Heizee Hotel Xi'an

... plane for Xian (which left 30 minutes late). Arrived in Xian around 630 PM, got our luggage and headed to the city (an hour from the airport) for dinner.
Finally got to the hotel about 9 PM, did a video Skype call with Lisa and the grandkids (unbelievable technology). Finally collapsed around 11 PM.

General observations: Driving in Beijing and Xian is done by the honking method ...

... thing. One of my (only) pleasant memories of Cairo was taking the public bus from the airport. What can I say about the Terracotta Warriors? Well they are impressive. I'm fascinated by old stuff and archaeology, so I should have found them unbelievable. However, I think the experience was tarnished by the crowds. Too many people, too many flashes of cameras, taking photos of things that nobody will care about tomorrow. I admit, I take a lot of photos. Most of them ...

... me, I was hanging on for dear life. We reached a restaurant, got out of the taxi, and all eyes were on me. No one had seen a white person before, evidently. I thought, at first, this might be an exaggeration but it really wasn't. In my next entry, I'll list some of the weird things that happen to an Ocean Person in a small Chinese city. But for now, I ate, and they had a good laugh at my none-existent Chinese and pitiful attempts to ...

... and awe-inspiring as the notorious scene of Pit 1. However, I preferred the relatively intimate setting and additional display cases containing fully preserved weapons, warriors, and chariots. Although Pit 2 is not an airline hanger like Pit 1, I think the 'in media res' feeling that you get from the partially-unearthed sections and damaged relics is more impressive. I felt crowded and rushed at Pit 1. And ...

... hold 1,000 people at a time and according to traditional custom, prayer services are held five times everyday respectively at dawn, noon, afternoon, dusk and night. Mosques in China, this Great Mosque is the only one open to visitors from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Non-Muslims, however, are not admitted to the main prayer hall or during times of prayer.

... a great breakfast and a hot shower and despite not sleeping the night before I was ready to explore Xian. Our first stop was Huaqing Pool Hotspring. It was at this location that during the Tang Dynasty the emperor would come to relax. There were many natural hot springs that had elaborate baths built around them ...

... a pigmayo, terracota armee, la grande pagode de l oie sauvage, le quartier musulman. l armee de terre .. decouverte en 1974 a 2 km de la tombe de l empereur quin 1er il voulait etre protege dans lau dela. la route pour y aller fut epique .. tres froid et pluies incessantes. ici le systeme d irrigation et les egouts ce n est pas ca donc chaussees tres vite innondees. bref trempes.. j ai rachete des chaussures a betameche car il ...

I arrived in Xi'An after a good night train and about 6hours sleep which was pretty good. Eventually found the free pickup from the hostel, the guy was holding my name about waist height and standing in a crowd of people!!! I booked into my room with another couple of girls from the train, and then rushed down to meet Laura and Will, a couple I'd met in Beijing, and we heading off see the warriors. plashed out on a ...

... e parece que tem trabalho para muitos e muitos anos... Alem disso, numa colina a cerca de 1,6 km dos soldados dizem ter encontrado o sitio onde esta enterrado o Imperador. Ainda nao comecaram a escavar, mas dizem os mitos que se trata de um palacio enorme feito de ouro e pedras preciosas...! Os soldados valem mesmo a visita e o que mais impressiona e o pormenor com que foram feitos e o facto de cada um deles ter feicoes/trajes individualizados. Durante a tarde visitamos o centro ...

... to the tiny town Wubao on the Yellow River. This stretch of travel was rather uncomfortable due to the poor bumpy roads, and very polluted air from all the coal mining and shipping. We met a young truck driver who boasted of making good money despite being ...