A relatively easy day today
We’d slept badly, no Aircon and overheated but they immediately moved us across the way to a much cooler room.
Weather was better, clearing after haze yesterday and temperatures up to 27
Coffee at Luckin Coffee shop. Should have been easy but all through Alipay in Chinese (no counter options). Eventually nice barista helped Ying order
Went to see very old Chinese Mosque. Looked more like a Chinese temple than mosque except for mixture of Chinese script and Arabic. Minaret was a pagoda style
Next up, South Gate and the city wall
Next, to an artist street, full of calligraphy brushes, chops (marble signing stamps), art paper etc Shame we have rucksacks
Finally off to find Biang Biang noodles. So named due to the banging sound as they slap and stretch the noodles on the table as they make them
Essentially thick hand made noodles, meat (in this case beef as we were in the Muslim quarter) tomatoes vegetables and some (mild) chillies. It was very delicious
I think we both feel Xi’an is a big city with traffic and noise and dust, but feels hygienic, friendly when needed and not threatening. Very much more cosmopolitan and visibly diverse. We’re more relaxed here I think