China Chapter 14

This morning, we were allowed to sleep in a bit. Our day didn't have to start until 9 a.m. So, taking advantage of using all of the rooms in the suite, I was able to watch a chinese opera on the sofa in the living room, and then was able to have coffee at the table.

We went down for breakfast, and then met our guide, Susan, for the day long activities. Susan is such a bright, cheery, funny, energetic, and sweet bundle of energy. She's certainly been wonderful. We first went out to the countryside to see the terra cotta warriors from the Qin Dynasty. They were really something else. We first saw a 360-degree movie which was a little dizzying, and then proceeded to pit number one. Incredible, awesome, unbelieveable, and immense don't even nearly describe what we saw. Thousands of terra cotta warriors, all different from each other, lined up in a pit the size of about 4 football fields. It was unbelieveable!

We then went to pit number 3, and then pit number 2 to see different points of excavation of this project, that really, hasn't even been begun to be tapped. It's truly amazing.

After seeing this incredible sight, we then went to lunch, watched how noodles were made, and beat the rush of other tourists at lunchtime. We had some wonderful things, like pork with green pepper, noodles and ginger pork, pork dumplings, pork noodle soup....and well, pork. And in actuality, the Empress and Won Hung Low (mom's nickname for To Wong Foo) were actually tolerable today. That is, until they found out about the time we have to catch the plane to Guilin tomorrow morning...

We took a chariot/horse-drawn carriage to the main gate of the museum, after the Empress had to walk over to where there were furs hanging from a shop entry. Ironically, the Empress is a dog lover and carries on about the plight of some of the animals that we've seen along the roads and streets of China, yet has no qualms about wrapping a silver fox carcass around her neck (even IF it has a red dye mark on it). Well, interestingly, Susan, our Xi'an native Chinese tour guide, specifically (if not emphatically) said that those furs were fake. 100% fake.

The Empress, of course, had to walk over there, check them out, and proclaimed them to be 100% genuine. The divine and most wise edict was handed down.

Anyhow, after this, we went to the city, and visited a jade factory (which the Empress emphatically said she didn't want to visit because it was too over-priced). Well, mom and I took a tour, got a jade spotting lesson, shopped at a leisurely pace, managed to purchase a minor object (all in about a 30 minute timeframe), and sauntered out to the van, where the Empress and her porter were sitting in our van waiting. Of course they asked what we bought, and well..we lied and said we bought about 3 or 4 things and were having them shipped home....

I love lying, especially when my mom instigates it...

Anyhow, we went to the Wild Goose Pagoda, and then (of course) we went to the Xi'an Historical Museum minus our royal pair (since they don't DO museums), and got an incredible tutorial about Qin, Han, Tang, and Ming Dynasty art, sculpture, and bronze by our amazing tour guide. It was truly a worthwhile experience!

We then travelled back to the hotel, where we are as I write this, and we're off to see a Tang Dynasty show and dinner. I'll keep you all posted as to how THAT goes! (I'm sure the Empress has already seen it....and I'll be sure to savor EVERY moment for as long as I like...).

More soon.....