10-26
Today was a terribly rainy and cold day in Xi'an.  I needed to get up and go to a pharmacy to get Malaria pills for later in my trip, so I popped into the first one I saw (there are lots).  Armed with my dictionary and point it book, I felt like it would be no problem to find what I want.  The first pharmacy was a failure.  I first acted out getting bitten by a mosquito.  They seemed to know what I meant, but brought me bug bite ointment.  Then I wrote it down and used the chinese word for "anti-biotic".  They were unable to find it.  I gave up and decided to go back to the hostel and stopped at the grocery on the way back from some Bao-Zi and Monkey Skins (tofu I hope).  Just before I got to the hostel, I realized there was another pharmacy next door to it.  I went in with the same routine and they immediately brought me a medicine dictionary with English--I found the drug I needed, Doxycycline, and showed it to them.  It was like two dollar s for a 2 month supply.

I found the Brits from Bathe (Sam and Sinead) in the lobby when I returned, and their friend from Canada.  I shared my Bao Zi with them.  Their only response was to know how they could get in on this, so I led them back to the grocery, and then two other travelers, Jeremiah and Lauara, made our acquaintence and joined in.  It was a bunch of White kids in a Chinese grocery store, and I'm sure it was hilarious.  In a way, it's kind of like a science experiment--to see if the White people can do acts of daily life without requiring help.  The Chinese will watch us, intently--ready to jump in and help at the first sign of desperation, like a parent teaching a child to swim, at bay until the kid begins to sink.

As the afternoon wore on and the weather failed to improve, I finally dragged myself out of the hostel and scald the Xi'an walls, the South gate of which is right next to the hostel.  The wall is a square the is built around the center of town--it's only 12 kilometers.  People either bike or walk it.  I walked about half of it, but barely saw anyone else up there (the weather), but it is still impressive and I absolutely pretended I was a ninja, archer, and wizard; in that order.

I was trying to get a group togethor to go for a "dumpling banquet", which I read about in my lonely planet--a specialty of Xi'an.  I was imaging some extravagent feast of nothing but dumplings--in all sorts of colors and shapes, with a variety of fillings.  I asked the people at the hostel about it and they pointed out a street to walk down and wrote what I would want in Chinese for me.  I convinced Alex and her Australian friend to come, so I met them at my hostel and they brought two others from their hostel with them.   We walked to what we thought was the street, but the map the hostel drew on wasn't exactly the best, so I stopped some lady passing by and asked her.  Her English was good, and she actually walked with us to a place and ordered for us!  Amazing.

Some other Brittish guy, from London, who was an English teacher in Xi'an (and spoke perfect Chinese), was promoting a party for tonight, that he was calling a Muppet something--yea--Jim Henson muppet.  It wasn't too far from our Hostel so we thought we'd give it a whirl.  It was terrible though.  It was one of those awkard places where you feel totally out of place.  We stayed for one drink and then left.  We went to another bar/club near our hostel that was a bit better, but the street food we had before it was probably the best.  The Chinese clubs tend to just play really loud music, even when there is no dancing.   It doesn't look very fun--unless your a telepath, which perhaps is the real explanation.

10-27
Last day in Xi'an.  Got up late, cleaned up and packed.  I found Joanna, whom I had met the night before in the cafe and joined her for breakfast. She and her boyfriend were going to Chengdu today, which would be their 3rd attempt (bad luck with trains).  It seems like most of the people I have met are going to Chengdu, so I'm a bit sad I decided to go somewhere else, but maybe I will meet up with them again.  I took it easy the rest of the day--read, blogged, watched some tv, got some snacks.  I got a soft sleeper on the train--basically 1st class.  It was nice, but not much different than 2nd--4 beds instead of 6, and a door.  I didn't talk much to the 3 other guys in my cabin, but they seemed nice.  Two of the guys had to get off the train at 4 AM, which they almost missed, because I heard them wake up in a panic while the train was stopped at their destination and then scramble to get off before it started going again.  I wonder how often that happens?