Xi'an trip!

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Everyone in the program took a long weekend trip to Xi'an. My favorite part of the trip was the chance to hang out with everyone else in the program! I liked our hotel room and our late-night shenanigans. I couldn't get that interested in the nth museum they've made us go to - more old pots in glass cases. I have a hard time appreciating things in glass cases. However, our bike ride around the city wall was fantastic because it made the ancient history tangible, plus riding bikes is fun. The water show was also a highlight. Huashan was lame because we cheated by taking the cable car halfway up and then turned around before we got to the top. Oh well I'll totally hit up Huangshan while I'm in Wuhan! OH DID I MENTION the show Chang Hen Ge (Song of Everlasting Sorrow). They were not kidding about the special effects - they set off pyrotechnics, a green laser (in our eyes...), and fireworks AT THE SAME TIME!!! Plus they projected backgrounds on water fountains and also they had lights installed in the mountains behind the show to make a night sky. It was so overstimulating and wonderful.

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Photos

On the train
We prepared quite the spread!!!

Terracotta Warriors
I dunno they were definitely sweet but I thought I would be super blown away and I was not.

Wtf
Hey dad it's giant puppets. Um everything about this is creepy. I guess they were in the Olympics.

Outside the outdoor theater
For the show Chang Hen Ge. Really wonderful how they incorporated nature into the show!

Waiting in line
For the cable car to the halfway point of Huashan. This reminded me of the Terminator ride at Universal Studios, but there was no sweet video with explosions.

风景！
A cliff in the clouds.

Hiking in the mist
Like Sam and Frodo.

Rather steep stairs
They were slippery.

It cleared up
As we came down.

Yeaaaa
The mountains were so sick.

Thanks Angela Merkel
She was visiting the Terracotta Warriors that day so they just STOPPED traffic on a major highway! Here's Lauren walking around.

Goose Pagoda
And the moon!

Sunset
Over the water fountains that would spontaneously go off and make the little kids scream and giggle.

Water show!
To both western classical music and Chinese music.

Good evening!
Scott and I crawled out the window onto the hotel balcony.

Nicole on the wall
She looks like she belongs there.

Market
In the Muslim district. HI ALEX.

Have to cover your shoulders
To go in the mosque.

Our tour guide
I didn't understand anything he said.

Inside the mosque
None of us were Muslim so we couldn't go in. It looked very grand though!!