Shaanxi, Xian 西安

Xian 西安

Xian is located at Shaanxi province. How much do you know about Xian?

Stuck in Xian during China public holidays

For many know Xian is a place you can see Army of Terracotta Warriors.

As I was in Chengdu, I was deciding which province to go next, looking at the China map; I was so close to Xian so I've bought the train ticket to Xian. On the same day, my V friend (back home) was in Beijing asking me to go Beijing to meet her and join her to go Mongolia; she was planning to get out of China before 1^st May'2005 arrived. I told her I want to visit Xian as it was my plan to visit Xian and I'm so close to the province, she asked me to join her to Mongolia first and when returned then go Xian, I told her it will be tract back if I do that, so I've asked my V friend to go ahead with her plan to Mongolia and as for me, I've already got my Xian train ticket, I received my V friend's email late, I'd bought the train ticket to Xian and didn't want to change my plan.

On 27 April’2005

I took a evening train from Chengdu to Xian, on the train, one cabin have six beds, three on each side and I always choose the top bed because you pay a bit cheaper to take the top, many will not choose the top because they can't seat on the bed, when you are on the top of the bed, you have to bend down your body most of the time. As for me, I count the time I spent on the bed will be sleeping so I don't mind take the top bed.

On the train to Xian, I was room with five men, oh no…. I'd the though went through my mind…that I might get disturb in the night sleeping with these guys. Travel for so long, I had many encounter sleeping with some of the guys, they snore loudly the whole night, not all the men but I meet a few of them when I was on the train in China.

As the night gets late, I told myself to sleep early before these guys sleep, otherwise, I'll suffer through the night not able to sleep. As soon as I lay down on the bed, the rest of the guys follow, less than 5 minutes… I heard “ZZZzzzz snore…” Oh man, the guy slept opposite me started, poor us, the lower bed guy thought it was me who snore so loudly because I was the first who went to bed, he couldn't sleep the whole night, keep on whisper to his friend opposite of him saying I snore so loud. I was not offender but I asked myself why me? Nevertheless, soon I'd fallen asleep with my MP3 plug into my ears.

Wake up early the morning; saw the guy at the bottom seated at the window looking through the window scenic. I went washing up and had my breakfast ready, seated opposite of the guy had my breakfast and started to talk to him. I told him I can't really sleep because of the snore, I said it in purpose, he was shock and said; “oh it was not you”. Later he went to tell his friend slept opposite him about it and told his the other friend who slept opposite of me that he snore throughout the night that he couldn't sleep (ha..ha…), it was his discovery that his friend do snore and I was very good to make him know the true (ha…ha…). Really, on the train, talking to this group of men were an enjoying moment, found out they were from Xian province, they do let me feel comfortable talking to them.

As soon as it reached Xian, one of the Xian guy lead me to the bus stop to the town. Outside of the train station bus stop, I took bus number 603 to reach Bell Tower, I got the youth hostel business card from Chengdu youth hostel and I figure myself to look for the youth hostel in Xian. The youth hostel was not in Lonely Planet book (8^th Edition) so I guess it was a new hostel and it was at the main spot of the Bell Tower.

When I reached the youth hostel, I asked for a bed and they have put me in a room of all the American ladies, they were English teachers in China, they went to Xian for holiday and they were going to Beijing the next day.

The next day (29 April’2005), all the American ladies check out accept one China lady left together with me in the room and later another two ladies check in. I went explore around the town on my first few days, walk a lot, inside the walls and outside the walls.

I walk past a park, I explore inside, to my surprise, I saw a few groups of people in the park playing mahjong and other group playing string instruments and singing, I stay there to listen for a while before I carry on exploring.

On my first day arrived, the manger of the hostel said; I was the first one in my country visit their hostel, therefore, he wants me to drawn my country flag on the wall, I did that and I was very proud of the flag I had drawn (not very nice but I was proud of my country flag was there.).

I was planning to visit the Army of Terracotta Warriors next day and then left Xian to Beijing, I was trying to get train ticket in advance to go Beijing but the date I was in Xian was very close to their China May public holidays (from 1^st May to 7^th May'2005), the train ticket was very fast sold out, I try purchase before 1^st May but already sold, I was told to try another ticket counter on the other side away from the train station which allows you to purchase more than three days in advance ticket, I went over there, there was so many people queuing for train ticket, many were unable to get ticket, I queue so long and when come to my turn, they put up a sign lunch break, oh man, why when it was my turn? Don't believe it.

I've no choice, went to another counter and join the queue, as the queue was so long, I was concern the same thing might happen again to me, praying inside me (no lunch break) it will not have lunch break sign put up in this queue, otherwise, the whole day I'll be busy queue for nothing.

As soon as it was my turn, I asked for a ticket to Beijing, the counter lady asked me; what date, those dates I mention was sold out, I got no choice, I asked; “what date there is seat for me?” She replied; 6^th May'2005 one seating ticket, no more bed ticket and I got no choice said; Okay one ticket, please.

Oh man, so horrible to arrived in any part of China during their public holiday, it was terrible, train ticket (seat or bed) was not easy to get, hotel or hostel will be difficult also.

So if you are planning to go China, make sure you avoid their public holiday, otherwise, you must be prepare to change your schedule.

I was planning to get out of Xian before May public holiday to reach Beijing, at least, I knew I'll meet up with my Beijing friend (who I've meet in Lijiang) and able to go out with her during the public holiday, never knew it was so difficult to get the train ticket. I should have done it on the date I'd arrived Xian at the train station. I remember at the ticketing counter, I was busy using my mobile to sms (short message) message to my Beijing friend, with no choice my last message to her was I could only be there on 7^th May'05 in Beijing. She was laughing at me after so many messages and queuing so long, still cannot get early ticket to Beijing.

Well, no choice but at least I got the ticket to get out of Xian. You must be thinking why I went all the way there and I'm on the rush to get out of Xian, right? Let me tell you, my main purpose of going to Xian was to see Army of Terracotta Warriors only, never plan to stay more than three days but with no choice I had to stay more than a week.

Have a look at Xian, it is a busy city life, I normally will not stay too long for a city life but since I was stuck in Xian, I'll plan and explore around. I wanted to explore outside of Xian but was afraid that I might not get any hotel during the China public holiday and I might have no room to stay when I returned to Xian, so I didn't make any move out.

After got my train ticket to Beijing, I walked back to my youth hostel, from train station taking a bus it takes about five minutes but walking take more than half an hour or more, I choose to walk back so I can explore and past by a sign “Internet Café”, immediately I went inside, read and reply my emails inside the air conditional environment. The day I step into Xian, it was so hot outside, it make me lazy to go anywhere else accept place that have air conditional.

In Xian, the most common place you will found me was in the Internet Café or my youth hostel room with my air conditional on. That day I've bought my train ticket and check my emails, a bit upset and walk slowly back to my youth hostel, I started to felt very emotional, holding deep breath inside of me.

When returned to youth hostel, chat with the staffs there and have fun joking (forget about my emotional), back to my room, there was a lady from Hunan has checked in and we were talking about visiting the Army of Terracotta Warriors, the others already went, accept her who was just arrived in Xian. Every one of us slept very late that night, in fact, almost every night I slept late (past midnight) when I was in Xian.

30 April’2005

In the morning (I don't know what time), all of us were still on bed sleeping; here come the Hunan lady woke me up, she was ready to dress up to go out, she woke me up to ask me whether I want to join her to Army of Terracotta Warriors, without thinking or look at my time, I was very blur and answer her “okay”, she went out the room and I slept back (ha..ha..). A few minutes later, she came back, she found me still on my bed, still never give up, woke me up again and said; let's go. Well, her second wake up call, I was awake and I get myself ready and went out with her while the rest of them were still sleeping and dreaming on their bed.

We were walking to the train station, I don't know why she was walking so fast, anyhow, I try to follow her footsteps, as we reach the train station, we told ourselves to had our breakfast (both breakfast and lunch) before we went visit with our empty stomach. As soon as we had our meal, we waited for the bus, as we were onboard the bus, we bought the two ways bus fare (cheaper).

On our way, we were spent time talking and getting to know her; she told me she would also visit the “Huaqing Chi” (Huaqing Pool) and she ask me whether I'm interested to go together, the same bus we were taking does past the place and our bus fare inclusive of pick up outside the Huaqing Pool.

As for me, I was interested on Army of Terracotta Warriors only, so she started her first visit at Army of Terracotta Warriors with me. As we reached, we bought our own ticket (RMB90) to go in, when we started to explore around, we had lost each other in our first hall, may be she needs to cover another place so she walked faster than me and try to finish the area as early as she can, when I knew she was not in the hall, I carry on my explore and walk to the 2^nd hall. Inside there are divided into few halls, showing different things. The last one was the Theater which many people had given it a miss; they think it is boring to watch someone talking.

I tell you, the theater tells stories and it had the surrounding screen show at all angles of the place, for example a group of army running from one end to another end, it will show; in front of your screen, you will see all the army front running towards you but when you turn around, you will see those that had run over, it show their back facing you, same as the side, it was very different theater to visit. If you have a chance to visit, don't miss the theater, I find it interesting.

Somehow, my Hunan friend had missed the theater also, when she went in, the show was not started so she walked out and visit other hall. I meet her again when I was finished the whole area, together we took the bus back, halfway she will a light to visit the Huaqing Pool, before reach, she was asking me again whether I want to join her, I told her I was not willing to pay the money to just see the pools and nothing else, hearing from me saying that, she kind of agree with me but later, she still decided to went in and visit. (my cash flow was running low, so I was trying to cut cost in visiting.)

The Hunan lady has the student pass with her, every place of interest she visit, she will gets 50% discounts, she can visit every place of interest she want which only needs to pay 50% of the entrance fees, there was no problem for her but for me I can't follow her everywhere she goes, to visit all the place of interest in Xian paying the full entrance fees is not cheap, in Xian there are so many historical side, Xian also know as the eastern terminus for the epic caravans of the Silk Road, by walking around, you could see things a bit different from Chengdu, so most of my time spent was walking, explore further, even walk out of the walls alone at times.

I think, I'd arrived Xian at the wrong timing, there are so much to see yet I was very reluctant to went for visit. At times, I rather stay in the room talking to roommates or in the youth hostel talking to the staffs. You may ask me why? It was because outside was so hot when I reached Xian in the month end of April'2005. The hot was worse than back home.

In the evening, the Hunan lady came back, she said; she was very disappointed going to the Huaqing Pool, it was what I've said; nothing much to see but she got a chance to shower inside one of the pool, she mention one of the pool was open for public to shower, I don't know how she did it, don't ask me, I've never asked her in detail as they were others in the room, so we were changing topic very fast in our conversation. We talk non-stop in the room; we were having fun talking until it was really late, the other two ladies wanted to sleep, so we try to keep silent by whispering. As it really gets very late, all has fallen a sleep accept the Hunan lady and me, we haven't got our shower so we went for shower before we went to bed.

Next day (1^st May'2005)

The China public holidays begin, everyone of us woke up late, the Hunan lady always the first one to wake up, she was like our morning alarm clock, everyone of us take her timing as wake up time. When she woke up, gets dress and ready to go out, somehow, I was awake by her opening of her locker sound. When I looked at my watch, knowing it was not early (9am plus), I woke up too and get ready to go out, as soon as I woke up, the one slept on top me, she is from Zhejiang province, she will woke up, when I woke up, if I sleep, she will also follow lazy around (ha..ha..), sometime I was not showing a good example to wake up early.

This day (1^st May'2005), two roommates will check out, the other one will check out to join her husband to another hotel and at the same time, she will brought her friend to check into our room. So left us three of us ready to go out, we were exploring out the whole day.

Wow…step outside the youth hostel, I was so shock of my whole life to see so many people on the streets, back home when it was our public holiday or weekend I try not to go out walking on the street, oh my goodness, here was twenty times worse than back home, it was fully pack with many people (countless) and the weather was so hot. That's why I've kept saying I came at the wrong timing. At the moment I step outside, I felt like telling two of them to go ahead on their own explore, I'm going back to the room or Internet Café but I didn't (ha..ha..).

The worse thing we did was on board the public bus to museum, oh my goodness, the whole bus was packed with people and it was difficult to get on board the bus and we hardly can walk through to the middle of the bus. When we finally pull ourselves through, standing on the bus we were standing so close to each other, face to face at the gap of our palm size so close, we were all wet like having sauna.

As soon as we reached, we a light the bus and I felt so release, after visited museum, they were planning to take a bus to visit the fountain in the noon, I told them, no bus please, shall we walk, end up the whole day we were on foot walking, poor thing, they had listen to me and agree to be on foot.

As we miss the fountain in the noon, we were planning to have lunch, the Hunan lady has read from Internet on one of the place got a famous local food, so we went and look for it. As we were on foot, on the way, we saw ice-cream we were ate it, as we saw some snacks, we were bought it and ate it along our way to the place she mention, those foods we ate has kept us from hungry. It takes us few hours to reach and searching for the stall, we can't believe it, we were at the area the Internet said but yet we could not find it, we gets very hungry after so many hours walk, it was our lunch and it turn out to be our dinner, we finally give up searching the stall, we went in to a stall to eat the local food. The Hunan lady loves to taste different foods, she read a lot about Xian foods, as for me, when I visit a place, I don't read about food, I eat it as and when I see it interesting and I buy it to try it.

Well, after we had our dinner, we happen to past by the stall which we wanted, we were so mad at it when we saw the sign. We were so full, of cause we walk away and walk back to our hostel. We really walked a lot and we reached the hostel late at night, we quickly had our shower and catch our sleep.

Next day, as they are planning to go visit some places, I told them to go ahead without me, as both had their student pass to visit those place of interest, if I follow them it will cost a lot of money for the day, furthermore outside have so many people and hot. I decided to go internet café to seat there, read and write emails, that day, I was alone, I found a restaurant, after I had so much Xian local food, I was getting sick of it, the book mention their local food is good, I don't find it so, finally saw this restaurant on the 2^nd level, I went up and order my lunch, wow… I had very nice lunch alone seating there.

After my lunch and the Internet café, I went to visit the Muslim Quarter, I meet the two China friends of mine (Hunan lady-address her as P friend, Zhejiang lady as L friend), together we were explore further to other place and till late night then we went back together.

Next day, they both went out together, again I did the same thing, never go out with them, after my lunch came back to the room, talking to my roommate, after an hour later, she went out and I started to write my journals as I was few days away, almost came back late every night, got no time to write it, since outside was so hot, I spent my afternoon writing my journals.

Writing about my journey from Chengdu to Xian, writing about things I've seen and experiences, when looking back time spent in Lijiang, I was at the emotional stage, no one was in the room, I was writing my feeling out on my book. I miss some people who I've meet along my journey. When I was about to finish writing, I look at my time, it was nearly dinnertime and both P and L friends were planning to go see the musical fountain, I suddenly remember that P friend will be leaving the next day, so I decided to meet up with them at the fountain, by sms message to them and letting them know where to meet up.

As soon as I had my dinner, I rush down to the place, there was traffic jam so when I reached there, the musical fountain just got over, nevertheless, I manage to meet up with them. As it was really pack with so many people, we decided to walk back as we did try to get a taxi back but there were a lot of people doing that and it was difficult to get a taxi. Walking back takes many hours but we don't mind, as we all knew that next day, our P friend would be leaving us, so we spent the whole night walking back to hostel.

Before we walk back, we kept on eating stick after sticks of food, until I've to stop them from further eating, it was getting late and we needs time to walk back. That night, I felt like we knew each other for many weeks but in actual facts we knew each other only a few days. We were happily walking back, we keep on pulling L friend's leg (joking with her) and we were laughing all our way back.

Just as we get closer to the youth hostel, our P friend disclose about her, she review it to us that she is not a student but holding others student pass. I was @#%^*@ to her for not telling me much earlier, she mentions to us that she is a working adult. L friend started to share with us she is a student in Haerbin, came to visit Xian for her school holiday and she study on laws. Her father wants her to finished her study and be a lawyer. Wow… never knows that I was talking to a future lawyer here. L friend will be leaving (4 May'2005) after P friend leave (3 May'2005), I see both off to the train station.

The day (3 May'2005) I had brought both L friend and P friend to the restaurant I had discover, we had a long lunch seating in the nice restaurant. After lunch, we went back to hostel and P friend needs to get last minutes shopping so she went out alone, as both of us, we were happily staying in the hostel in the air conditional area until P friend returned and both sent P friend off at the train station, in side the train station, she asked us; will we miss her, L friend kept very silent, as for me, I kept silent for a while and I replied to her; I'd this feeling (depart) many times after I've been traveling for a few months by now. I never directly answer what she had asked.

After P friend left, L friend and I were had our dinner at the near by train station restaurantl, we had a long dinner seating in the restaurant sharing. For the past few days, L friend was appearing to me as a playful person but that night, she was very serious seating and eating her dinner sharing about her personal problem. Hearing from her and see her, it reminds me of my past.

As next day came, I see L friend off and left me in the same room with all different roommates. The past few days happy atmosphere was no longer there. I felt lost and realize I do miss them when they left. As the room was fill up with all men, I requested to change room, I had change to another room nearer to the toilet.

Well, my journal in Xian gets a bit personal but that was what I felt and I do hope to meet up with them (P and L friend) again, I knew my visa was going to expired soon so if I could visit them before I returned to my home town it will be the best, otherwise, I don't know when we will meet up again. I'm glad to know them as a friend; they had brighter my days up while my stay in Xian with them. I believe they felt the same way as me.

Over all, I felt Xian people are friendly and helpful, there are a lot to visit and I had visited many places by walking and selective museum to visit. If you likes historical thing, Xian is a place for you. Their local food in Xian very different, personally I don't like it, I prefer the local food in Dali. If you are in Dali, try their local dry noodle, very nice.

Well, I hope, I've not bore you down on some of the personal feeling here. I end my Xian on 6^th May'2005, taking a night train to Beijing, it was seating ticket and it was terrible.

To read on my trip in Beijing…. click on next.

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