As a traveller it as much about the experience of another culture as it is about the sights and views, and I always try to enjoy immersing myself in a new place. However, I’m afraid there is little good I can say about my experience of Xi’an.

I arrived by sleeper train around 8am, bleary-eyed and looking forward to checking into a hotel for a few nights of luxurious solitude. I had arranged a driver to pick me up from the station. But when I got off the train and emerged into the crowds of beggars, touts and everyday Chinese travellers in Xi’an, he was nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, his company had told him I was arriving on a later train, and it is only because my train was delayed, and through the kindness of my sleeper train bunk-mate, that I was able to survive this experience relatively unscathed. When I got to my hotel, I was absolutely exhausted and in a pretty foul mood, so I went up to my room for a nap. I awoke refreshed a few hours later and went to explore the city. My hotel was located right next to the famous Bell Tower, with the Drum Tower just down the road. So, I explored the area a little and found a bustling street market where I was able to get some street food to fill my stomach – fried quails eggs on a stick and some very spicy, but tasty, tofu. Although there was lots of meat available as well, I didn’t much fancy it, and figured I was being smart to avoid it and the potential food poisoning it promised.

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