Xi’an

29-31st May 2014      13km by bicycle

Riding into Xian, a few rest days were need, both for my body and the bike, which was due for a service.

The Scottoiler chain lubricator had spilt a hose yesterday, dumping chain oil on the swingarm instead of the chain, so I spent part of the evening hunting through the goldfish shops of Xian looking for a suitable replacement hose. Unfortunately, no one sold PVC hose in the size I needed, but I was able to buy something sort of similar in size and McGyver the whole system back together with a number of zipties and a cigarette lighter. It seems to be working ok now.

The following morning I got to work on servicing the bike in the carpark of the hotel, draining the oil into a washtub I purchased for 4RMB (80c)
The security guard came over and indicated I should pour all the dirty oil down the drain in the street! Instead I found a bunch of empty bottles and poured the oil into those, leaving then stacked next to the bin. Later a man appeared with a trolley, who picked up the filthy washtub, old filter and the oil filled bottles and took them away. Maybe for recycling? Or resale?
After popping a new oil filter on and filling the bike with oil, checking the air filter and coolant, adjusting the chain and checking everything over I washed up, although my hands are still black, and headed out to explore Xian for the afternoon.

After strolling around the old town and some quiet and peaceful time exploring the large mosque, which was an interesting combination of Arabic and Chinese architecture, I rented a bicycle and rode the 13km atop the Xian city walls. The top of the wall had great views over the rooftops and was a nice way to circuit the city.

We all headed out for an excellent dinner of roast duck, beautifully tender with just the right amount of crispy skin and fat, wrapped in rice paper. The duck bones came out later fried in spices. Delicious.

The following morning we took the guide car to visit the Terracotta Warriors, the scale of which is simply amazing, thousands of stone warriors lined up, each soldiers face and hair unique, and showing a different expression. It’s amazing what a egomaniac leader can create, perhaps Qin Shi Huang was hoping these thousands of stone soldiers would protect him in death. On the way back to the city, we stopped and climbed the Big Goose Pagoda before heading back to the hotel for some needed rest.