Xi'an or Bust!

After visiting a few more sights in Beijing, including the fabulous Temple of Heaven Park where we witnessed Chinese truly letting it all hang out, Matt and I high-tailed it to Xi'an on our quest to see the Terracotta Warriors.
Wow, that was a long sentence. Wait, Chinese letting it all hang out..? What does that mean? Well, here is what we saw: Karaoke, and lots of it. I am talking portable, I am going to the park to sing as loud as I want through my own mic and my own speaker, karaoke. We saw a very old man singing all by himself in one corner of the park, and in another corner, we saw a crowd dancing and going wild over a much more sprightly rock-star looking guy singing quite a catchy tune. I couldn't help but join in just a little!
There is more than just that- there is also the eating. I think I have already mentioned the plethora of bizarre foods available on the streets in China. Matt has taken to the random meat-on-a stick variety, or what I like to call "street meat", while I have gotten much more excited about things like candied strawberries and dried kiwi. Either way, the Chinese know how to chow down. And at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, they all seemed to gather in this one spot to fulfill their appetites. When Matt and I investigated further and read the historical sign attached to this particular spot, we learned that it is called "The Animal Killing Pavilion". Apparently in ancient times it was the place where animals were sacrificed for the Emperor. Oh, and as the sign explained, the animals were beaten on the head before being killed, and therefore, it is also called "The Animal Beating Pavilion". I am not kidding. And now? Popular picnic spot. Why not?!
OK, back to our trip to Xi'an. We took a taxi to the bus station where we had tickets booked on a 5:45 overnight bus. We left our hotel at around 4:45, and after an hour of hailing a cab and painfully waiting out the horrible Beijing traffic, we arrived at 5:50. Yes, that means we were late. Picture a 6'4" man and his 5'11" wife running through a crowd of considerably shorter people to try and make a bus. It must have been quite a scene. I am sure I would have laughed, if I hadn't been living it. Luckily, with the aid of the ever-helpful and ever-friendly Chinese people, we made our way to where our bus was, and it had not left yet. We were the last ones on, but gosh darn it, we got on! Phew!
The bus was a trip in of itself. It was what is known as a "sleeper bus". Instead of the typical upright chair set-up I have seen on every other bus in the world, on this one you are provided with a mini-bed to recline on for the entire trip. You get a blanket and a pillow, and a spot to out your shoes and belongings. Your feet go into a little "foot cubby"- perfect for my height, but a little short for that 6'4" husband of mine. Nevertheless, this means of travel is nothing short of excellent. I slept away the hours! And there were LOTS of hours- 18 to be exact. There were also Chinese movies and variety shows on a continuous loop, so if you couldn't sleep, you could recline and be entertained. I have never felt more refreshed getting off a bus after such a long ride, I will tell you that! Somebody needs to bring this mode of travel to the U.S.!!!
We arrived at our hostel and instantly fell in love. The hostel is a historic site, in that it was the headquarters for the local branch of the Red Army in the 1930s. There are blow-up photos of Mao's right-hand men hanging on the walls! It has also been named in the top ten best hostels in the world by Hosteling International! The hostel has all these beautiful little courtyards and a yummy restaurant, and the room is very spacious. Nice digs, Red Army!
So, we are comfy and happy....let the adventures begin....