Today we are leaving Beijing for Xian but before we do, we want to catch the last glimpse of Tiananmen Square and the major builds surrounding it - the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, and the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong.
After a ?Chinese? breakfast - some kind of sweet yoghurt and a tiny creamy tart, we were heading to the square. The place is massive. Not such a surprise it could hold half a million people. We were far from that number on that day but many Chinese like to visit the area. Two Belgians travelling the world set foot on that square that day.
Time flies when you're having fun, and we had to rush back to the hostel to get ready for our first bullet train. Getting the train tickets was stressful but simple when you know the drill. Just don't forget to bring your passport and get the instructions translated in Chinese.
The bullet train is, to be honest, more exciting before departure as you pass by its impressive streamlined forefront. Inside, it's clean and comfortable and you don't feel riding at 330 km per hour.
In less than 5 hours, we arrived at Xian. It was already late but we couldn't wait to explore the city. A quick shower to freshen up and we went strolling in the Muslim quarter. That place was unique. The smells and colours were all around. Locals like to kill time and grab a bite among the food stall and restaurants serving honey cakes, dried fruits and barbecued meat on skewers. The freshness and cleanness might be questionable by our European standards but we promised ourselves to come back for some `chuan'er` - small beef or lamb skewer fully coated in chilli pepper and cumin powder.