Friday, October 06, 2006
Embarking on the trip to Xi An
On the 1st of October, we embarked on our trip to Xi An. Xi An is one of the places that I always wanted to go. I love China history so it is THE place to go, especially since I am already in China. Before leaving for Xi An, heard from my colleagues that we must be more vigilant when we are there because it is pretty unsafe. The crime rate there is higher and the environment is less developed. However, it did not deter me from making a my way there. Knowing that I will not be able to eat much stuff there (their diet is made up mainly of beef and mutton which I don't take), so we packed lots of food, from bread to biscuits to cup noodles........After having lunch in Shanghai,we headed from Shanghai Train Station. Not knowing the condition of the train before hand, we were anxious to find out. (Because we will be spending 17 hours on the train) To our surprise, it was quite comfortable and most importantly clean. The environment was also safe as they have security guards patrolling the cabin.The only minus point is the toilet. At the beginning of the trip, it is real sparkling clean , but as you approach Xi An, it gets pretty dirty and disgusting. (Just imagine s**t and vomit all over) But overall, still a good experience onboard the train.Anyway as you guys can see from the pics above, we made ourselves comfortable, started snacking,chit chatting.........