FLIGHT INTO XIAN, CHINA JOURNEY

That morning we got up early and freshened as we had to leave Shanghai for Xian by Air China

 As we were starting early, the hotel gave us breakfast, neatly packed and we traveled to the airport in our van

The main problem faced by everyone while travelling by air is that we cannot carry fluids more than 30 ml, water bottles specially are not allowed if they contain water, so each time we have to throw them away after drinking the remaining water 

Other option is to keep the empty one and fill it later at the airport which is more sensible rather than spending money on the exorbitantly priced water bottles in the airports for it is important to keep our selves hydrated during flight journeys

We went to check in our white elephants as we fondly call our check in suitcases

The luggage allowed per person for our China trip was one suitcase not weighing more than 30 kg and one hand luggage plus a handbag for a lady. As most of us are used to wash our clothes regularly after wearing them in India, we generally feel quite uneasy to wear them again and again without washing

Very few hotels provide laundry in the room, I remember having one in our Auckland hotel. Laundry though is provided in most hotels on paying we generally don’t use it, so as a result we are forced to carry as many clothes as we can and struggle with the overweight luggage, so each time we check in our suitcases we are relieved and feel free, but anyway we have to collect them again after the flight ,so only a temporary relief

On our trip to Europe we came across one gentleman who always used to be smartly dressed but still have a small suitcase which he would happily check in, we used to wonder how on earth he was managing to wear fresh clothes every day, finally one day the mystery was solved, he got a room next to us and we saw him calling room service and giving all his clothes for laundry immediately after our trip that day

The airport was very modern with a lot of shops and smart décor

I was able to observe the local Chinese travelers, most of them were friendly and chatted about India and said they wanted to visit our country

Air China flight was comfortable if not luxurious, we were given breakfast again though we had also partaken the packed breakfast from the hotel in Shanghai

We arrived in Xian Xianyang airport, took our luggage and came out to find rain and chilly winds welcoming us

Our van was waiting and we were taken for our lunch in a beautiful theatre restaurant - the Tang Dynasty which is the only one of its kind in modern China, it was started in 1988 and is still running successfully

We were spell bound on entering inside, the foyer was massive with beautiful murals and plaques, its ceiling had magnificent crystal chandeliers hanging

We entered the main hall which was actually a theatre, it covered an area of approximately 2000 Square metres and had buffet tables arranged along with tables and chairs around them, we were told that it could comfortably seat over 500 diners at any one time.

We had gone for buffet lunch in the afternoon as a part of our tour however, there was also a provision for a dinner followed by theatre shows too in the evening

The buffet was lavish and sumptuous and blended the best of the cuisine of West and the East 

 

What I liked most about the lunch was the beautiful setting of the theater itself, I liked the whole concept so much that I was busy photographing everything,

The walls had maroon silk drapes and walls contained beautiful and intricate murals 

The buffet was elaborate with dragon formations and there were live counters for noodles. 

There were various varieties of teas especially exotic ones like jasmine tea , I liked the coffee better

As usual we were scanning and screening for beef, pork and ham as we don’t eat them

I particularly liked the soups and freshly prepared noodles and dumplings

The dishes had exotic names like Pearls of Cathay, The Royal Marriage, Heart of the Dragon, The Princess's Pin, Willow's Melody, After Dinner Delight, Ecstasy Herbal 

As we were leaving I found beautifully wrapped take home gift bags kept on a table, on enquiring we came to know they were meant for guests of another party, Alas ! I thought it was not meant for me