Today we check out of the hotel and spend the morning in Beijing.
The road in Beiluogouxian is right in the middle of Beijing. It was built in the Ming Dynasty. It all seems to be geared towards tourists. It is, but the old small streets could stay that way and were not modernized, actually a nice thing. After a while we didn’t feel like we were in Disneyland anymore.
In a small side street there used to be these huge cigarettes to buy. You could just imagine how it used to smell here and how busy it was. In one of the shop windows there was a beautiful dark blue wooden fan with small painted flowers. so beautiful… but the journey still takes too long to buy it, not that it will break on the way.
We stroll on and come to the Shichahai Lake. Really pretty here. There is real coffee at the Mountain Cafe. Also with oat milk from Oatly.
It reminds a little of Amsterdam, the bridges, the shops, even the bicycles. The area belonged to the brother of the emperor.
It is spring and it is also very beautiful in Beijing.
A rickshaw ride… Sylvia was not so enthusiastic. But as the saying goes, hunger comes with food. 25 minutes along the lake and through the small alleys. Very relaxed, spring blows around your nose, very beautiful. The lilac is already blooming and smells beguiling.
And we had a lot to laugh about with our drivers. In the beginning he was rather sluggish, but then he started to challenge younger riders. It was fun.
And now? Goodbye to Beijing and off we go with the high-speed train to Xi’an.
But first through a security check. Spray cans over 150 ml are not allowed, we were not aware of that at all. And so Sylvia’s hair mousse stays in Beijing. And if you know her, you know that she didn’t find it amusing at all. Every year about 65 million passengers travel here, our trip to Xi’an over 1250 km takes 4.5 hours and is super punctual.
Without our guide Andy, we would not have found the train so relaxed. Show the pass again, it is linked to the ticket. And then it’s time to say goodbye. Thank you Andy, we had a good time with you and our driver.
We sit comfortably in a two-seater seat with plenty of legroom. Now we whiz through the area at 350 km/h. Past huge fields, fruit tree plantations, greenhouses and tree avenues.
The speed is very impressive. You can’t take a sharp photo out of the window anymore. But the view is incredible. The vastness, the fields. And again gigantic residential silos in the suburb of a city. Unimaginable to live like this. The landscape changes, it becomes hilly, terraces are carved into the hills. Now and then there are also abandoned villages with crumbling brick buildings. For bridges, wide streets and residential silos. You can hardly believe it. This huge contrast between the modern and the old. We are speechless. Xi’an is incredibly big. Whole high-rise plantations. Endless numbers, absolutely surreal. 12.5 million people live and work here.
With our drivers we reach our destination in half an hour. Eaton Hotel in Xi’an A great hotel welcomes us and the visa for Tibet is already ready at the reception. Wonderful, everything worked out.
Here around the corner briefly something to eat, it is already 8 pm. The waitress assigns us a large table and is ready with the digital menu. She shows us chicken and beef dishes. Spontaneously, a chicken pot catches our eye. Also a plate with something green with something unidentifiable white, rather wrinkled looking something. Markus waves off my doubts and so that is also ordered.
Oh my god that was delicious, it was like cress salad with large leaves and raw walnuts, all garnished with lemon and chili. Wonderful…
Only the chicken pot was a long time coming. When it finally came, it was clear why it took longer. On a bed of mild garlic, ginger and onions, the chicken parts lay in a ceramic pot that came straight from the hot oven. Garnished with mint. Again, we were absolutely positively surprised. It was great.