Beijing-Xian

While Marco is trying new experience of cutting hair in Xian i have
time to summarize our almost one week experience in China. In 3,5 days
in Beijing we saw the Summer palace (besides being very beautiful, gives
an idea of how Chinese family could spent a weekend), the Prohibited
city (Elia did 1000 pictures and wants to come back there for another
day of visit), the Great Wall (we have seen a small sand tornado there,
thanks God it was small :) and secondly, 3 hours is not enough for the
Wall), the Temple of Heaven, and city centre with Hutongs. Hutongs are
old districts of Beijing, were mainly poor people live, children running
around, old people playing go, women with laundry,.. everybody smiling
and saying "ni hao". We have many possibilities to see local people
spending their time. There was an old man writing with water on the
asphalt or people singing and dancing just for themselves,.. to describe
local people we need a separate chapter.

Train from Beijing to Xian was very fine. I was probably the only one
who really slept all the night, Elia, Marco and Barbara had less
experience with night trains and their sounds, but at the end they could
get some sleep too. The train was clean and punctual. Toilets better to
use immediately, after they start to be a bit less usable but it did not
create us problems anyway. Upon arrival we met an Australian couple who
did not manage to get slipper tickets and they had hard sitter night.
This type of travelling is less advisable :) Our hostel had free pick up
and soon we were in our new accommodation for the next 2 nights. Very
clean, friendly and looked to be more of a hotel than a hostel. Small
rest and we are ready for the Terracotta army! Bus number 306 takes us
in one hour to the site. On the bus we get to know one Chinese girl who
speaks perfect English and gives us some culinary and sightseeing
suggestions for our stay in Xian. The Terracotta worriers (they say
there are 7000 of them, and it took 2,5 months for 2 people to make one
of them) is really 8th Wonder of the world. Around 7 we were back to
Xian and followed the suggestions of our Chinese friend met on the bus,
we went to the oldest restaurant in the city (opened in 1886) for the
soup of beef, noodles and spices, tasty!
Our food experience till now was interesting, very tasty and without
stomach problems (hope it continues like this further on). I think I
will need a separate post about our culinary adventures, now i would
only say that Chinese food outside of China has almost nothing to do
with local dishes.

OK, they have finished to cut hair for Marco, he is smiling and saying
"that is what is real massage and cut service"...

Today we have halara (relaxing) day in Xian, Elia and Barbara went to
the museum and we will go to the Muslim quarter.

Genia