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I love steamed buns and was always on the lookout for vendors that looked hygienic. The place I found in Xian looked great and they had four different kinds, each with a different filling.

China 1998 - Part Three: Xian & Beijing

Dougburnett
2003-11-22 16:39:38

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stop for a light, a group of bikes cut across in front of us. The last one, a woman, was just getting past us when the traffic started again. Without looking, the driver just took off, catching the bike and knocking it down. He then scowled at the woman as she tried to pick it up. She couldn't as the bike was pinned under the bumper. He finally gave a little ground by backing up and she managed to get her bike upright. He then took off without so much as a, "Sorry, ma'am." It's well to remember that this is the kind of ruthless driver you face when crossing the street.

When we finally reached the wall that defines the old city it was still a long drive to the hotel - another big city. I checked into the Bell Tower Hotel, stopped for a quick lunch and then headed west a few blocks to a place I had read about in my guidebook - the Sign Painters Alley.

There were people stenciling yellow letters on a large red banner. Others had small signs that said things like, "Welcome," "Information," or "Wait a minute." These signs were written in both Chinese and English. The ones with translation errors were best. One said, "Vice Plane Manager" instead of "Vice Plant Manager." Another said "President Room" instead of "President's Office." I immediately saw the gift possibility and bought a few - much to the amusement of the vendor. We both had a good laugh.

Thursday, April 16, 1998

In the morning I got a taxi to the train station where my guidebook said I could get a local bus out to the site of the Terracotta Army. I walked around looking for a few minutes and then noticed a group of westerners crowded around a little office - "That's it," I thought. As I was asking a woman from London about the bus, it pulled up and we all jumped on.

It was a crowded hour's ride out to the site. The most interesting thing I saw along the way was a hotel ...