After relaxing for about 2 weeks in my hometown of Neijiang in Sichuan province, I'm planning to hit the road again for about a week to tour two cities: Xian and Guilin. I've never been to either cities, and have always wanted to visit the Terra Cotta Museum in Xian, and ride a tour boat down Lijiang River in Guilin.
I'm planning a 3 day stay at each city, which should be enough time for me to get around to the most popular tour destination. Some of the places I have planned out include Maosoleum of Emperor QinShiHuang, Banpo Village, Xian city walls, drum and bell tower, elepant trunk hill, Fubo mountain, and Lijiang River cruise.
I'll be heading out on the 16th, and returning on the 22nd. My first stop will be Xian where I'll spend 3 days, then I fly to Guilin for the next 3 days. All my hotels reservations are made, and I made sure both hotels have internet! :)
Flight to Xian City From Chengdu Airport
I left my home town in the afternoon, took a bus ride that cost me $52yuan, and checked in my Chengdu Hotel at Maruika Hotel in Chengdu after about a 3 hour bus ride. Sure enough, the taxi ride this morning from my hotel to Chengdu air port cost me $50 yuan.
My flight from Chengdu to Xian was only one hour long – I had arrived in Xian at 11am. Xian airport is rather small actually, much smaller than I had imagined. But like all airports in China, it has both Chinese and English signs, and is clean and well maintained.
After exiting the airport, you’ll see a taxi station about 200 feet from the main exit, after my lesson at the Beijing airport, it was a easy choice for me to go straight to the Xian airport taxi service.
Main exit of the Xian City Airport.
Xian airport is about 50 some kilometres from city center, and my taxi ride from the airport to my hotel cost $140 yuan (about $18USD). My hotel is located very close to Xian city center, right inside the Xian city walls on the main north road named “Beidajie” or North Main Road. It’s one of the key commercial roads that runs north to south inside the Xian city walls.
A large square plaza infront of the Xian Airport.
During the taxi ride, I got chatting with the driver about Xian and the tourist places around Xian. Before I arrived at my hotel, I got his business card, and mentioned that I may book his taxi for a day to tour the far out places around Xian like the Terra Cota pits. We'll see. :)
Photo of BeiDaJie (North Main Road).
I checked into my hotel (Jialong Da Jiu Dian), which I made sure had internet. The hotel employees were very friendly, and from my accent, they could tell that I was not from around the area. They were also quite amazed that I was travelling alone touring places. I suppose they don't get many single travellers around. I had planned it out so that I found a hotel very close to city center, and it happens that Jialong Hotel is just 800 or so meters away from the Bell and Drum Towers! Just fantastic location. There's also a McD's accross the street! Hmm.... Breakfast, lunch, dinner taken care of? |
