Woke-up for our last day in Xian and a trip to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It was another gorgeous day here with some pretty decent winds but blue skies. Xian came about during the Tan dynasty and the emperor’s of this time did not come from prosperity. You can see this in the plainness of the architecture which lacks the ornaments found in the Qin and Ming dynasties. As you drive through the city you see this reinforced over and over again. 
after the We arrived at the pagoda and were greeted by the ubiquitous street vendors who aggressively hound you to buy their kites,whistles, watches, postcards, the list goes on. Once inside the temple walls peace is restored and were it not for the building cranes in the distance you might forget you were in a bustling metropolis.(Quick joke told by our guide; what is the national animal of China? The Crane)
The kids went off with their teacher while the parents were left to wander on their own. 
To say this place was beautiful would be an understatement. The rich colors, skilled carvings, and the centuries of history combine to leave you feeling infinitely tiny. After a while we rejoined the kids and Joan, Keiran and Sienna went to the top of the pagoda. There are 276 steps to the top, I know this because Sienna counted each one of them and made me right the number down on my hand. I elected not to go up and instead walked through the gardens and relax. While we see a lot of temples, pagodas and gardens and they do all have a tendency to run together, they are peaceful respites for the busy traveler looking for a break from the crowds and constant movement. After a few hours we left and headed to lunch then onto the Muslim quarter.
The Muslim quarter is about six blocks squared with 8,000 residents. The mosque was actually a temple that was given to the Muslims by a prince of the Tan Dynasty. Xian is known as the gateway to the west and historically was a place where many cultures came together. The people in the quarter are descendents of middle east travelers. Much of those traditions and language have been lost over the centuries but the religion remained. To get to the Mosque you have to traverse street market the likes of Timbuktu. If you don’t like aggressive vendors then this is not the place for you. As you walk along you are hailed with a “Hello” or “Hey Lady what you like” or “SIR! SIR!”. Often your arm is grabbed as they try and haul you back to their booth. If you look at something, even in passing, you are inviting a sales pitch. You can either ignore them or give a stern “BU YAO” and that typically puts and end to it. I found a good “Bu Yao, ShieShie”(NO!, thank you) coupled with a smile seemed to throw many of them off and made them laugh. Whether they were laughing at my bad Chinese or what I thought I was saying was some sort of joke I don’t care. It stopped most of the issues I had with them and I did not feel like the ugly tourist.
Once again peace is restored when you enter the temple courtyard and you have time to relax. Wandering around its fascinating to take in all the stone carvings. There are gateways that take you from one area of significance to another and stone carvings that adorn the top of the gates are fascinating. We had an Art Bell moment when we crossed under one and looked up to see what appeared to be a UFO ascending from the heavens. We left there and spent a little time shopping in the market. This is cutthroat shopping, what ever price they open with comeback with quarter of that and prepare to walk. You’ll hear all kinds of things like how they won’t be able to feed their family or it costs them more to buy if from the supplier. If they let you walk then you know your price was genuinely low and use that on the next vendor. Every third one is selling the same stuff so you’ll have plenty of opportunity. I had fun with although I didn’t buy very much nor did Joan.
After shopping for a bit we loaded up and headed for the train station for the overnight train Beijing. This was serious chaos with thousands of people trying to get through the station at the same time. You push and cajole your way through the lines and you are never further than an inch from anyone in all directions. Once you make it through to the platform things open up as you make your way to your car. We had soft sleepers which means there are only four to a room and mattresses as opposed six to a room and no mattresses. The cars are smokey and our, and nose, were opened to a real treat, a squat toilet on a moving, bouncing train. Let me tell you, it’s best to have very little to drink and use the bathroom early. The ride itself was fine however, that restroom was among the most foul places I have every stepped into. When we wake we’ll be in Beijing for the last part of our journey.
