Guo Mao Hotel Xianyang

... to have left a bag
right beside where ours had been. The nice lady from the bus kept
telling us not to worry but I couldn't share her confidence. The
police arrived and after a bit of confusion we made ourselves
understood and they called the uni where we thought whoever had taken
it must have got off. About and hour later the good news came through
that they had the bag! (I actually did a little celebratory jump, it
was a bit embarrassing) . Another hour ...

... Legend has it that 8 mysterious figures (the Immortals) dined here, thus giving the temple it's name. This place was the focus of Taoism of the North West during the Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1616 - 191) Dynasties. The facility was rebuilt after it was damaged in the mid-1900's. There are plaques with Taoist scripture around the temple.

Yu Xian Bridge has the Lucky and Peaceful Bell underneath it. It was neither lucky nor peaceful for Bill as he could not hit the bell with a ...

... that looks like a hammer with strings, a woman singing, people playing badminton, people with giant yo yo's, a kid's party, people walking and exercising.

We were both out of breath, but we survived! We bought some water to drink on the walk back.

We tried to get some snacks from a mini mart, but they did not have anything interesting. We did end up buying some more undies though. 15 yuan for 2 pairs (less than $3).

Back at the room I decided to ...

... Inn is a 3 km walk to the subway. We are going to stay at the Park Plaza instead which is close to a subway line and the Forbidden City.

We walked through the Muslim area and took some photos. I like the leg of yak with fur still on it. We joined the pilgrimage crowd and headed through the alleys and back onto the street where our hotel is located. We stayed with them until the market, then we headed toward Johkang Temple. There is a lot of yak butter ...

... it due to the fact that everyone is shouting into their microphones. I dunno mate, I kind of think it is the same as most things here in crazy, loud and confusing China. If everyone stopped shouting and beeping their horns then everyone could actually hear what is going on. I seriously don't know if the girl next to me is in labor, having an orgasm or simply having a normal conversation! _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _

... Army, but we took time to do some of the other touristy things. These included cycling round the top of the city walls (a great experience which takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete); visiting the "world famous" Defachang Dumpling restaurant; and walking round the lively streets of the Muslim quarter. The city walls are in excellent condition and, far from being regarded by the locals as an historical relic requiring preservation, is ...

We had a few more days in Beijing and went into the Forbidden City. Love being here in low season, not that many people around and the entrance fees are reduced which definately helps the budget. It was a bit dissapointing though when we got in and the 1st building, which according to the audio guide is the most beautiful building in all of the Forbidden City, was completely covered in scaffolding. Although I wasn't really surprised ...

... He also created an elaborate tomb on the scale of the Egyptians, earthen pyramid and all. To defend it in the afterlife, he had his actual army reproduced in terra cotta (fired clay) in their life-like dress and personal facial detail. Divisions of soliders, archers, chariots along with commanders and generals were placed on the battlefield, ready to defend his tomb. Horses wore tackle made of bronze and ...

Xi'an,Ancient Capital of China Hi everyone, I am writhing the Xi'an section after we left Xi'an. The overnight train was about 13 hours. We had dinner on the train and met some Dutch people. Mimi helped them order dinner. It was interesting to meet them. They were spending 3 weeks in China and have just spent their first 4 days in Beijing. We arrived around 6:30 am and went to the hotel we booked. The hotel was 168 RMB a night ...

... top of the amazing city walls - South Gate opposite our hotel

Xian wall is the largest & best-preserved wall in China & one of the few ancient military facilities in the world. Current wall built during Ming dynasty. Four main gates with tower above plus four corner towers. All surrounded by a moat.

Evening entertainment - Tang Dynasty Cultural Show & Dinner - lots of colourful dance & music