China (Xian > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) May 2006 D-17

My final day in Xian as today I will be flying off from Xian to Kuala Lumpur at 3.00pm.

For the rest of the morning, I spent our time walking around the down town city near the Bell Tower area.

At around, 1.00pm, I took a taxi to the Melody Hotel where the airport shuttle bus terminal was based, for my departure to the Xian airport. I paid Rmb25 per ticket for the bus fare.

I arrived at the KLIA airport around 9.30pm. Home sweet home at last !

As this was my first backpacking trip overseas, I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my time in all the places I visited. There was no major hiccups or untoward incidents along the way so I was very pleased with the outcome. It would be more ideal if I would have extended my stay for another two weeks to cover the southern Xinjiang route.

Here are some nice photos to jog my memory on this trip:

1) The Shaanxi province has ten strange things or practices that we should probably be aware of or taken note. I took ten pictures of these framed up posters erected at one of the Hua Shan tourist sites. The ten messages posted on the boards were:

- Shaanxi noodles look like our waist belt

- Shaanxi food must be hot and spicy

- Shaanxi round pancake is as large as the size of the cover of a wok

- Shaanxi's eating bowl is extraordinary large

- When walking, Shaanxi's women like to place a towel on their heads

- The roofs of Shaanxi homes are half covered

- Shaanxi girls prefers marriage within their own province

- When resting, Shaanxi men prefers squatting than sitting

- When sleeping, prefers hard bricks than pillows

- When singing in opera, it is like a shouting match.

Do you think is funny or queer ?

2) The steep climb to one the mountain peaks in Hua Shan - Isn't it scary ?

3) How about training one more time taking trains from Xian to northern & southern Xinjiang (10,000km) ?

4) When travelling overseas, do not forget to invest in taste, the return is delicious ! I can't wait to go back to Xinjiang to savor their succulent roasted lamb, satay sticks & Hami melons.

"Having travelled to China 5-6 times, my future travels will most likely to focus on Western countries. So bye bye China but like what General McArthur had said during the Second World war - I shall return ! "