"YEEEEEEEE HAWWWWWW Statues!" a Xi'an Travel Page by John195123

On a less ranting note, here's an image of the Terra Cotta Warriors!

Our accomodation, a nice hostel just off the south gate, provides all the amenities a young traveler could want. But it brings me to a realization about many of these young travelers that is saddening and annoying, at times.

Friday nights the hostel offers an event in which the guests make and eat their own dumplings. People eat, talk and enjoy the company... many of them would rather be here than in a real Chinese restaurant. I contend that the reason for that is so they can talk with other travelers about how great a traveler they are. The other day I heard one guy whine on evening that he didn't have breakfast that morning. I hadn't eaten since the night before, but I take that in stride as a part of travel and only mention it here as part of this example. But without fail, every conversation I've heard from these young, so-called travelers, leads to discussion about how plastered drunk they were in some place. It leaves the conversations wanting, and leaves me not wanting to talk to too many of them. VT is a great place to discuss travel and people here don't seem to get the bragging tone that I find in hostels. Of course, most people, after dinner, went down to the bar that's part of the hostel, to, no doubt, spend money on watery beer, listen to too-loud music and think they're having a good time.

So what's wrong with that? What's wrong with people having a good time? Because it's mediated travel. It's like a tour- you go see the sights, get back to the hotel or cruise ship and drink a lot with people just like you. It's comfortable. It's easy. It's not really real. What's real is staying in local Chinese hotels (which have no character, unfortunately) and eating in Chinese (local) restaurants.

Why am I here? As an unique place to stay. Why did I go to the dumpling fest? I live in Harbin and thought there might be something I could learn. Did I? No. But they were good.

More later!

It's time for a HUGE LINE! Yay! Elevated Prices! Yay! Welcome all to TOURIST SITES IN CHINA!!!!

Vastly overrated, what? Always wanted to go? Don't waste your time?

Xi'An, much like any tourist town in China, is full of English menus and all the junk a tourist wants to find, English-speaking guides, tours arranged by hostels.

Going to see the Warriors in the winter is great- beautiful snow on the ground and relatively few people at the pits.