M-whY

Jon was off to Yangshuo, to spend some time among those otherworldly limestone peaks. He invited me to come along; For a couple days, I seriously considered that option. Recall 'my dawg' had promised me some 'off the beaten track' adventures if I ever returned. Being farther south, it also wouldn't have been so cold. Ultimately though, the fact that I've been there already kept from from straying off my westward course.

I ran down to the rail ticketing office to find that trains were booked out for the next couple days. Learn from my mistakes, guys: If you're ever going to travel by rail in China, book in advance! I purchased a berth on the next available day, and returned to the hostel to do some menial tasks, like laundry.

Jon's departure left me without a companion to go halfsies on a room with. I thought about moving to a different establishment altogether - the hostel got rather loud at night as some backpackers partied over cheap beer - but its location within Xi'an's city walls was unrivalled. I decided to move into one of the hostel's dorm rooms, in a courtyard a little farther away from the bar. At 40 yuan a night (US$1 = 8 yuan), it was a third the price of our double, and I'd end up with the entire room to myself anyways.

I also reverted to my old habits of eating wherever, whenever, and whatever was convenient. While traveling as a pair, Jon and I often 'ate out', meaning at a sit down restaraunt with neatly dressed waitresses and stuff. This was nice for me; While traveling alone, one of the most awkward things can be asking for a table for one. In China in particular, where meals are often a social event (at least from what I've seen). So after lunch on the go, I sat down at an internet cafe, to see if the web had any suggestions as to what to do for the next couple days. Help came from a friend instead, who, over IM, reminded me that I had been doing a lot of sightseeing lately, and not much hiking. Hmm... Huashan (Mt. Hua) was only a couple hours away. A perfect excursion for the time I had. I was about to just pack up and go when I realized all my socks were still drying on the clothesline. I'm not dumb enough to go trekking in my sandals. I could afford to wait another day.

Late in the afternoon, the gray clouds that had been lingering about began to clear, drying my laundry quicker and foreshadowing a superb time in the mountains. Yeah, I may have lost a great traveling buddy, but if in return I receive blue skies and sunshine, well then, all I have to say is, "Good riddance!"

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!