Terra Cotta warriors -- very impressive

I finally have something to write about after slacking off a bit. Heather was talking to another traveller the other day and she said "sometimes I wish I could just be on holiday instead of having to be a tourist all the time". We decided to lay a bit lower for a day or two. It was my birthday on Friday and I got a chocolate bar and a packet of instant mocha drink which we added hot water to on the train. The first half of my birthday was still on the train coming to Xi'an from Chengdu. In the afternoon I decided that for my birthday I wanted to be alone and do whatever I wanted. Since it was 37 degrees, I went out VERY briefly and decided that whatever I wanted ran to nothing much.

Yesterday we went to see the terra cotta warriors. They are as impressive as would imagine they are. There are just so many of them and if you look, no two are the same. Each warrior has a slightly different set of clothes, hair and face. I can imagine how many potters must have worked putting the army together. Those emporers sure put on a show. It is possibly no wonder they were overthrown semi-regularly over history.

Today was really enjoyable. We took a taxi to the south gate of the old city and climbed up onto the city walls. At the top we rented bicycles and cycled around the rebuilt walls. The circuit is 14.7 Km altogether. It took 100 minutes, which, coincedentally is the exact amount of time they rent the bicycles for (without late fees). Jacob had a bit of trouble with his kickstand which made him less than blissful, but for the most part it was a highly successful outing. We had to purchase expensive drinks to keep everyone going but that is to be expected when you are actually doing something a bit active.

We had promised the kids we would rent bicycles some time in China and were beginning to think we had made a mistake. There is no such thing as a bicycle helmet in this country and the roads are a bit hectic to say the least. I think the only person I know that may be able to drive successfully in this country is my sister Philippa. All others would be mowed down in no time. The city walls were a perfect place to cycle because they are almost empty and flat all round. They are a bit bumpy, especially in the older parts. Heather said it was a bit like a computer game where you had to choose your path to avoid the hazards. I thought that was a particularly telling remark.

After the walls, we went for lunch (it had been at least 3 days since the kids had pizza so we went to that kind of restaurant) and on to the two towers of Xi'an. They are the bell tower and the drum tower . One was built to announce the beginning of the day and the other the end. A kind of city alarm clock. For a small fee, the children were allowed to ring the bell and strike the drum. At the end of the day Jacob said he thought we had done quite well as tourists, and Heather was thrilled we got to cycle, so a good day was had by all.