a.k.a. Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Bikes
We were up at the crack of dawn this morning to head to Xian. We took the MagLev train to the airport. We were on the first train of the morning, and they don't run quite as fast at that time. We only got up to around 300 km/hour (or 180-ish mph). It was a smooth ride and we rolled into the airport in about 8 minutes. The flight to Xian took about 2 hours and then there was another 1 hour bus ride.
We had lunch at Xian's famous dumpling restaurant. Our favorite dish, yet again, was the lotus root. Although the local beer on draught wasn't too bad, either!
Then we walked to the South Gate of Xian. The wall that was built to surround and protect the city still stands today. We rented bikes and took the 14 km route all the way around the wall. It was really interesting to see the city from above and also to see how it had grown outside of its boundaries.
After the long bike ride, we were quite tired and decided to take it easy. We went to the Muslim street market for dinner and had some traditional dishes. Our favorite was a beef noodle soup with pieces of bagel-like bread torn up in it and served with a side of chili sauce and pickled garlic. It was so yummy that we forgot to take a picture! We also found some nice sweets and enjoyed them back in the room, along with a Tsingtao beer from the mini-bar. Good times!
Next Stop: Terra Cotta Warriors
Anne & Juergen
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