Hyatt Regency Xi'an

Hi All, Another dream fulfilled! Ever since I had the pleasure of living in Taiwan in the 60's and 70's I have always wanted to visit "The Motherland" - Mainland China. Because of my security clearance and the political situation prior to the 80's that was impossible. Now that China has become one of the U.S.'s biggest trading partners, travel restrictions are pretty much gone. Julieann and I flew four hours from Seoul, Korea to Xian, China on May 31st. We were met by a very lovely, friendly ...

We said goodbye to Shanghai early in the morning to catch our flight to Xi'an, and our drive was memorable. Traffic in Shanghai is difficult to describe, and heartburn-inducing to be a part of. It’s not like India, where there is virtually no pretense of following established rules. Also unlike India, it’s not lacking in gleaming new infrastructure. In fact, the quality of many of this country’s bridges, tunnels, and highways equals or exceeds that of the United States. The ...

It was time for a real take it easy day after the efforts of the visit to the Terracotta Army. We were up and out of the hostel late morning and took ourselves to the plushest shopping mall we had seen in China so far, which contained all the usual designer suspects (Gucci et al). We went there, not as you might believe for the shopping, but for a decent latte and some clean toilets! Delighted on both parts, we whiled away a few hours in the gorgeous but expensive Star Cafe before wandering a...

Left the Capital Hotel in Beijing at 0530 this morning to get to the airport. At the airport, it was very interesting. We walked from one counter to another counter while our guide, Joe, tried to find a ticket agent who would help us. He finally found someone who would and we got our boarding passes and had our luggage checked in. Finding the right ticket agent was important because he knew that our bags - as a group - were overweight so he was trying to find someone who would look the other ...

My favorite part of Xi'an was the Sweat Buns for Breakfast... Well and the visit to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Seen the excavation sites was incredible, with thousands of Life Size Warriors, and the detail each statue had. In the museum we were able to see some better preserved statues up close and the Bronze Chariots. After lunch, we visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and spent a couple of hours in the square just in front of the temple. The day cleared and more and more peop...

We started late, but not without the delicious Sweat Buns. We went to the City Wall, which was very impressive in its construction and how well preserved it still stands. There we visited the Feng Shui museum, where we learned proper practices both for architecture and interior designs. After the wall we visited a local family (one of the guides parents home), the Provincial History Museum and the Great Mosque.

Went to Xi'an for overnight trip. Saw Terra Cotta soldiers and some sights in the city of Xi'an which was the capital of china for about 800 years across 13 different dynasties.