Xian, China

Our flight to Xian was quite early in the morning, so once we arrived, we were very happy to relax for a while. Especially since we were pampering ourselves by spending two nights in a Sheraton, using points that Mike had from his traveling days. It was SO nice to sleep in a comfy bed! That evening we explored the city and were pleasantly surprised to find that Xian was a really neat town! Most people just visit to go to the Terracotta Warriors, but the city has a lot to offer too! We visited the Drum Tower and saw a really cool drum concert with a lot of personality. After that, we caught part of a concert over at the Bell Tower. We then explored a market, and some shops, and bought a couple pieces of art from a little gallery that benefits the local art school. It was a really fun evening!
The next morning, we were a little slow in getting up (the beds there are just a little too comfortable, perhaps!), and then wanted to talk to Norah’s parents before they headed off on a trip to Africa. Around lunchtime we headed off to the bus station to catch a bus to the Terracotta Warriors. Unfortunately it had been raining all night and some of the roads were closed due to flooding. After sitting in traffic for quite a while, we got off the bus and headed back to the city. Perhaps it was meant to be, because that gave us a chance to visit one of the most exciting areas of the city…the shoe street! In many parts of Asia that we visited, the shopping would be clumped together – an electronics street, a jewelry district, a flower street, and now…a shoe street! Mike was an angel and was completely supportive in Norah’s shopping expedition, even though it was way past dinner time! After the shops closed, we found a local dumpling place and got two huge plates of dumplings for a dollar! We felt pretty excited about it, but neither of us felt that great later – you get what you pay for!
We had managed to change our flight so that we would still have time to go back to the Terracotta Warriors the next day, which we did. They really are amazing – just hundreds and thousands of intricately sculpted soldiers, all lined up to escort Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi into the afterlife. It was a great morning, after which we raced back, and headed to the airport to go to Beijing.