sheer number of people here for the free show.  There were also tons of guards on hand to reprimand the crowd for standing on benches, ledges, or in the fountain itself.  Overall, it was an okay show.  I've seen many like it.  It was beautiful and set to fabulous music.  

The scene after the show rivaled NYC at the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  There was no where to go but with the crowd...and being in China meant that there was pushing, shoving, stomping, and spitting to tend with.  

The next day was free for a bit, so many of us returned to the Muslim Quarter on a search for the Great Mosque.  It was founded in 742 and is the oldest and most renowned mosque in China.  

During our search, we enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the streets.  My experiences strolling back alleys of ancient cities are some of my favorites.  I am always surprised by what I see and feel more like a local this way.  

These winding streets and alleys are where I find the best deals, meet the most interesting people, and taste the best local foods.  

It's also where I learn the most about the people of the country.  

After much searching, we happened upon the Great Mosque.  It was interesting, because the architecture wasn't that of traditional mosques, but all Chinese in style.  

We were some of the last tourists allowed in for the day and were there for their dinner and the call to prayer, which was really moving.  

Here's a view into the prayer room with the prayer mats.  I managed to snap this before their call to prayer.  

It was very quiet and peaceful inside these walls, which was amazing considering what was just outside.  The hustle and bustle of the Muslim Quarter's alleys and shops wasn't even heard here, just the sound of one's inner reflections.  I saw this and thought that it perfectly captures my thoughts while inside.  

The clock to know what times prayer will be called.  

Following a fabulous day of sightseeing, we decided that we needed to follow the guide books and experience the nightlife.  So, four of us decided to hit the town.  Here are Mark and I laughing as usual.  

We listened to several live, local bands. 

Fished for the best deals in many bars.  

Enjoyed getting to know each other a bit more.

Made many new local friends.

And, got a little crazy on the way home with our props...notice my new glasses. 

The next day was our final one in Xi'An.  We started off early by walking along the Xi'An city wall.  This is one of the oldest and best preserved city walls in China.  This wall was built around 194 BC.

With all my travels, it's amazing to think that things were built so long ago.  When our country wasn't even being explored yet, these civilizations were at their prime.  I can't imagine living during that time...one where gigantic walls were needed to keep out intruders.  

It's also interesting to see how ancient China is preserved and modern China just sprawls beyond the walls.  In that way, it's much like Japan.  

Of course, no trip to Xi'An is complete without heading a bit outside the city limits to the location of the Terra Cotta Amy.  My imagination had no idea how grand this sight would be.  There were three different pits, all at differing levels of excavation.  There were also other exhibits and a museum circled around the courtyard below.    

This was the first pit, and the most preserved of the soldiers.  It was in a huge quonset building, with the first 3/4 of the soldiers uncovered and the last quarter slightly damaged and still undergoing the restoration process.  

The most magnificent part about this army was that each one has a different face.  I can't imagine taking all that time to make personal sculptures for one man who died.  There were thousands of soldiers, each distinctly different.  They all had different meanings based on their military ranking, which was indicated by their hair bun.  

Not only were there men, but horses and chariots as well.  These figures date back to third century BC. How awesome is that?!

This is a better picture to indicate the magnitude of just one of the pits.  

The roped off sections were still be restored by the team of experts.  

Here's a closeup of some of the soldiers.  Can you imagine if one of them was carved in the likeness of your relative.  I'm sure that so many people have connections but just don't know it yet.  

Since this site was just discovered in 1974 by farmers trying to dig a well, some of the founders are still alive.  Of course, they are now making a fortune by signing books for schmucks like me, but how many people can say that they met the founder of such an amazing marvel.  

Here I am with one of the men who founded the Army.  He signed my book and took a photo with me.  Can you say A-MAZING!!!

Here I am in the gift shop trying to fit in...can you imagine buying one of these to have in your home.  What in the world would you do with it?!

We got to walk through 2 more pits, but neither was as developed as the first.  As you can see, this one didn't fare as well.  

Wrapping up my time in Xi'An with some fun in the gift shop!

Just a stroll along a little stone path...

Built between 220 and 206 BC, the Great Wall of China is one of the oldest structures that I have explored.  One of the reasons that I love Intrepid Travel is that they always take the road less traveled, and this was no different.  We started our five hour journey along the wall at Zhuanduo Pass.  As we hiked, we saw no more than 100 people for the entirety of our trip.  After just a few days in Beijing, the solitude was much welcomed.  

This is just the start of our hike.  Little did I know at this point exactly how long and how hot the expedition would be.  On the left is our tour guide, Michael.  He stayed with us for the entire 22 day trip.  

As our guide said, the purpose of the wall was to keep out intruders.  At this particular location, the main invaders were the Mongols.  Since the wall was built on a ridge and was also tall itself, I can't imagine that anyone was able to invade, but I'm sure it happened.  

I was in awe of the beauty of the mountains, the haze, the wonderment of walking on history.  It's a feeling that can't be replicated.  I just imagined those who were there thousands of years before me, and what they were thinking as they looked upon the same landscape.  

It just kept going for miles.  Before actually setting foot here I really couldn't imagine the enormity of it, but setting out and seeing just how far it extends took my breath away.  Look at all the watchtowers in the distance. 

Here's a watchtower up close.  Look at all those stairs.

Here is the Chinese Flag.  The red represents the communist revolution and the five stars represent the unity of the Chinese people under the Communist Party of China.  

Here I am as the journey begins...little did I know what was in store for me.

I thought the scenery was magical.  I loved the haze and that the wall seemed to go on forever.  Even after walking it for 5 hours, I can't imagine how large it actually is.  

Here's Mark and I a bit into our hike.  

One of my favorite lookout spots.

We headed into a watchtower and the heat caused many others to head in as well.  These folks were just resting until they saw us, then they were really excited to take our pictures.  

Just another neat shot.

There is a marathon that takes place entirely on the Great Wall, but judging from the parts like this (which was more common than not), there's no way I could sustain energy.  I would always be worried about tripping and falling.  

This was a common scene along the route.  The dilapidated stairs and watch towers made for awesome photographs, but treacherous climbing.  

At the base of the hill as the hike starts, there are locals that will carry on with your group.  They are a bit annoying at first, but our guide says that this is their way of life.  They follow us the entire way, carrying our things, fanning us, holding our hands during the rough patches, and just tagging along to help in any possible way.  I was told that they do this all day long, multiple times per day.  At the end of the hike, they hoped that we would buy their wares.  I think that some of us did, mainly because we felt sorry for them, but they kept good spirits throughout.  

Here's our group.  Another reason why I love Intrepid...they limit the size of their groups.  We had nine for most of the trip, but some dropped off at different locations.  We ended with 7, which was a fantastic number.  Thankfully, we all got along for the most part.  

After about 4 hours of hiking and climbing, here we are at the top.  We were thirsty and tired, but had a wonderful experience on the Great Wall!

Upon our return to Beijing, we hopped aboard our first overnight train.  We had four total long train rides during our entire trip and they all pretty much turned out the same.  We played a lot of bullshit and spoons, and filled the time the best we could.  This particular overnight train ride was scheduled to be about 13 hours.  The bunks were 3 high and packed pretty tightly.  Actually, the sleeping situation wasn't so bad.  The worst part were the toilets...it's like the people here were never taught proper etiquette or even care to be clean.  It was pretty disgusting.  

As I've mentioned, this past summer was the hottest on record for many years, but it was also one of heavy rains and flooding.  Of course, we were caught in the crossfire.  Due to heavy rains, our train was delayed on the tracks about 6 hours in to the trip.  We were delayed over 5 hours, so they had to send a train from Beijing with supplies for us.  They sent an entire train of ramen noodles.  So, as in normal Chinese fashion, people lined up and fought over the noodles.  We all bought a cup or two a piece, so we were good.  Plus we're foreigners, so we had plenty of snacks to last through our delay.  

Nonetheless, we were a bit freaked out by the situation, but made light of it by constructing our very own Leaning Tower of Noodles.  We coped by reading, sleeping, playing, chatting, and laughing.

Our secret carry on stash of beer helped the situation.  Much of our time on all train rides was spent like this; stuffed on the bottom bunk just having a great time.

Well, that and taking care of the important things like brushing our teeth.  It was quite the experience and I'm happy to say that after this entire trip, I consider myself a Chinese Train Pro with over 60 hours of overnight and daytime travel.