First we had trouble catching the first bus of the day. We didn't know that the bus stop looking place with a bus schedule on it was NOT the bus stop. But after realizing the bus wasn't stopping for us we decided to find the actual stop. Once we got there we were suprized how long it took for our bus to come...then we realized that the buses were stopping in two different places. Ok, but we finally figured it out and got on a bus. Now, this wasn't the only bus that we needed to be on. We needed to take the bus to the park and transfer to another bus. We got to what we thought might be the park and got off the bus. We tried to ask if we were in the right place and if the bus #9 would stop at the place we were at or if we needed to go somewhere else.
While we were asking about our bus, it arrived. We got on with a couple other Chinese people. As we got on the driver lights a cigarette (on a no smoking bus) and the driver's assisstant tells everyone to get off. Since we don't really know what is going on we stay on and try to ask what's going on. The assisstant tells the driver (we assume) to start the bus and away we go. While we are moving she asks us for bus fare. She points to a ticket and the number on the ticket could have only been a 6 or a 9. Jess gives her a 10 and we get 2 tickets and 2 ones back. No matter how you do the math, this just doesn't make sense. But we go with it.
The bus heads along and Jess and I are somewhat worried because we are the only people on the bus and the driver is passing all the stops and not picking up any passengers. Then we stop for gas. They ask us to get out of the bus, so we do...At this point we wonder if we will end up at the zoo or if we will be part of a human trafficing scandel. But Jess assures me we are going to the right place because there is a bird on the bus ticket we bought so it must be headed to the zoo.
We did however finally make it to the zoo. A relief because we weren't sold into white slavery and let down because this is the zoo from hell. We should've left right away when they told us that there were no pandas. But we were determined to have fun at the zoo. As soon as we get in the park we are totally disgusted. First, you can't really walk, it's too big. So everyone piles into these tour buses and goes together. No getting out all the pics are taken from the bus. Not to mention that there was this hug douche bag on the bus trying to take all the window seats with his water bottle and bags. I sat in a seat with nothing in it and he proceeded to yell at me...whatever. Half of the animals that we were supposed to see weren't even there. No where to be seen. The ones we did see weren't in the best of conditions. They were underfed and dirty After the tour there were some building that you could walk around and look at smaller animals in. Like fish and the like. We found a building of monkeys. They looked sooooo sad. It was the worst conditions for an animal. A big concrete box with no vegetation (even fake) inside. No place for the monkey to play. Terrible.
The zoo was a total let down. It was abandoned and rundown and the animals looked so sad and scared.
But after we got back near the city we lifted our spirits a bit with this Xi'an famous pork sandwich. It was DELICIOUS!!! Really greasy but whatever, soooo good!
Some snacks we tried in the airport. We met up with our buddy Shea at the airport and headed to our hostel.
It was a nice enough place. Hot showers and comfy beds and an in house bar. Not bad really. We were tired so we all passed right out.
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