Catch Up Photos - Xi'an

Xi'an is the only city in China with the city walls still completely intact. The city goes well beyond the walls. Our hotel was near the South Gate.


Within the city walls are the Bell Tower and Drum Tower. We took tours of both in the evening.

The Bell Tower in the foreground with the Drum Tower in the back to the left.

View from the Bell Tower on a rainy night - North Street, South Street, East Street, and West Street meet at the Bell Tower.

John and the Giant Bell

Bell concerts are held at the tower several times a day.

View of the Drum Tower from the Bell Tower

John and the Giant Drum

Amy didn't get to bang on the drum all day but a couple times was enough.

Drums lining the tower (don't know the characters on the drums)

View of the Bell Tower from the Drum Tower

It's good to be short in China. There are lots of signs around warning to watch your head - many doorways and staircases are low.

Catch Up Photos - Terracotta Warriors & Big Goose Pagoda

Here are the photos from our evening at Big Goose Pagoda and the morning excursion out to the Terracotta Warriors.

Me in front of the walled Big Goose Pagoda - we got there after tour hours and enjoyed walking around the park area.

The main entrance to the pagoda

Good kite flying day - the only ones flying kites were the ones trying to sell them.

Most of the warriors are in pieces - jigsaw puzzle, anyone?

A few samples of the type of military warriors are in glass cases so that tourists can get a closer look.

The warriors were actually colorfully painted. Once unburied and exposed, they turn back to the terracotta clay color.

Pit 1 - the largest and most impressive of the 3 pits of warriors.

The warriors were discovered in 1974 by some farmers digging a hole for a water well.

John and I at the back end of pit 1 where the Emperor's men and horses are being put back together and some of the restoration is done.

Terra Cotta Warriors Day

We are winding down with a few hours left in Xi'an before we catch our flight to Qingdao. Again, paying for internet so no photos - but we have 3+ days' worth to post eventually. Yesterday was our rest day - I was having some issues and not up to all day adventures. Last night we ventured out to the Big Goose Pagoda via taxis (yes, more than one). The Pagoda itself was closed but there is a nice area outside of it with fountains, walkways, and many vendors. We wandered around and then found a nice restaurant for dinner. This morning we hired a car to drive us the hour to the Terra-cotta warriors museum. Nice drive once out of the city and construction. The parking area is about a 15 minute walk from the museum through some apparently new buildings /shopping area and a nice garden. There are 3 pits of warriors in various stages of excavation. We started with the smallest pit and worked our way up to the most impressive one. I hadn't realized that most of the statues are not renovated and are still in pieces. The chambers had been ransacked and burned by the next emperor and his army so the wooden framework and carriages were destroyed. Hopefully in Qingdao we will have free internet and able to upload photos.

It's Saturday - We must be in Xi'an

We are at the "internet bar" on the top floor of the City Hotel Xi'an. We won't be able to upload any photos until we get to Qingdao (Tuesday). Yesterday we went with Ellen to a water city on the outskirts of Shanghai. A living community with waterways/canals showing the old and current ways of life. We hit the Pearl Tower Market before having a nice dinner (John drank his beer out of a glass boot). Then to the train station and some mad chaos to wade through to get to our waiting lounge. We stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the locals eating their ramen noodles and waiting for the train. We took the overnight train to Xi'an. The hard sleeper is 6 beds (3 up the wall on each side) in each "room" - but no door from the hallway. Community squatty potty at the end of the car with 3 sinks in the hallway. Our fellow passengers were amused by us, I think - and kept their distance. We slept fairly well for the circumstances. Lights were off at 11pm and it was rather quiet. People started getting up around 6am. Some beautiful scenery and interesting cities / villages this morning - along with the garbage dumps and deserted villages. The train station on this end was just as chaotic and just a river of people flowing out of it. Our hotel is decent - you get what you pay for. We had a large lunch/dinner at a local place with a book menu of a variety of Chinese dishes. We gorged ourselves for $10 and it was delicious - 4 different dishes, beer, and pop. More later when we aren't paying for time.