05
Xi'an
2 days
After 19 hours on the train with chain-smoking Chinese we arrive in the Shaanxi region. Completely smoked through. But this does not stop us from diving into the rou jia mo and liangpi.
The main reason we visit Xi’an is of course to see the Terracotta army. Because we are here in low season, we avoid the horror scenario where we are squeezed between tourists trying to catch a glimpse of the soldiers. When we pass by the souvenir shop we see the farmer who found the terracotta warriors signing books like a rockstar.
Before we leave, we want to see a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. We find a practice close to our hotel. Dried seahorses, ginseng and other unidentifiable medicinal products fill the counter in the waiting room. Using a translation app, Jasper clarifies that his knee has been bothering him since running a marathon. Even intensive rehabilitation did not help to relieve the pain. The young doctor reads and she immediately seems to understand what is going on. She massages the inside of Jasper's elbow and after a few minutes the pain disappears like snow in the sun.