After going through the airport-like security check and enjoying a second breakfast at the train station, we left Beijing for Xi’an on the 9:45 am train which actually left the station at 9:44 am, a nice change to our recent experiences in Germany… Travelling at a top speed of 350 km/h, cities, villages, rivers and hills flew by and at 14:05 pm we arrived at our destination, covering more than 1,000 km on our ride. Outside the train station our fellow travellers and we were split up across taxis and sent to the hotel. Since time is money, twenty minutes after check-in, we headed out to the old city wall which protected the inner city with its 12 km of perimeter. Some of us rented bicycles and cycled the whole distance while we decided to walk around a little bit and enjoy the view and some cold drinks on this hot day. Afterwards we visited the bell tower as well as the drum tower (not to be confused with Trump Tower, sounds similar but is quite different). After some brisk walking we stopped for Murger and Biang Biang to get our energy levels up again. The day concluded with a stroll through the Muslim-quarter enjoying some snacks and juices while inspecting the souvenirs that are for sale at every corner.

City wall grey

Day 4 – Off to the warriors