Zhong Lou Post Hotel Xi'an

... day off, followed by 4 nights and a day off. I am too polite to ask what she gets paid. I do wonder why she is doing factory work as she is clearly a smart girl. She has an amazing knowledge of Chinese history and regales us with details of dynasties and dates. Although her English pronunciation can be a bit odd she has a good vocabulary. It is truly wonderful to see her delight when she learns a new word or how to "speak it" as she ...

... overnight train to Chengdu and meet with Mimi's brother. We hope to climb Emmi Shan and then go to Shangrila. It seems to take about five or six days by bus to reach Shangrila, stopping at night of course.

It is very high altitude and Carl was afraid of getting cold so he has bought a very warm coat.

... called 'Baichi Xia' and 'Laojun Li' above which climbers reach Mt. Huashan's North Peak. There are precipitous cliffs on all sides of North Peak, making it look like a flat terrace in the clouds, hence the name Cloud Terrace Peak. It is 1,614 meters (about 5,295 feet) high. Three sides are cliffs and one side is to the 'Ca'er (the ear rubbing the cliff) Cliff' which is the fourth precipitous path where ...

... in distrust or amusement. The people in Xian were all quite friendly, and many are willing to practice English (other than the ubiquitous and annoying "Hello!" which follows tourists wherever they go in China, something which I am sure is a particular trial for non-English speaking tourists). It is a pleasure just to walk through the inner city of Xian. If they do open the tomb earlier than expected, I will certainly make an effort to visit Xian again.

... of Finlandia vodka was only $40 and a bit of Chinese lingo from Keith we were all set for the drinking games ahead. We introduced the group to a few drinking games we have learnt along the way and before we knew it we were on the second bottle of vodka. After that the night was a blur of dancing (on the bar), meeting the locals and the usual crazy antics, including me ordering a third bottle of vodka, for some reason I will never work out. Uuuuuurgh. The next morning ...

... loneliness from lack of human connection and frustration hit me. Despite the discontent, hunger compelled me to again brave the streets. As I trekked the pedestrian-packed "Muslim Quarter," the disarray overwhelmed me. I wanted to order food, but my limited communication tool of pointing was no longer useful because the outdoor grills required you to choose a combination of meats, sauces and vegetables-most of which were ...

... I gave up years ago thinking that here in China I can easily find a net bar each evening that will allow me to keep up to date on such things as a travelblog. Most have a Net Nazi on them that won't allow you into the sites you need to do such things. So what is the easier way? After discussing such things with my Singapore buddy Simon he informed me of the latest little nifty travelers companions. I was thinking ...

... on the history of the warriors and their creation was much encouraged). some research done on wikipedia (funny enough, wiki is banned in china, but its entry on the warriors didn't fail to pop up, and quickly at that), and we found ourselves hopping aboard the ubiquitous green "warrior buses" to bring us to the site, an hour out of town. the exhibit, consisting of three pits, a small museum for display and explanation of some of the chariots and weapons unearthed, and a cinema ...

... kinda merge into a mash of memories! But I went to all of the tourist sights, Forbidden palace, Summer Palace, Ti'anMen square, Silk Market, and god knows how many temples! Really had my fill of those now. Forbidden Palace was very good, although extremely freaking cold! Summer palace was the best I think tho. The frozen lake was awsome (pics only on facebook ATM). Went to see a Kung-fu show which was good, and the Opera ...

... side of my bathtub in Luoyang (boo!). Either I couldn't read the map right or the bookstore didn't exist anymore; I never found it. After that, I trekked up through the Muslim Quarter to the Great Mosque (established 742; rebuilt and restored heavily since then). In a mix of Arabic and Chinese styles, it is a walled complex consisting of several smaller structures, rooms and gates, mixed with trees and some flowers; visitors are only allowed in the courtyards. It was quiet ...