Xi'an and the Terracota Warriors

Our next stop was Xi'an, the former capitol of the Chinese emperors and a damn fine city nowadays. It is certainly a big city (the size of Phoenix), but the central area (surrounded by an intact, huge ancient wall was really fun to spend time in. Most of the old buildings have disappeared and been replaced by huge shopping malls and hotels, but there were many side streets lined with huge trees, as well as parks and walking areas. We took a stroll along the park just outside of the wall one evening and were treated to many, many Chinese out using the park's exercise equipment (including stationary bikes!). Others (especially older women) were simply dancing around to the somewhat traditional music coming from across the creek. Many of the old temples are still in place, such as the Bell and Drum Towers (which announce dawn and dusk with -- you guessed it -- either bells or drums) and several pagodas. There is a mosque in the Muslim Quarter that looks very, very Chinese. The Muslim Quarter was one of the best places to wander around, with close streets, trees, food vendors, and lots of activity. We ate in a little mom and pop place and had yangrou paomo, a traditional Muslim dish from the area. It is a stew made with small bread dumplings, noodles, mutton, and broth. We both thought it was tasty, but I was especially effusive about it. Yum!


One of the primary reasons for coming to Xi'an was to visit the world-famous Terracota Warriors. It was pretty mind-boggling seeing the excavations and the thousands of life-size warriors and horses that were buried there. They were constructed for Emperor Qin Shi Huang over two thousand years ago, most likely so he would still have a standing army when he continued his reign in the next life. We'd been warned that the Warriors are a bit of a let down after so much hype over the years, so we were prepared and had a good time with it. We spent the day with Christina from Mexico, whose enthusiasm for attempting to speak Chinese was engaging and came at a good time for us, since we were still in the hesitant, culture shock mode. We now have a new perspective and are ready for the long-haul!


Yesterday we went to the airport in Xi'an to fly to Lijiang, Yunnan Province, the next stop on our itinerary. When we arrived, we discovered that the flight we had booked either didn't actually exist or was cancelled (depending on who you asked). It was a little stressful and chaotic, but we did eventually make it to Lijiang around midnight -- with our bags! Even though we have tiny packs, they still made us check them since they don't allow any liquids through and have a 5 kilo weight limit for carry-ons. Oh well.

We're in Lijiang now (wow! what a beautiful place!). I'll write more from here in a few days. We're going to hike Leaping Tiger Gorge for the next couple of days. I'm sure we'll have plenty more to tell after that!

-matt!