Hi all!
It’s the fourth day of my tour of China and I’m now in Xi’an.
Last night my group went for one of the optional excursions to taste the famous Peking Duck in a local restaurant. The chef came right to your table and carved the duck in front of you and then you were instructed how to eat it and what sauces and accompaniment to try. It was seriously tasty! My favourite was the duck pancakes with sweet sauce and fruit – it was truly delicious.
This morning was the last of our time in Beijing and we got to see the “real” Beijing. We took a rickshaw ride through old town to a local’s house where we were invited in for tea.
She told us all about herself and the history her house and the area and explained how there is no sewage system in their houses – instead people use public restrooms. The tea was lovely and her niece then showed us her glass paintings which were amazingly intricate. One of our group had a go at the painting herself and didn’t manage much more than a smudge!
We then got back on the rickshaw for one last ride round the local area before heading to a tea house for a tea ceremony. A local talked us through 5 different distinct types of tea and explained why they are special. One type of black tea claimed to help you lose weight, cure headaches, feel fitter and have more energy. I’m not sure if one cup can claim all of these magic properties… but it did actually cure my headache!
I really enjoyed the morning’s activities because you felt as though you’d really got to know what it was like to live there as a local and understand more of the culture. Staying at 5 star hotels is brilliant – but it’s hard to get a sense of the local culture when they are so westernised! I was really glad I’d been able to drink tea with a local as it’s not something you could organise easily on your own.
It was then back on the bus to head to the airport to take a plane to Xi’an. It was only an hour and forty five minutes in the air and we then headed to our hotel. After a quick buffet dinner we wandered around to look at the local restaurants and markets and I saw these guys below!
I’ve never been anywhere that eats toads before, that was a novelty! It was funny because as we took pictures of the local delicacies of snails, grubs and some strange looking seafood the locals took pictures of us.
In the morning I’m off to see the Terracotta warriors!
Until next time.
Rach x
It’s the fourth day of my tour of China and I’m now in Xi’an.
Last night my group went for one of the optional excursions to taste the famous Peking Duck in a local restaurant. The chef came right to your table and carved the duck in front of you and then you were instructed how to eat it and what sauces and accompaniment to try. It was seriously tasty! My favourite was the duck pancakes with sweet sauce and fruit – it was truly delicious.
This morning was the last of our time in Beijing and we got to see the “real” Beijing. We took a rickshaw ride through old town to a local’s house where we were invited in for tea.
She told us all about herself and the history her house and the area and explained how there is no sewage system in their houses – instead people use public restrooms. The tea was lovely and her niece then showed us her glass paintings which were amazingly intricate. One of our group had a go at the painting herself and didn’t manage much more than a smudge!
We then got back on the rickshaw for one last ride round the local area before heading to a tea house for a tea ceremony. A local talked us through 5 different distinct types of tea and explained why they are special. One type of black tea claimed to help you lose weight, cure headaches, feel fitter and have more energy. I’m not sure if one cup can claim all of these magic properties… but it did actually cure my headache!
I really enjoyed the morning’s activities because you felt as though you’d really got to know what it was like to live there as a local and understand more of the culture. Staying at 5 star hotels is brilliant – but it’s hard to get a sense of the local culture when they are so westernised! I was really glad I’d been able to drink tea with a local as it’s not something you could organise easily on your own.
It was then back on the bus to head to the airport to take a plane to Xi’an. It was only an hour and forty five minutes in the air and we then headed to our hotel. After a quick buffet dinner we wandered around to look at the local restaurants and markets and I saw these guys below!
I’ve never been anywhere that eats toads before, that was a novelty! It was funny because as we took pictures of the local delicacies of snails, grubs and some strange looking seafood the locals took pictures of us.
In the morning I’m off to see the Terracotta warriors!
Until next time.
Rach x
- think I'd stick with the tea. I bet you're looking forward to the Terracotta Warriors I'm keen to see the pictures............HT
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