Xian

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Xi'an

Terra Cotta Warriors

On Sunday, Jim, Doug and I visited the Terra Cotta Warriors archeologic site near Xi’an. Here, in 1974, a couple of farmers digging a well, discovered the 2000+-year-old remains of an entire Chinese army division sculpted in clay, and carefully arranged in appropriate formations. Each figure is different, and accurately represents the uniforms, weapons, chariots, horses, armor and configuration of military units and divisions of this era. The warriors were commissioned by the emperor to accompany him to his grave, and thus were purposefully buried in well-built chambers, the remains of which survive to this day. The artists preserved their metal weapons using a thin application of chrome plating, a technique not discovered again until the 20th century by the US and German armies. I marvel at the sophistication and artistry of this society which existed in the 1st Century BC!

We shunned the many tour operators and opted for the city bus for the 45 minute ride out to the archeologic exhibit. We hopped on to the "tourist express" bus for the tripout, passing through the outskirts of town, and skirting nuclear power plant before traveling through farming areas to the site. The trip was comfortable and uneventful, with only 3 stops. On the way back we missed the express, decided not to wait the 10 minutes for the next one (impatience is not a virtue!), and got on the "local" route. This bus, with a failing clutch and the suspension of a tank, quickly got off the paved highway, and headed out to find every pothole on the way home. Sort of like riding a bucking broncho without the saddle. The locals crowded on, and went about their business, giving us a smiles and a few stares. It was both disturbing and good for us to witness life on other side of the tracks. China has many more poor people than rich, and I doubt the casual tourist sees this view very often.

Muslim Quarter

In Xi'an we enjoyed one of our best meals in China, in the Muslim Quarter, a vibrant, colorful, aromatic enclave near the town center. I imagine it is a bit like the Mardi Gras flavor of New Orleans. Street vendors are hawking fruit, lamb shishkabobs, delicious bread, sweet sesame cakes, as well as other mystery foods that shall remain anonymous. We settled in to a tiny restaurant boasting a wood-fired oven, and traditional Muslim food prepared in the Xi'an way. Doug, as always, served as our menu planner. (It is always a treat to see the reaction of the locals when fluent Mandarin pops out of his very Caucasian mouth.) The dishes were clearly prepared with fresh spices, and hot off the grill, and the beer was mild, but plentiful. A 20 oz bottle of beer goes for 3 yuan here....about $0.45! We waddled back to our hotel, convinced we need never eat again.

We could have stayed in Xi'an another day, as we didn't get a chance to walk around the old city wall, or explore much farther than the downtown area. But, we are off to Chengdu tomorrow, where Doug's folk/rock band is playing a gig on Tuesday, and we are planning to get some good Sichuan food and tea!

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