Has it really been since September 22nd that I’ve written anything here? That’s no good. At least I added the pictures of Golden Week so you could check those out. So let’s do a quick run-down of what happened in October and we’ll try to catch everyone up to current.
October went very quickly. October 1st kicked off National Day and marked Day One of our Golden Week vacation. It was a rocky start because Kirby and I changed our plans about ten times. We constantly had to make allowances for not knowing exactly how much time we had off (thank you University faculty) and not being able to book train tickets (thank you poorly put together Chinese rail system). But eventually we did manage to put ourselves onto a 20 hour train bound for Xi’an, the former capital of China. When I say “former capital,” I mean the real deal ancient China. In fact, Xi’an is the only Chinese city with a fully intact city wall surrounding its center. So on our first day there we biked around the wall to take in the city. On bike, the whole trip took a little over an hour and a half. The wall was built with rough brick but it looked like it could easily weather another thousand years if it needed to. How did the wall survive so long you ask? You probably didn’t ask, but I’m going to tell you because I asked. Xi’an has never been attacked by an invading force. Lucky.
So that’s what we did on the first day. On the first night, Kirby and I put together a motley crew of travelers and backpackers and we took off for dinner and the bar. It turns out that Kirby and I know more Chinese now than we thought as we ended up ordering the dinner for the table…which is a pretty impressive trick among basically strangers. Then we asked the hostel’s reception for advice on nearby bars. The best bar in Xi’an was located two blocks from the hostel. Even with the unimpressive name of “Club 1+1,” it was one of the most impressive clubs I’ve been to. Complete with lush sofas, choreographed shows, live statues, and a swimming pool (that’s right), Club 1+1 lived up to its reputation. After a long time of soaking up local color, the group decided to head home. Luckily, we were all sharing the same home that night. On the way back, a few people decided 3am is a good time for food (which, to be honest, it is). College drunk food means Taco Bell or pizza to me, but evidently Xi’an has a different idea. Everything was closed except for food stalls on the streets (during the day time these stalls crowd the streets and frequently take up full roads). Tonight, there were just the two that we passed. Just the two greatest food stalls ever. One offered up delicious fried rice, complete with a huge leg of chicken. The other offered perfectly stir-fried vegetables with your choice of sauce (I went with the peanut Thai sauce, I have no regrets). The only sad part is that these stalls seem to only appear past midnight. Look for them during the daylight hours and you’ll find nothing there…no traces.
That’s ok though, because the next day we went to the Muslim Quarter (read: greatest gauntlet of street food ever). Given that I’m not entirely sure about the names of the foods and the fact that you wouldn’t know what I was talking about anyway, let’s just say that the buffet of kabobs, flour cakes, boiled/stir-fried/flame-kissed vegetables, and wide array of mystery meats mixed together to create a tiny pocket of ecstasy in central Xi’an. To make it even better, the main tourist shopping alleys are located in the Muslim Quarter. When I say shopping alleys, I don’t mean the overpriced Rolex galleries or Louis Vuitton stores (they’re there too). I mean the shady, “where did you possibly get this stuff?” type of markets. It gave us a good chance to practice our Chinese bargaining skills and the ever-sharp (and previously mentioned) shopkeeper deathblow technique. We bought a few gifts along the way but nothing too big; it’s still early in our trip. If we buy souvenirs now then we’ll have to hoard them for 8 more months until the long road home.
On the next day, we were forced to leave our hostel and move to another part of town near the city gates. No big deal; it’s Golden Week and the place is crowded. The second hostel is much more cultural and had a nice, traditional look about it but the atmosphere didn’t allow you to meet too many other backpackers. Still, the Xiangzimen Hostel was worth seeing. We then traveled to another hostel the day after that; one much farther outside the city. It was located near Da Yan Ta…or Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The Pagoda is surrounded by a huge park which includes the largest music fountain show in Asia, as well as the second greatest gauntlet of street food ever. At this new hostel, which had changed names causing us to walk an extra 20 minutes in a circle, we discovered a whole new set of friends including two Irish girls, two English guys, and three Americans. It was a good group and, because the hostel wasn’t well-located, we spent the nights talking and drinking until the late hours in the lobby.
Kirby and I had meant to stay for 4 days in Xi’an. Due to the trains and the crowds though, we ended up staying 6 full days. The first 4 were great but the last two dragged on. The weather became cold and wet. Our friends left for their next destinations. It was as sad as a vacation could be (which is still pretty happy). Near the end, we visited the Terra Cotta Warriors. It’s an impressive sight and unbelievable to think that such a thing existed under people’s feet for so long without ever being found, but it was just a little bit disappointing. More because you tend to build it up in your head before you get there. One cool fact though…the main tomb of the Emperor still hasn’t been opened because the traps that have been set are too dangerous. The slaves and engineers who built the tomb were killed and buried in it to preserve the secrets. Think Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. You know at the end when they have to go through the gauntlet of traps (how many times can I use the word “gauntlet” in this post?).
Finally, we boarded the train at the end of the week and began the trip home. One quick story about the ride home. As Kirby and I were walking along towards the dining cars, we met two British foreigners and sat down to talk with them. As we were there, a Chinese conductor passed our beds (we were in a sleeper car) and picked up Kirby’s cell phone so that it wouldn’t be stolen. Seems a nice enough gesture. But then he passed us and began to question if we had lost our phone (this was being translated by some nearby Chinese). Not having been back to our bunk, we said no. He never even showed us the phone, which would have cleared up the whole thing. We had to return to the bunk, realize the situation, and then find the guy to beg the phone back. And he was irate! What was he mad about? The punk stole our phone!
Alright, so then we arrived home safe and sound. And exhausted. But happy. Let’s call this the Golden Week Entry.
