Xi'an - Terracotta Warriors and the Giant Goose Pagoda

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Afternoon all,

Thought I'd start with a quick "camera" update. Number 3 still performing solidly, though Numbnuts here managed to clear the memory card, deleting every photo......nice one Shano. Having said that, I'm trying to get a few photos from a mate I was travelling with through Datong (hanging temple, cave carvings) and Pingyao (a village where time stopped 150 years ago) so all may not be lost.

So, lets skip those places for the time being and move onto Xi'an. The only reason people really come to Xi'an is to see the Terracotta Soldiers that are about 30km's out of town (2hours in peak hour....nuts).

Pretty bloody spectacular is the best way to describe them....and I should know, I went around the place twice thanks to my photo deleting shenanigans. Its a bit of a fight to get in front of the hoards for some decent photos though.....was close to tossing a few grannies over the pit wall. The countryside around where the pits were discovered about 30+ years ago is beautiful also...threw a few piccies in of that.

Spent just the one night in Xi'an, had time the second day to hit the Giant Goose Pagoda. Hadn't heard of it before but is defo worth a butchers. Cost about 25 Yuan to get into the "compound" and another 20 to get into the Pagoda and climb up....thats roughly 10 Aussie in total.

Traffic in this place is indescribable.......to drive, cycle or walk here you need to believe that 1) there is no such thing as road rules; and 2) there is no such thing as death.......thats probably the only way you MAY survive to the ripe old age of 30.

So one night in Xi'an then I took the night train (hard-sleeper) to Wuhan (14 hours, about AUD50.00). Met 4 golden students heading back to Uni after a holiday to Xi'an. They not only helped me book my next ticket (to Guangzhou in a few days) when we got off the train, but they took a cab with me to the hostel so I wouldn't get lost. I thought it must have been on the way to their uni dorms but nope, opposite direction. I'm meeting up with them tomorrow morning as they want to take me around the city sight seeing.

Righto, next stop Guangzhou....leaving Wuhan on the 29th. Might have a few travel issues coming up as the May Day holiday is a big event over here, I could handle getting stuck in this country for a while longer though.


Rock on,
Shane,
Space Adventurer.

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Photos

Terracotta Warriors
Pit 3: fecken huge

Giant Goose Pagoda
What is it with the Chinese and bloody steps. Counted 268 to the top if you were wondering,

The hard-sleeper
home-crap-home

Evidence I was there
Gaz....I thought I was smiling in this one

Comments

[Candice]

HeiShane
Best wishes for your travel  We are missing you ^_^