World China Shaanxi Xian

Africa Plus China 2009 Eclipse

Xian 07/23/2009

Left the wonderful staff at BeeHome Hostel at 6:L15 pm for train station. Easy by tube, only one transfer but humidity (likely due to immense amt of rain in past 24 hr) close to 100% made us feel as if we were swimming thru the air - dripping in sweat. Arr at the soft sleeper waiting room (AC!) and recovered a bit w/ ice cream and tea before the gal at the escalator entry signaled we could go to the platform and board. We were in our coach 4 person cabin in minutes (also AC) - tea thermos, soft beds, pillows and comforter plus screen for movies (not working). Only down side was the space, took some discussion to allocate beds & baggage space but before we knew it the train was pulling out at 8 pm. We talked of our days in Shanghai and I promptly fell asleep w/ my ear plugs in and mask on...the others continued talking much longer into the nite.

7-24

At first light (+/- 6 am) I was up and sat in the hall outside our cabin on a fold down seat drinking tea and watching the countryside speed by. This train is, by all observations, quite new...I'd say w/in 4-5 yrs old. Each car has 2 toilets, one Western seat style one squat, mirror and 3 sinks outside toilet room, plus soap dispenser tho no toilet or paper towels.

We are traveling what I'd estim to be 110-140 mph, slowing only slightly thru stations.

The rail corridor is 2-4 tracks wide the entire distance, green countyside most of the way. I notice many abandoned brick buildings close to the tracks...perhaps residence abandoned for quieter quarters, perhaps w/ Chinese penchant for planning these lines will be expanded even more and getting ready for that eventuality. The corridor on both sides is planted with row upon row of trees. Close by are ones of short stature pruned up 1-2 meters w/ a tuft of branches/leaves bushing out at top. I saw thousands of these all along the way, their trunks are indicative of trees only 3-5 yrs old at most. Further away from the tracks are taller trees mostly poplar altho a lot of weeping willow as well. Another kind w/ compound leaves is also very numerous, but w/ the speed I cannot focus on them to get any ID.

Wherever you look every space of ground is planted w/ some kind of crop(lots of corn) or trees, even in the open areas on the grounds of factories I saw there short trees planted in even rows but widely spaced - along the railway corridor they were only 1-2 feet apart. Going thru several smallish villages I noticed the streets are immaculate...no trash, paper or otherwise anywhere.

Now entering higher country we go thru tunnels (perhaps 10-12 in all) my ears pop...we never really slow much, the ride is smooth, none of the clackity clack of Russian or Indian or trains in most other places we've ridden them. I assume this is due to their newness, level bed, no settling?! Or the design of the cars, better suspension. We have heard and I can believe it that the Chinese are adding 8,000-10,000 km of track a year.

Now 7 + am into hills sharply excavated w/ steep 8-12' terracing drops, bluff like hillsides, red/clay faced w/ a narrow valley and still even the steep hills are planted w/ crops/trees. They use arborvitae quite a lot along roadways/pathways but even large, 'forested' plantings, esp on the steep hillsides. I can also identify sumac, more poplar, spreading junipers and some kind of broadleaf tree (maple leaf like, London plane trees?). In the countryside there are many more indiv houses - all of brick, most w/ red tile roofs...brick seems to be the preferred construction material except in new, apt 6-8 story complex construction where it is cement. To sum up - highly efficient land use, even on steep hillsides - if not crops then trees or even a mix...a concerted effort to use space as well as minimize erosion.

I went to the dining car, very crowded, a set meal of boiled egg, 2 round lg golf ball rolls, green beans, cut cucs, celery chopped up w/ some kind of dressing, a thin rice gruel, hot to drink, and a pickeled something or other.

Traveling thru a station a RR employee in uniform stood on a raised platform at stiff attention with red flag by her side as we passed by. The countryside here is growing a greater variety of crops...sunflowers, fruit trees & many other unrecogn small plots. A mystery solved...trees which I could not ID w/ silver things looking like flowers are actually fruit trees w/ bags over the fruit!

This is not done everywhere since we passed numerous apple orchards and no bags...so what kind of bagged fruit? Even saw bagged trees mixed in orchards of unbagged.

In smaller towns, very few apt bldgs, mostly brick single story houses, altho I saw a number of construction sites where apt complexes were going up. Many small plots closely planted w/ different crops, checkerboard like, I assume each belongs to a different family perhaps. The arborvitae plantings remind me of MT since they are all cropped around the bottom about 2-3 meters up just as they are in MT by our urban deer, here it is due to goats feeding!

Another long 3-4 km tunnel, even curving and then more short tunnels finally a long slow entry into Xian train station where we were met by a driver who took us to theShuyuan Hostel where we had reservations (it is also where we stayed when we were here in 2004, very nice & helpful/friendly staff). He then took Kryss & Talaat to there business hotel just a few blocks away.

After settling in we met K & T at a train ticket window nearby but closed til 1 so we went off for some lunch and returned where we ran into a group of eclipse chasers who recognized Kryss from previous times. Had a good catchup discussion, one of the group is planning on going to Easter Island next year so....

Once we had our ongoing train tickets to Beijing we headed to the nearby Drum Tower built in 1380 AD and renovated many times since...once used to signal dusk in conjunction w/ the Bell Tower a block away which signaled dawn. Saw/heard a finely synchronized drumming/percussion performance before climbing up into the tower museum. Many old style settings of furniture & rooms from Song Dynasty (turns out Suzhou was also a major furniture mfg. center way back when). Also exhibits of Shadow puppets, Dough figurines, unique stones, paper cuts(?), New Year Pictures & snuff bottles from Chang'an folk culture. During Ming & Qing Dynasty furniture manufacturing was at it's peak from Suzhou. Prior to that time people only sat on the ground w/ mat or couch & bed.

We walked thru the Muslim quarter w/ venders galore to the largest mosque in China...hidden down a narrow alley. I & B would not pay to enter so we waited 1 1/2 hrs while K & T went thru. Talked to several very friendly venders and a group of library students from Xian who were filming a movie for a class project. We slowly made our way back to the huge mall near the Bell Tower where there was a food court on the 7th floor...in AC comfort after a hot day on the streets we enjoyed cool drinks and ice cream.

7-25 To Terra Cotta Warrior Army site via bus...first #603 then at train station #306 right to the parking lot...total cost 12 y! (less than $2 US) for the 1 1/2 hr bus journey, ha! I was blown away by it all, luckily we followed the LP suggestion and went to the Command Center pit #3 first (suffered major destruction requiring much work, 68 figures, 1 chariot), then #2 - 89 battle horses 356 chariot horses, & horsemen - 1300 warriors and 40,000 pieces of weapons (most bronze); finally, pit #1 w/ 6000 + pottery warriors & horses...life size, guarding Xian & the First Emperors domain in his afterlife. It was never mentioned in historical records but found by farmers drilling a well in 1976.

All potery figures were once colorfully painted, individuals were all different. |They also found 2 bronze chariots and horses composed of 3,000 parts cast separately and then assembled. Most of the bronze weapons were untouched by rust since they were covered in a thin layer of Chromium oxide to protect them, a formula/technique/method not patented until 1937 by Germans and in 19509 in the US. They also knew how to separate mercury and use it as well, indicating a very high degree of technological knowledge at that time.

7-26 Rain, late start brkfst w/ K& T at hostel - they went to museum we to Banpo Neolithic Village site. #11 bus for 1 + hr ride (1 y. or 15 cents US). A short walk where driver dropped us...the gal at the hostel had written instructions in Chinese for us to show driver). Still raining...site dates from 4500-3600 BC, lots of pottery, agric tools, one of if not the oldest site with indications of agric growing millet and mustard + hunting/gathering, arrow points, fish hooks out of bone, very fine workmanship.

7-27 Up on the wall for a short walk and view of the city on the S. Gate end...wall 18 m. thick, huge! Then to the Museum of Forest Tablets(Stellae) w/ Chinese inscriptions dating far back in history and showing major forms of calligraphy and it's change thru time as well as giving a written record of major events by dynastic rulers, memorials, poems, books - even the first 'dictionary' by Confusian monks as well as other writings of import. Amazing collection, amazing variety...over 1000 of these huge tablets, the first being brought to this site in 1083 AD. I watched as several personell made copies by pasting cloth over the tablets, then using black ink on a big round pad, tapping the cloth to bring out the characters...like magic they appears on the white cloth!

Later we took bus #611 to its end and transfered to #59 to the ancient (over 2500 yrs) city of Xianyang which was the site of the First Chinese Emperor's capital and the museum there. Miniature terra cotta men, cavalry, & infantry from near 1st Han Emperors tomb (Liu Bang - 256-195 BC) after he defeated the First Chinese Emperor who ruled only 15 years before his capital was sacked and burned to the ground. W/in these tombs of Han Dynasty were relics of Yang Jia Wan...3000 men & horses incl 1965 infantry, 583 cavalry. Lots of other amazing relics also from Qin Dynasty 897 BC, and estab of Xianyang as capital in 350 BC...first discovered in 1953. Jade and gold objects and even a glazed clay single hump camel indicate a high degree of commerce w/ India and Mideast as well, and high degree of cultural development.