Day 17 - Xi'an

Xi'an walkabout (David) There is a musical clock in the old city! Six a.m. is heralded by a faint and strangely appealing sound which I finally realize is a marvellous time piece. I decide to collect a sample of its  voices in the wee hours. Today we eat breakfast in the hostel before trying to find train tickets to our next destination. The "American" which consists of orange juice, bacon, sausage, potato medallion, two fried eggs and today with butter and jam works well, as does coffee. We hang up our laundry and venture to the train station outside the wall on the north east corner. Snow is coming down and there is a current in the air insisting that winter is not done with us just yet. We are edge\y. I am still not sure how to get around in this city and unconfident of my footing in the slush; or maybe it's the other way around. Elizabeth seems extra cautious of my footing too. For their parts, our fellow pedestrians seem distracted too, which also has me uncomfortable. North of the Drum Tower is a well run market with all sorts of unbeaten things. Here there is substantial light, energy and human purpose which parts the otherwise gray and indifferent sky. Tourists abound, many looking bewildered as they keep turning to closer examine the next wonder. I don't appreciate all the befuddlement as much as I could, but mark the spot for future reference. If I survive the day, I will return to enjoy the spectacle. And the pomegranate juice calls or to me. We reach the north gate and turn right. Going east we can clearly see the magnitude of the fortifications, which are equal to or perhaps even greater than those of the forbidden city. The walls are at least 20 metres thick, high, and crennelated. There is a wide and deep finished moat. Between these formidable features lie a clear killing ground which is narrow enough to concentrate any force with the strength to have made it this far. This was a seat of raw power. Reaching the station we discover that the greatest migration in human history is in full swing and we are unlikely to get the help needed to join in, at least in the immediate future. This discourages is and we retreat somewhat dischordantly. Reentrance to the city is through the north east gate and we make our way to a Starbucks for badly needed sustenance. Two large coffees and a pastry to share brightens the day a bit Things get even better when we text friend E. who assures us that the long distance bus is a viable option. This is tremendous weight off of us, so make our way back south and through the Muslim quarter feeling much better about the world. On the way we warm up on a huge shopping mall with a four - storey long escalator carrying hoardes to the IMax cinema. Impressive! Outside our hostel we see the local temple is open and pause to look inside. It seems to be a happy mix of Buddhist, Taoist, imperial and ancestral elements. Very nice. I could spend much time there. A snack downstairs of sandwich, popcorn and beer before we come upstairs, track down new towels, and have a little rest before undertaking the heat task of eating dinner. Out the front door, hard left and down the street perhaps one hundred steps is a little hope on the wall that yields a warm comfy family restaurant with bilingual menus and a delightful combination of foods. We have two vegetation dishes - a spicy one with hot oil, garlic and eggplant,and a three mushroom bowl that Mars the standard portobello preparation taste like sawdust. Magnificent again. Back to the hostek where we bush teeth carefully and go to bed in anticipation of the adventure tomorrow.