Xi'an adieu

Tonight is my last in Xi'an, and I plan to enjoy it!

I'd contemplated adding a destination between Xi'an and Beijing,
either the sleepy, historic town of Pingyao, or Datong, situated near
some of the most amazing Buddhist sculptures, around 50,000 of them,
housed in nearby caves. After looking at the uncertainties with
connections (like a hotel memorialized in song, it may be possible to
get to those towns, but difficult to leave), I decided to keep with
the original plan and continue on directly to Beijing. I have booked
my sleeper train and hostel, and am again having that feeling of
having achieved some level of comfort navigating a place (including in
this case Xi'an's convoluted municipal bus system), only to pack up
and move on. Alas.

On that score, I have already started a list of all kinds of amazing
places that just won't fit in my month-long itinerary, and yet have
been highly recommended, many of which could reward a month-long visit
(or more) by themselves: Hong Kong, Tibet, the Jiuzhaigou nature
reserve, Guilin, Tai Shan, the beaches of Qingdao, and the list keeps
growing. This is a big place!

Imagine the converse: I've been asked several times where someone with
a month to spend in the U.S. should go. I now pose that question to
you. How would you advise an eager traveler with phrasebook English
visiting the U.S. for 30 days to spend their time? Post your two-cents
in the comments.

--

This morning I visited the Banpo Neolithic Village, the remains of a
settlement that existed circa 4,500 B.C. about 5 miles outside of
present-day Xi'an. It was a remarkable to see so many artifacts from
daily life so long ago, including some inscribed with a very early
form of Chinese characters. This civilization is believed to have been
matriarchal (an aspect overlooked in the dioramas of village life,
which contained exclusively male figurines), and made impressive
advances in pottery, weaving, agriculture and architecture.

Tomorrow, I head to my last historical stop near Xi'an, a tomb that
features terracotta statues of a different, far less militaristic
variety than yesterday's: the Tomb of Han Jing, a reportedly revered
ruler who used the Taoist principle of wuwei (non-action) during his
reign, which people understandably might appreciate better than the
ruthlessness of Emperor Qin.

But first, later tonight, I'll find some food and catch an 8:30
(sharp!) show at the Xi'an Turf Club. And then we'll see how China
rocks, baby.

My hostel roommate and new friend Nora departed for Suzhou today. She
and I arrived on the same train from Chengdu, where she is planning to
spend her second year dedicated to the study of Chinese language and
culture. It was great to travel Xi'an with her, especially given her
ability to read signs (most of which are only in Chinese characters),
ask for directions (and -- get this! -- understand the responses) and
converse (read: bargain) with vendors. Her knowledge of the language
and willingness to share it were terrific, and sorely missed as I now
return to the realm of single-word utterances ("Where <pointing at
Chinese characters in guidebook>?"
"Thanks!", "Sorry.", "Delicious!").

You know, "Thanks! Sorry. Delicious!" is about the best three word
summary of the trip so far I can imagine.

The last 24 hours in Xi'an will no doubt be memorable, however
succinctly they are described.