I always seem to write this when I'm just about to get on a train, and well, big surpise, I'm getting my train to Kunming tonight. I'm pretty sad I think as I'm looking forward to being on a train for a couple of days as I quite like them now. I'll try and make sure to get in the right compartment today...

I hope you like the photos. I have more to come but the computers here are v e r y s l o w.

Since my last entry I have learnt to haggle somewhat more effectively and learnt a few drinking games (it was meant to be learning Chinese games night but they cancelled it so we made up our own version of game night). I was quite nervous the first night on my own when I went to the bar and started off sat on my own reading (still Anna Karenina, it was a good one to take. Though I was hoping to read a book for every country I was in and I'm still in the literary world of Russia). But after being asked to move because I was taking up a whole table (which offended me slightly until the same thing happened the second night when there were 5 of us at a table and we were asked to move because "some Chinese people want to sit down" so I guess it's just how they do things) I met an American who was teaching in Shanghai.

(I fear I may be overusing parenthesis)

I've met a lot of people who are teaching in and around China, in fact 90% of the people in hostels are teachers. It's quite good especially as I'm thinking of doing something similar after my trip. They all have positive experiences and apparently it is really easy to get a job.

My exploration of the cultural highlights of Xian has extended to the Terracota Warriors and general wanderings around. The warriors were pretty cool and you do have to visit the actual site to get a feel for the extent and scale of them as there are around 8000 individual warriors, all life-size, and all different as they are modelled on the actual army of an important emperor (whose name escapes me). The figures are incredibly detailed, even down to the tread on the shoes. It's kind of creepy as they are modelled on the real people so it's a bit like looking at ghosts. Especially as the emperor had all his soldiers murdered to keep the secret. He was slightly loopy as he had all these soldiers made because he thought he was going to carry on ruling in the afterlife or would need protection. Surely then he should have made a terracota replica of himself? Hah! I can out-think the mad man. Though what does that say about me?

Other than that I've been wandering round Xian's Muslim Quarter, which is full of narrow little streets filled with street vendors selling noodle soups, pancakes and kebabs (the stick kind not the greasy takeaway kind), butcher shops (which are really cool as they just have the whole pig carcass hanging in the door), lots of fire and lots of people riding around on bikes.

I have decided I do not like the roads in China. They have these "crossings" which look like zebra crossings (and I quickly learned they are not) but the traffic doesn't stop. It's not so bad when it's a small road but I had to cross an 8 lane roundabout earlier and was convinced I was going to meet my maker. And I haven't even made my terracota army yet. It literally took me 30 minutes to get across this road as every time I edged out a car would come hurtling round the corner and I'd scuttle back to the pavement whimpering. I eventually made it halfway across and some cars actually stopped for me as I think I looked quite petrified standing there in the middle of the road. They probably thought "bloody foreigners". Even the pavements aren't safe, I had a car drive at me at about 20mph blasting it's horn yesterday, on the pavement!

I also had to go and pick my train tickets up for the next leg, and had some random directions to a door behind a warehouse at the back of a supermarket which looked like somebody's house, and I did get some very curious looks while trying to pretend I belonged there. By the way, the Lonely Planet Xian chapter is rubbish. Nothing is where it says it is and it's largely inaccurate, and where it's not it's out of date.

My hostel is very nice though (Shuyuan) as it's one of those old courtyard houses. There's a pretty good bar (even if we get moved out of the way) and they give guests a free beer. For some reason there seem to be more staff than guests in an army of red Converse hoodies and they don't seem to do a lot of work though are all very friendly and helpful. Oh, and there is a dog and budgies so I'm happy :)

Will update in Kunming (if I make it across the road!)