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Published: August 6th 2007
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Stimulating Conversation
What did one Terracotta Warrior say to the other Terracotta Warrior? "Mmmph!" Happy to be leaving the noise and pollution of Shanghai behind, the original plan was to head straight to Beijing. But the opportunity to visit Xi'an and see the Terracotta Army was too much to pass up. At 1500km, the 16-hour train ride to Xi'an is a rather sizeable detour - the equivalent of going from Vancouver to Edmonton via Prince George. It's a little out of the way, but well worth it.
A guy from the hostel met us at the train station as promised for our morning pick-up, which turned out to be a ride on a city bus. A sleek limousine was never advertised, but still...you never know when you're gonna get lucky. Unfortunately, our luck didn't show up for lunchtime either. We made the (incorrect) decision to turn right when exiting the hostel and had to walk for ages to find somewhere to eat. The problem being that after walking for an hour, you'll settle for pretty much anything.
Our not-so-clean restaurant with overly friendly and attentive staff watched us eat our entire meal - the contents of which are still unknown. It was a bird of some sort (I think), pigeon perhaps? The character
Great Mosque
"What do we have behind door #1, Wink?" on the menu was 'bird', so I made wings with my arms and '
bock bock bock' sounds, imitating a chicken, hoping to get approval from the staff. The owner just shook his head.
After our questionable lunch, we made our way to the station to catch a bus to the
Terracotta Army. Never the organized tour type, we're hardcore and take public transit. Far less reliable and far more dangerous, you almost always come out with a story to tell and a few years shaved off your life. We boarded bus #306 for the $1, one-hour journey to the Terracotta Army on the most dilapidated piece of public transportation we've ever been on. I thought I was going to get an infection from the seats...or at the very least a nasty skin rash. Thankfully, neither materialized. Instead we got the guy that didn't know how to drive stick. It was noisy, bumpy and smelled of diesel, but what do you expect for a buck?
After cruising through dusty countryside and even dustier towns, we pulled into the moderately-sized parking lot. Always out for your last dollar, you have to walk through about a kilometer of newly built (but currently
Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Situated inside the Da Ci'en Temple. empty) souvenir shops and restaurants to reach the front gate. Upon entering, we proceeded to watch a low-budget 360° movie detailing the history behind the site before making our way to the pits. We were advised to see the pits in reverse order, saving the best for last. It's the right way to go, as pit #3 is the smallest, and pit #2 contains the least amount of artifacts (pit #1 is the largest in both respects). Also, lining the pits are fairly well translated and informative displays of what you're looking at, so there's no need to hire a tour guide...not that we would anyway.
They really are quite spectacular! Hundreds upon hundreds, row upon row, each one different from the next. Excavation is still underway, and will be for quite some time. They were originally discovered, purely by fluke, in 1974 when some dude's well collapsed. Since then it's been an ongoing process of digging, assembly and restoration, and there's plenty of work left to be done. To give you an idea of how big the site is, last year a German tourist dressed up as a Warrior and hid among them for two days!
Our
Bell Tower
For a price, you too can ring the bell. second day in Xi'an started on a great note. The stupid dick at the bank directing traffic thought that for some reason we had personal business to attend to, and instructed us to take a number. We waited around for over an hour before we were approached by the bank manager who told us that currency exchanges could go straight to wicket #3. This, of course, happened right as our number appeared on the 'serving next' board. Grrr!
From there we made our way to the
Big Wild Goose Pagoda and marvelled at the enormous water fountain show set to music that was far too loud. There's not much to the grounds, just some shrubbery and a small temple. But it's peaceful, and the pagoda is quite tall, albeit slightly tilted.
We spent the remainder of our time in Xi'an wandering through the Muslim Quarter, a quaint area with narrow alleys and colourful shops. The highlight of this part of town is the
Great Mosque, a 1200 year-old group of
harmonious, solemn and respectable buildings
. Couldn't have said it better myself. Although it could do without the three huge tour groups that wrecked any chance of tranquility while we were there.
All in all, the trip
Terracotta Army
Discovered by accident in 1974 by some dude whose well collapsed. to Xi'an was excellent, and not just for the Terracotta Warriors. The other sites on offer are impressive in their own right, and the city has a long and storied history dating back more than 3000 years. Xi'an is much smaller than Shanghai or Beijing - a mere five million people - but it feels like less. The streets are lively but quiet, the drivers are more patient, the people are friendlier, and we found one of the best restaurants ever. A fast-food place if you will, canteen-style with over 60 dishes to choose from. For the low, low price of about $3, you too can eat and drink like a horse. If only we'd have turned left a day sooner...
Camille & Denise
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Mom
non-member comment
Gimme my Prize
I think they are lychee nuts, very popular in China as a dessert. I think they taste like perfume. And if they are not lychees, you just learned something so give me a prize anyway. Got your postcard. Love to both, Mom