Rygsækrejsen 2015-2016: Paying Mao a visit

Today we left at 7:30 to avoid the Xian rush hour. Turned out we were in the middle of rush hour.

The trip to leave the city took us pretty much back the same way we came. First on the ring road with the fly overs, then on to one of the 4 lane boulevards before finally hitting the highway. First problem – the police wouldn't let us on the flyovers. So when we approached the first one a nosy police officer stepped out in front of the truck and indicated that we had to leave the ring road. A little Chinese diplomacy and we were allowed to continue. Next flyover – same problem, except this time we weren't allowed over, so we had to drive through the roundabout below and make it through chaos. In the end we managed to leave the city and it was a long drive today to Yan'an but mostly on highways.

We arrived in Yan'an in the afternoon and had a hotel right next to the Mao/Revolution museum. Quick lunch and then off to see what was inside the big and impressive museum. A lot – it turned out. A lot in Chinese and not so much in English. We had a self guided tour so we could only admire the many different posters explaining the various stages of Mao's revolution, The Long March which ended in Yan'an, Mao's white stuffed horse and a lot of old military equipment. For 12 years, from 1935 to 1947 this town was the CCP headquarters. A lot of pictures richer but not so much wiser about the revolution and Mao since the few English signs almost all said the same - a great revolution and a glorious time for Yan'an and the communists back then.

We spent the afternoon in the city center getting coffee and ice cream feeling like celebrities again since western tourist at this part of China must be a rarity. Malene went to the night market and came back quickly – turned out most of the group wanted pizza at Pizza Hut instead. There are lots of shops in Yan'an and western food places too.So much for the revolution and the communist society.