Day 49: Today I Woke Up in Xi’An, China.

Today marks my first week in China, although it feels as if way more days have passed. In the past week I spent 4 nights in Beijing, 1 on a train, and 3 in Xi’An. Knowing that I sound so very cliche, the emotional roller coaster has been real.

(At the Forbidden City on my first day in Beijing, while life still made sense.)

Fun fact: many cultures reference a different language as a way to describe something that sounds strange to them. For example, English and Persian speaking countries use the term “it’s all Greek to me”; Serbs and Slovenians use “Spanish villages”; Turks say “I am French”; Greeks along with many other languages say “that’s Chinese to me”. Chinese on other hand completely disregard all other languages, and instead, in order to describe something they don’t understand, they call it “chicken intestines” in Cantonese, and “heavenly script” in Mandarin. 

(The Temple of Heaven in Beijing: a lucky shot lacking any humans, right before the crowds began pouring again in the space.)

I have plenty of equally beautiful and frustrating snapshots from my trip in China so far. The first 24 hours were extremely smooth to the point that it got me thinking that I’ve finally mastered my own made up “the first day is the key day” concept: the concept that describes the feeling of being confused upon arriving to a new country about its currency, taxi/bus/train system, culture, and food – the basic needs. It usually takes me a full day to get somewhat accustomed to all this and overcome the biggest part of my confusion, and therefore I call this first day the “key”. After the key day everything (usually) gets better, eventually presenting various other unexpected surprises to overcome – and honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s in the bumps of the road that one gets to know themselves better, and deeper, and it’s the bumps that offer the greatest of growth. 

(My very first meal in China: spicy hot peppers with pork. I was sweating, eyes watering, but when I finished it I got a high five from my server.)

My first evening and the following day in Beijing were too normal. I found yummy food close to my hostel, I had a good night’s sleep, I even had a strong cup of coffee, and visiting the Forbidden City was amazing: my key day was successful. It was the third day that brought me to tears with frustration and genuine wonder about my time in China. However, I’ve been there/seen this before, and before too long I was back to my usual self, remembering that it’s never personal, but rather some countries can be harsher than others. 

(The Bell Tower in Xi’An. No matter how rough some days may be, it’s the night that helps soothe the mind and recalibrate the spirit to its higher intentions.)

I had two errands set for the day, and both failed miserably: finding the train ticket office that was supposedly close to my hostel was impossible, and the official Chinese post office would not ship a package for me (with their little English they told me chocolate explodes on airplanes, this was their excuse) and they were all out of postage stamps. I found myself hitting a wall with the locals not speaking English and being unwilling to cooperate with me when I used an online translating application. At that point I had to stop, remind myself to breathe, reorganize and take it from the beginning. Indeed, after having a healthy portion of Beijing Duck – one of the best meals I’ve ever had – I walked to the actual train station to get a ticket, and on the way there I found a different post office that was willing to offer me their services even if they didn’t understand English.

(Too hungry and excited for a proper picture of this amazing dish, this is the only picture I have to remember. However, its taste will live on.)

Visiting the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall left me with a better impression of Beijing. The hundreds of people crowding the first two made me join a small tour to a more secluded part of the Great Wall just to be able to enjoy it in peace. And indeed this I achieved.

(The Great Wall tour I chose visited Bandalin, a part that’s not touristy and yet breathtaking literally and metaphorically. I spent 3hrs hiking with little or other people around, soaking in this unique achievement of the Chinese mentality.)

The art, the history and the culture represented by these monuments are breathtaking – although once again absolutely patriarchal – and show how much the human kind can achieve when pushed in the right direction.

(The Terracotta Warriors in Xi’An, the inanimate army dated from the late third century, found by villagers digging a well in 1974. Created to guard the first emperor of China in the after life, only 2,000 of them have been unearthed, while it is believed that 6,000 more are still buried along with their horses and chariots, all waiting patiently, sealed and protected from the current harmful environmental conditions.)

The 13hr overnight train ride to Xi’An was tiring, however, my hostel is one of the best I’ve had so far during my travels. It is located on the Muslim Quarter with lots of food shops and interesting sights close by.

(Bright lights, couples, families and youth, all present at the Muslim Quarter in Xi’An. Oh and a handful of western tourists watching everything, some mouths gaping with hunger and some with amazement.)

The most interesting connection I’ve made so far is with a Chinese 50yo lady volunteering at my hostel in order to learn English. In exchange for spending some of my time chatting with her she offered to take me to a cooking school for free, which I thankfully accepted. And just like that, I found myself spending the better part of the next day at a modern cooking school where people of all ages pay to spend 3-4 days learning how to make basic Chinese dishes. The food industry in China is definitely thriving whether it is directed to tourists or locals, and having some cooking skills can only lead to something prosperous for these people. As a guest I was able to taste the food the teachers and the students made, making it some of the best food I’ve had so far in China. After five hours of watching them making delicious dishes and trying them all, I returned to my hostel full and happy, having a few new ideas for creative spicy dishes. However, a few hours later and although I told myself to take a walk to help with my digestion, I ended up eating more new food. How can I resist trying all this wonderful and cheap tastes parading all around me?

(Colorful, imaginative, beautiful and of course, tasty. The food in China is everything I could ask for.)

It’s been a week since I arrived and I finally get to feel a bit more relaxed, although China has its way to keep me on my toes. It’s in the traffic,it’s in the feeling of being constantly surrounded by hundreds of people, it’s in the general absence of English even in some of the most touristy places, it’s in the thick pollution that blocks the sun. All of my senses are constantly intruded, reminding me I am in a different world, one that gives the word adventure a new meaning, one that I would not go as far as to call it chicken intestines, but it’s definitely all very, very Chinese to me.

(The more I see the less I know has never had a truer ring than during my time in China.)

To be continued…