Xi'an

I step off the overnight train from Beijing to Xi'an. My face and body sticky and covered in cigarrette smoke. Immediately I look forward to the mass of people in front of me. George and I are now in what was once the capital of the Empire of China for 15 generations.

This is where the first Emperor unified all of China under one authority. This is where the silk road that spans virtually all of Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe begins and ends. This is where the often claimed eigth wonder of the ancient world, the Terracota Warriors, where discovered in 1975. This is where the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi lies with mercury depicting the lakes of the then known world. This is where I need to use the toilet.

Okay, okay, I'm joking, but it was a long train ride.

George and I step out of the train station into the maddness that is the mass of people in front of the station. I look for a taxi booth. In a rapid flurry for an available taxi, we compete with locals to find an open taxi. Packs on our backs we run and flag a taxi down. I open the door and tell the driver, "Defu Xiang, Shuyuan Xiang." He yells at me something in Chinese and basically makes it clear he will not take us. "Why won't this taxi driver take us?" George asks. I look at the other drivers ignoring us. I respond, "I don't know, this is weird, literally no taxi driver wants to take us anywhere."

We walk through the north city wall gate and try to flag a cab in the city center. In many ways this should have been our first indication that Xi'an is different than the rest of China. We finally make it to the hostel and spend the day viewing the Big Goose Pagoda and the Muslim Quarter of Xi'an. Xi'an is an interesting melange of cultures. As the beginning and end of the silk road, and given Islam was spread via trade by the Silk Road, Xi'an has a very vibrant Chinese Muslim population. The food there is distinctly different than Han Chinese food. I try some crushed flat bread soup with noodles, beef and onion. The soup is tasty. The beef broth is extremely potent. I also order some dumplings that contain spices not normally associated with Chinese cooking I feel. The influence of trade on Xi'an cultural food is readily apparent in the use of honey, dates and flat bread.

George, in need of a visa extension, decides to take an overnight train to Hong Kong. I decide to take the train to Shanghai and then my flight back to Hong Kong. After travelling with someone for two weeks, it can be difficult moving back to travelling alone. I shake his hand and say goodbye, "see you in Hong Kong brotha." "See you in Hong Kong" George grins.

After visiting the Terracotta Warriors, I grab my bag and attempt to head to the train station. I flag one cab down, "Hou che shan." The man waves his hand and shakes his head. Oh no! Not this again! Why the heck does no one want to take me to the train station? I start walking. Okay, okay, I still have a few hours of time. Maybe I can find another cab. I flag the second one, "Hou che shan, train station." The man waves his hand and shakes his head. This is getting ridiculus. The third one, now the fourth. By this time I am halfway to the center of the city. Maybe I can walk there? The hostel is the exact opposite side of the city as the train station. Walking there would take the entire day.

Well, as long as I continue walking north, I am walking in the right direction. I flag my fifth taxi, "Hou che shan" I start tapping my wrist to show that I am running out of time. Denied. Time panic starts to set in. What time is it? Okay, I have a little over an hour to make it. I continue walking. I think I am lost at this moment. Finally I flag another taxi. This time the cab does not even stop. He looks at me and shakes his head. What the fuck is going on? I think to myself I am screwed. No one wants to pick me up and I will miss my train to Shanghai. By the ninth taxi that does not even stop for me I start to wonder why.

I look at my clock. It's now fifty minutes before my train leaves. I will take any form of transportation at this moment. In addition, I will pay nearly anything to catch this train and not loose 333RMBs. A man on a motorcycle starts yelling at me. I think he wants to take me to the train station. I stare at him in disbelief. Am I really going to do this? With a huge 50lbs pack and a backpack on, am I going to let this fat man take me on his motorcycle?

No taxis are stopping for me. I look at my clock again. 45 minutes to go. "You can't take me! It's too unstable. I weigh nearly 200lbs and with both my backpacks, this will not work. We will get in an accident." He yells back in Chinese. I look on the road to see no taxis anywhere. Not like the cabs were stopping for a Western backpacker anyway. I step onto his old motorbike/scouter. This is probably either the worst decision I have made in China or the best. I will either get in an accident or I will make my train.

The pack still on my back and my backpack still on my front, I grab onto his fat sides and we start driving. I think I am going to die here. The traffic is horrible. We navigate through buses, cars, other motorcycles and pedestrian traffic all with no adherence to whatever traffic laws are in existence. I breath in the smog and dust and hope we do not get in an accident. This is the only way I can make my train. I keep telling him, "Hou che shan, Hou che shan." I tap my wrist neurotically. I know I need to go through security and the train station is like navigating through a dense forest of peddlers, beggars and old ladies with a knack of getting ahead of you in line.

We make a few rights and a left, it seems most during oncoming traffic. I start to wonder, does he know I need to go to the train station? Am I pronouncing "hou che shan" correctly? I start saying "hou che shan" while renacting an old choo choo train. He nodes and says "hou che shan, hou che shan." Okay, I think he knows where to go. Nothing looks familiar.

We make a left turn. I look over his left shoulder and recognize the north gate of the city walls. We are here. Finally I have made it, all in one piece too. I get off. "How much?" He grabs into his pocket and pulls out three 10RMB notes. A fleece!!!! What!??!? 30 RMB for what would cost 10RMB by taxi? I pretend not to understand and give him 20RMB. He looks at me, "no no no." He points at his three 10RMBs. Thinking about the time I realize I am haggling over the equivalent of $1.50. I give him 10RMB more. I am not happy. I would never have given him that much if I was not pressed for time.

I start running with packs on to the train station. I make my train...