Caves, gigantic Buddha and Stone Soldiers

After writing the last post... i started hanging out with the chinese people in the hostel. They were nothing like the picture i had about a chinese perosn before. You know... small shy nerdy looking , always hanging on the computer playing WOW ... going to bed at 9 o clock and afraid to speak with anybody.

These guys were awesome man. They showed me some magic tricks with poker cards and with cigarettes... they were playing guitar and were talking and laughing the whole night. Later they asked me if i want to smoke bong with them. Bong isn't my thing though. We talked on chinese the whole night.

We took a train to DongHuang the next day. The train went through the Taklamakan Desert. I've never seen a desert before, except in Tv. Seeing it with your own eyes and being in the middle of it is a totally different feeling.

In the train

I've seen more of the chinese customs that we do not find normal in Germany. Still in the train, i've been woken up by an old guy who was spitting his lungs out every 5 minutes. Nobody seemed to be bothered about it.

Even girls spit here. In the train station we were waiting for the train and a lady walked past us. All of a sudden she stops .. spits a green goo out of her mouth and then walks again as if nothing happened.

I guess what must come out must come out.

A taxi took us through the desert again 200 KM to the Caves and back. The guy was an asshole... he wanted 600 Yuan from us. We gave him the money or else we would miss the train further to XiAn. Fuck him! Taxi driverswant to rip you off everywhere, not only in China.
So, if you ever go with a taxi in China, tell them to turn on the Taxometer, or whatever that funky machine is called.

The caves in Donghuang

DAMN! I just saw a humongous Buddha. His big toe was about the size of my upper body. He was built in one of the caves.
There were places to live and temples sculpted in the mountains. I saw this on tv once when i was a kid.
It seemed a big bigger on TV. But it was impressive.

Train to Xi AN

We were really happy to find tickets for Xi An.

Well... there is always a catch to every good thing.

The good part was.. that we found the train and that a day after we will arrive.

The bad part, we only noticed it when we got inside the train.

                            24 hours until Xi An - 无座   .... which means standing places.

The train to xi an - it looked like those trains from India, where there are so many people that some have to stand on the train.
Well, i'd like to say something good about this experience but it was shit man.

I slept on the floor and had to get up every time somebody was coming through with a big bag, or the nice fat lady with the wagon full of FangBianMian and drinks was passing by to sell her stuff.

Well ... every experinence is a good experience if you see it from the right perspective.
I played cards with some chinese guys and we practiced out chinese a lot.

..............................................we have to take a shower again. we smell funky

西安

It's nice to stretch your legs on the street. God damn! i never knew that just a simple action like walking would make me feel so good. After twenty hours of compact train riding... a little walk and fresh air was better than ..... well i can't think of anything... but it was awesome.

We went to the Xiangzimen hostel. I didn't like it so much. it looked like a hotel and the people weren't so chilled as in Urumqi. They were using that distant politeness that i really dislike.

I washed my clothes again, but two days after that they werre still wet. Right now they are still wet in my bagpack.

XiAn is really beautiful. If i ever come to china to work, i want to go to XiAn. It's very modern, but not western... it still has this chinese touch to it. The city is 3500 years old. It used to be the Capital of China in an earlyer dinasty. The old part of the city is surrounded by Towers and big walls.

Tomorow Sebastian and I will take different roads. He's going to Nanjing. I'll be hanging around for a semester in Beijing. So, i guess we have to celebrate.

After cleaning up we went out for a snack.

With full bellies we walked past a massage place. And then we walked back to the massage place.

105 Yuan for 100 minutes. Why not.

Let's just say it was exactly what we needed...

There was a party street right next to the Hostel. Full of bars on every side. In front of every bar there was an angry chinese guy who was yelling at you to choose his bar.
Basti and I decided to go in three bars and drink one in each.
        We didn't plan for what happended next.

After two hours we were still in the second bar surrounded by chinese people who were pouring us beer and what not in our glasses. We met a group of law students with their teacher ... they were out drinking. The teacher was drunk as hell and always talking to us. We sang Karaoke. Every bar had live music.
        I'm seeing beautiful girls everywhere.. but it seems that only dudes come to me and say "Ni hen shuai de!"..  and that's weird.

The next day

Sebastian leaves to Nanjing in the morning.
After waking up ... i go buy a Marker from the supermarket and then start writing on the walls of the Hostel. That's one cool thing about hostels man.. you can leave your mark behind.

Terracota Army of Xi An

Now this i would have never thought i'd see with my own eyes. I saw this in tv and read about it in the magazines. It was discovered in the 70's by some farmers. The Pottery soldiers dated back from the Qin dinasty. There were three pits discovered until now. Hundreds of soldiers (from archers to foot soldiers.. horses, carriages, bowmen to generals) were dug out. All soldiers have their own unique face. what a majestic view.
I'll put in some pictures later...

I love chinese food man. I got a beer belly right now...

Bobby

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