To Xi'an and back again

7/15/2012

Humble Beginnings

Jackie and I set off on our great Xi'an adventure and of course, always up for a new experience, decided to take the train...ahem...the 20 hour over-night train. If we only knew what was in store for us as we boarded our clunky red and grey train, we might have considered rethinking our decision. After waiting a while for the train people to try to open the rusty train car door, we all flooded into the train. I looked in amazement at what stood before me...a tiny compartment with two triple bunks, no doors and no privacy. There were other 66 people joining us for this 20 hour train ride. Jackie and I struggled to get up into our top bunk, which we had been told by people were referred to as the "coffin bunks". They couldn't have been more right!! We could not even sit up and could barely roll over!! Jackie and I just cracked up as we crawled into the tiny space onto sheets that had not been changed in quite some time....What a start to our adventure!! As we settled down to sleep, the lights were still on at 10 pm...hmm...and they were blasting some sort of Chinese rap music combined with a harpsichord. With all that and the many people chatting up a storm all around us and the AC blasting us from the ceiling, lets just say it was a very long night!! :)

Wait...THIS is our train...ohhh boy, they can't even get the door unjammed to let us in the train....

Jackie just stretching her legs...

All of our train-car roomies...what a Partayyy

I seriously am STUCK!!! ahh!!

The lovely family next-door that we played several card games with...well the best we could w/o being able to speak Chinese!!

Awesome Hostel

Once we got to Xi'an we were overjoyed to reunite with Tyler!!

A delicious Breakfast at Han Tang Hostel

Bacon, eggs, toast, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms!!! What a feast!!

Of course...with Coffee

Venturing around Xi'an

As soon as we got off the train and dropped off our things at the hostel, we jumped right in, and headed to the Great Xi'an Ancient City Wall!! Jackie and I rode a tandem bicycle and had a great time and Tyler went the safe route and decided to ride a solo bike. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to bike around the city walls! It was a lot of fun!!