8 - Around Xi'an

Food was a real treat in Xi’an. Fresh steamed buns right outside the hotel entrance were fabulous, & inexpensive at 2 yuan (AUD$0.40) for 4 dumplings. Then there was the Muslim Quarter, famous for its outdoor markets & a real hive of activity. On our first evening, a few of us ventured out there for dinner. I loved it. Everything is so confusing, there are so many things vying for your attention, you don’t know where to turn. People are squeezing past each other just to watch the street stall sellers cooking their goods. This was the first time I felt comfortable enough to venture out in the taste bud area & try different things without fear of waking up hugging a toilet bowl the next morning. And the food had a decidedly middle eastern flavour to it. Sweets made of ground hazelnuts & peanuts. Meats spiced with cumin & chilli & grilled over an open flame. Delicious!!!!!

On our free day (by myself again) I visited a number of sites. First the Bell Tower which has a really big bell that chimes & marks the middle of the city. Then the Drum Tower which looks almost exactly like the Bell Tower, but with drums instead of a bell. Then I scooted down into the Muslim Quarter for a look see, taking my time to soak it all up without feeling rushed or slowed by others. I checked out the Great Mosque which was there & also the Folk House which had a great tea ceremony as well as a shadow puppet show that I attended as the sole viewer.

In the afternoon, I went to the South Gate of the city wall. Xi’an is the only city in China, if not the world, that is still surrounded by a fully intact city wall marking the perimeter. Of course, centuries ago it was used for protecting the city from invaders. The others has hired a bike & cycled around the wall, which takes about 1 hour. At 6pm, after a full day of walking, I couldn’t be bothered. So I just had a small walk around then headed back (again) to the Muslim Quarter for dinner. There I met up with a young couple of Chinese students, one from Xi’an, the other from Beijing. We had a lovely chat about this, that & everything in between.

Back in my room, I readied myself for departure the next day so that my time in the morning would be completely freed up - or that was the plan anyway. Packing my backpack seems an endless task with rare moments of satisfaction. Prior to coming away, I’d done some trial packs & there was plenty of room for all the stuff I wanted to take away. But when it came to packing it all in again the night prior to leaving, it had suddenly ballooned into a pack bulging with goods. So, when it comes to packing up my bag every day or two, I’m once again confronted with this dilemma of working out how to fit all the stuff into the one bag. And, on top of that, it’s really heavy. My backpack & daypack would come in at around 20 kg - I feel like a pack donkey.