Monday March 25

The wall around the "old" city of Xian beckons. We had driven through one of the gates on the bus last night but have heard you can either walk or cycle the 14 Km. So it's onto another bus to the south gate and up onto the top to hire bikes, aiming for one with a comfy seat. The day is very smoggy so we are not going to see much view of the city. Hopefully we won't choke pedaling hard in the open air.  Many people are wearing masks.

The wall is thicker at the bottom, sloping in to the top but really large, probably 30 metres across the top. There are watch towers in typical Chinese architecture at each gate and other strategic positions along the wall on both sides. 

The bikes are good and we have 100 minutes to ride the four walls. There is a bit of stopping for viewing and photos but we make it with nine minutes to spare. It was a good feeling to be back on a bike and getting good exercise. The surface is almost cobblestones in parts but it is just possible to steer a reasonable course. There are tourists everywhere and at one stage we get a view of the tourist bus car park with a sea of coaches. 


There are lovely gardens, now very green and full of blossoms at places along the outside wall. 

We pass by a Buddhist temple right under the wall and it is a little burst of colour in a rather dull landscape of dusty residential buildings and shops. These are obviously old buildings because the new residential blocks of units are incredible.


 

People had told me about the building frenzy in China, but nothing prepared me for the huge clusters of 25-35 storey edifices rising, in some cases, from the "ashes" of demolished old buildings. Some of these areas must be 50 acres or more, and half of them are still under construction or just hollow shells, waiting to be filled with rooms and windows.

After coming down from the wall we stroll through the surrounding gardens, red Chinese lanterns everywhere.  

And then visit Calligraphy Street where the ancient art is being kept alive.   The many different stalls, some simply selling brushes of all sizes, were fascinating.  

 

Of course there were knick knacks of all sorts on sale - anything related to calligraphy or Chinese painting.

Back to the hotel of splendid service, the Shangri-la, to kill a little time while we wait for the Buick to take us back to the airport for Wuhan - hot chocolate.   While sitting in the lounge I suddenly notice the flower arrangement on our table, and others around us - Patterson's Curse!