Xi’an

A night spent with a Chinese couple at very close quarters on a train who tried all night to out snore one another finally came to an end around 6:30 when the train’s radio system burst into life! Another train journey almost over and another night of around 3 hours sleep. The next 3 hours could have been like any commuter’s daily journey into London from Broxbourne each day – trudge through a few small towns, past loads of warehouses and factories (Brimsdown), then onto some ugly tower blocks (Edmonton) before promtly stopping and not moving just on the outskirts of the city for around 2 hours as other trains gloatingly speed past us! When we finally got moving again we pulled into the main station to be greeted by a bloody McDonalds and KFC! (Liverpool Street) Ohhh and it was raining and had been for some time looking at the huge puddles everywhere. Spent the rest of the day hiding out in the hostel after having tried to brave the weather but quickly giving up! Woke up the following day and yep it was still raining but not quite as hard so we jumped on a bus and headed out to see the Terracotta Warriors (see next blog) before coming back into town and just wandering the streets of the city where we stumbled across the muslim quarter, seemed a little wierd to me too! It was utter choas, full of street vendors, markets stalls, rickshaws and 1000’s of people – the smells, the colours, the wierd looking foods and god knows what else on offer – it was one big senses overload. Having made our way through the streets and past all the vendors unscathed without buying half a donkey’s leg for dinner or some turtles to make homemade soup, stopping only for some delightful roasted chestnuts and bizarre steamed rice donuts, we then headed back to the normality and sanctuary of the hostel bar!