As I mentioned before, I'd been told I made the rookie mistake of booking too much time in Xi’an, a city considered "boring" by Beijingers. However, I really can’t complain, as the last couple of days have been my most relaxing in China so far. I’ve also saved a little bit of money, which I’m sure I’ll put to good use when I return to the Capital. Of course, there are still a few things left to do and see here, most of it related to two of my favorite things, history and gastronomy.
It was nice to not have to wake up for anything, and I took my time in the hostel lounge, relaxing with the staff and their dog Niu Niu, and learning how to play Jianzi. It’s basically a Chinese version of hacky-sack, except instead of a little beanbag, you kick around something that looks like a shuttlecock, with a base of tambourine-like jangles and four feathers poking out from the top. They also had a guitar sitting around, and I had no idea how much attention I would get by playing it. The hardest part was figuring out songs that the hostel staff and I both knew. They would ask if I’d heard of a group called Western Life, I would tell them that I hadn’t; then I would ask them if they’d heard of Radiohead, and they’d say “no”. It took a little bit, but I remembered that the only American artists I’d heard in China so far were Michael Jackson and The Eagles. They got really excited when I started strumming the opening chords to “Desperado”, and I proceeded to perform a handful of California Country-Rock hits to an attentive and gracious audience. Besides the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about the cab driver scene in The Big Lebowski, the funniest part about it all is that the Chinese term for “The Eagles” translates to “Castle in the Sky”. I have no idea why. Maybe there’s already a Chinese band that’s taken the name of the bird.
After my impromptu performance, I decided to walk the perimeter of town atop the old city wall. From a history-geek perspective, it made me appreciate the persistence of the Mongols, because it’s hard to imagine anyone successfully breeching it, as it is 59 feet wide, 39 feet high and surrounded by a moat. The ancient fortifications were cool, but what I liked most was having a bird’s-eye view of the sedulous street-life below. I mean, it’s great to observe postcard-perfect ruins, but it’s the smell of coriander rising from the kitchens and incense wafting from the Tibetan Lama Temple that I’ll remember most. I suppose that’s the whole point of actually coming here. If I were only interested in landmarks, I could just Google the pictures instead of subjecting my respiratory system to the heavy air, which has already left me with a nasty cough. I don’t have to dish out copious Kwai to be happy…simply wandering around a spot so foreign to me is rewarding on its own.
Luckily, the rain held out until right before I made my descent back onto the street. I walked about a mile in search of what is considered the oldest and best restaurant in town (Lao Sun Jia), and was happy to find it, since it doesn’t have an English sign. I had another bowl of yangrou paomo, some steamed dumplings and a half-liter of beer for the high-rolling price of nine US Dollars, which is twice as much as I’ve paid for any meal here. It was totally worth it though. I left Lao Sun Jia with a full belly and couldn’t stop muttering, “Wow, that was good.”
The rest of the day was spent doing some much needed laundry, and hanging out at the hostel bar with a crew of German guys, who had a Chinese roommate showing them around the country. One of them, whom I only know as “Bob” (he said his Russian name was not worth learning how to pronounce) was kind enough to buy my drinks. I really enjoyed my conversation with them. They wished me luck on the rest of my journey, and told me to get in touch with them if I’m in their neck of the Wald come June.
Now, it is nearing noon, and I am checking out of my room in order to check out some more of the city before I leave for Beijing via overnight train at 7:30. I’m thinking of trying to find a Sichuan place for lunch and sending out a few postcards. As luck would have it, today is the first day I’ve seen the sun since I got to Xi’an. It would’ve been a good day for Hua Shan Mountain, but oh well. I hear it’s also supposed to be nice in Beijing this weekend, and I’ve still got a lot of stuff left to see there.
