Xian -Day 2

I didn't mention this last time, but Xian - Day 1 actually ended with another mini-event. The hotel we were staying at not only put up a banner that welcomed us (forgot to mention this also, everywhere we went we were welcomed with a huge banner), but also provided some light snacks. Too bad I didn't get to hit any of that, I was going after the ladies dressed in some form of traditional clothing.



Sweet. Also forgot to mention that crossing roads in China's pretty different to most Western countries. Pedestrians don't have right of way in China, even at pedestrian crossings.



Can be a challenge getting places at times. Especially when you're crossing huge three laned roads (so six lanes in total, three going each way). Monica and I adopted the 'shadow' strategy. We wait at a pedestrian crossing. Spot a local. Follow them across the crossing. They go, we go. They stop, we stop. It works pretty well. Over time (read: a few days) you figure out when you can go and when you can't. Well, you'd better anyway.

Breakfast. Big buffet. Lots of Chinese food. A waitress in the same garb as last night hands you a plate and chopsticks. Coolios. I, being stupid, keep shoveling down fried noodles and other 'heavy' and 'oily' foods. Would come back to bite me in the ass.

Was also going commando today thanks to the bet I'd lost last night. Honestly it wasn't that bad. But enough said.

Xian tour guide tells us we're going to see the terracotta warriors today. Awesome. Only reason for being in Xian, I thought. Rock up and it's a pretty nice place. Looks a bit like a memorial. It kind of is, really.



Should probably mention now, before I forget, that we're holding Viennetta ice blocks (popsicles for the North Americans).

For those who don't know what I'm referring to. And they, like everything else in China, are so cheap. We bought these for five yuan (0.8AUD/USD). The cheapest we got them was like, 3 yuan (0.5AUD/USD) at the Summer Palace in Beijing. Point being - go to China, go get some Viennetta. Best loose change you'll ever spend.

But we don't get to see the warriors just yet. Head into some kind of museum where we spend an hour. Dark. Two chariots on display.



This one I think is a miniature re-construction of something found in the pits where the terracotta warriors were found. Not sure if this is like a fighting chariot or not.



I actually know what this is. I think this is another miniature re-construction of the emperor's comfort chariot. Large roof to block out the sun. Windows to allow air through. Left the museum shortly after.

Pit 1 is the biggest pit. I didn't even visit the other pits. But pit 1 is huge.



Look how small the people are on the far wall for reference. Honestly, not much to say about this place cause we pretty much walked the perimeter of the thing, and took photos along the way. Lots of other tours were there that day as well.




Look closely. You knew this, but none of them have the same faces. Kind of takes handmade to a whole new level. And towards the back, some terracotta warriors were being pieced together again.



So that was essentially my experience of the terracotta warriors. Oh, and one more thing. The guy who discovered them some thirty years ago is now old and a little cranky. He works at one of the museums at the site, and charges you 20 yuan if you want to take a photo with him. We actually saw a picture of him hung up in the souvenir store, but they don't even let you take a photo of that picture of him. The government should just pay him royalties for the rest of his life or something.

Before we left, we watched a short film in the souvenir store. They have a panoramic screen in there, so it's like, 360 degrees of action. Problem is it gets a bit tough spinning around to see what's happening at every point of reference at every point in time. Still pretty cool though.

The rest of the day was pretty lame. We visited the Shanxi historical museum which was a very good museum, but nothing compared to the terracotta warriors. They have the biggest stone lion I've ever seen.




Examples of what chinese writing used to look like.



And some ancient chinese money. Like, you've probably seen this in textbooks before. And it looks pretty damn similar in real life.



ext up was the most boring lecture I've ever sat through. Like I was literally gone as soon as I sat down.



Me in the back row with the head tilted back. Got woken up by Li Lei about halfway through. Apparently I was snoring lightly. But in my defence I wasn't the only one. The camera crew couldn't film the delegation listening to the lecturer cause too many of us had dozed off. Like Monica. Who got drawn on. Pictures needed cause I can't find it :).

I was sitting next to Subrina and Carrie that lecture. I should probably introduce them more fully. You might remember Carrie from Hong Kong - Day 2. The one who was walking around with Eva with that huge camera? Quiet? HA! Apparently not. Miss Hong Kong, as she likes people to refer to her, was voted the loudest in the group by the time CSP was over. Her partner in crime is Subrina, and together, they are my two clowns.

So after I got woken up, and while Walter and Jacqie are trying to fill in periodic table, Subrina grabs my left hand and tells me to let it hang loose, palm facing down. She then flips it over, palm up. The two clowns look at it and squeal. Carrie says she has a friend who can read palms, and apparently the curvature of your thumbpad (like the bit of flesh below your thumb which forms part of your palm) is an indication of...something. I'll leave that up to you to figure out. Oh, and it's definitely not G-rated.

Tonight was the night we got for 'free time' in Xian. Get dropped off by the buses somewhere in the city and we're told we need to find somewhere to have dinner. We have a few CSP alumni with us, so they suggest we take a taxi to this restaurant. Li Lei flags one down and hop in. Pretty old thing, with a huge metal grill separating the backseat from the front seat. It's so hot that we open the window, but the air pollution is so bad it makes us want to close it. Stream through the traffic of Xian. Other cars, buses, bikes, scooters. Oh, and a common disregard for road rules. Arrive safely at the restaurant. The fare? About 11 yuan (1.5 AUD/USD) as I recall. I was astounded. Flagfall in Australia is at least twice that amount. And it wasn't a particularly short trip, maybe 10-15 minutes? I heart taxis in China.

So dinner was in this kungfu themed place. All the food was given special names as per the theme. Or so I'm told, cause I can't read menus. It was a very humble place, but the staff there will bend backwards for you. They somehow managed to fit all thirty or so of us in the restaurant and pretty much re-did their back room to fit us on two big tables. Food and alcohol came quickly. It was a huge dinner. Highlights (not always good) included:
Camel (someone told me it was, the size of the bone doesn't suggest otherwise)



Pig's trotter. (GROSS, would've rather had river worms instead of this)




Beer. (The weakest beer ever, it was literally water).




And of course, when it comes to drinking with Chinese people, you must shout 'GAN BEI!'



But the night was not yet over.

Another ridiculously cheap taxi ride took us to a night market in Xian. We spotted a McDonald's there. Sirui, the generous gentleman, shouted everyone sundaes. Someone remind me how much they were? Again, the relative cheapness of everything in China astounds.

We hit the night market and it is a loud, colourful place. Lots of vendors with some pretty interesting wares. Inflatable t-shirts. Light emitting spin tops. Amazingly accurate cariactures. Crickets in a cage, a la Mulan. Lots of food to buy and food to try.



I don't know what they're making here.



Cars, scooters and modernised rickshaws (scooters with a backseat attached to them) keep you on your toes.



So Carrie and Subrina buy some 'nian gao' (年糕) from a hawker on the street, I think. Tastes ok. The CSP organisers tell us not to try any hawker food. I feel all right. About ten minutes later I've got a runny nose. So I think. Glistening red. Oh dear. Get Monica to grab some tissues out of my bag. Dripping blood everywhere. Gino rushes me into a restaurant and asks if we can use their toilet. Didn't think they were gonna say no. Clean myself up and head back out. Carrie and Subrina propose another reason for my nose bleed. Clowns. The rest of the night was pretty uneventful. We discover Kenny's ability to work the ladies when it comes to bargaining. A few of us buy some qi pao's.



Kenny buys a Beijing 2008 shirt. Another useless souvenir which he doesn't need.

Decided to pull off something I'd learnt in Australia.

Whoops!