Xi'an

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Another day, another 20 million Chinese. All going about their business in a matter of fact kind of way. Anything goes and no one is bothered...something us Aussies could learn from! The feeling of safety here is unparalleled. Anytime of the day or night. Joe, our driver, explained if a local was to rob or pickpocket a visitor, and are caught with more than 1500 rmb or $300, they'll be jailed for 2 years. If they injure you, its 10 years and if they kill you while trying to steal from you, its the same for them. Seems fair!?!

One thing I have failed to tell you about that boggles our uncultured western minds is split pants. What? I hear you say. Isn't it obvious? Pants with a split down the crotch. Fortunately, these are limited to young children as an alternative to nappies. I've never seen so many bare little bottoms about the place. When they need to go, they just go, anywhere, anytime, and surprisingly enough...it works. Kids are toilet trained at 1 and I'm yet to be bothered by bodily fluids anywhere. Go China!

Day 5

Xi'an, home of the self-proclaimed 8th wonder of the world, the Terracotta Warriors, as well as many other wonders. Like, why won't the cabs or even tuk-tuks stop for us! Yes we look a little funny but we have money... something the rest of Asia is happy to take from us. So, its off on our 2 feet and the metro to see a tower or two. While buying tickets, a couple of German tourists let us cut in line. It turns out they'd driven, in a motorhome mind you, from Russia through Mongolia to China. And they were still smiling. Again, the mind boggles.

We visit the bell tower and drum tower. The kids beat the giant drums, hmmm... they seem to be the only ones. We search for a sign indicating its not allowed but don't see any, and its China so again, anything goes.

I drop the kids and Scott at KFC. As predicted, Hannah is surviving on chicken nuggets, boiled rice and thankfully, bananas. I go in search of local cuisine and stumble upon the Muslim quarter. Middle Eastern street food... now why does that send shivers down my spine? Oh that's right, I was paralysed for a week with food poisoning in the Middle East. Oh well, here goes. First I find a noodle place. I sit at a table opposite a couple and dig in. I get screamed at "no, no, no...this is what you must do". He lifts the lid on the bowl of chilli. " You put this on and its like a party in your mouth", at least that's what I think he was trying to say. So when in Rome... He was right, it was delicious. I move on and find a queue, much like the one for LR sushi in Adelaide St, so think this many people can't be wrong. Its a Middle Eastern hamburger thing off a piping hot BBQ plate. Yum-mo. Served with what looks like flat coke which I'm told is moom?? and later find out it's plum cordial. I politely decline as I value my stomach lining. I reunite with the others and we negotiate a tuk tuk ride to our hostel. What an adventure, never a dull moment clinging for your life in China traffic on a tuk tuk.

There's nothing that brings you back down to earth like checking out of Raffles and into a youth hostel. All good things must come to and end. It is a lovely courtyard set-up and probably the nicest hostel I've stayed in. At least the kids could run the paved corridors without retribution.

Three loads of washing later and we head out to a Tang Dynasty show of song and dance at a beautiful theatre. The first act is a mysterious orchestra of Chinese instruments, the second an elegant dance, the third a pan flute solo...to which Sara exclaims far too loudly "that was boring!" Oh, the honesty of a 5 year old. The rest of the performance had her on the edge of her seat and thoroughly enjoyed by me too.

Day 6

Off to the Terracotta Warriors at last. Not to be taken for a ride by a rip-off tourist company, those of you who know Scott would understand its a much better idea to queue with the millions to board the 306 local bus and hand over the $1.40 fare and ride the 60 minute road to the unknown. After a few unsure moments along the journey i.e. when everyone but a few get off the bus at one stop, we decide to press on and eventually get left on the side of the road at the famous site. We did it! Whoever doubted, even for a second...

We enjoy a Subway, this time minus the salad, then navigate the masses until we enter a giant shed which houses the 1.8m clay soldiers that protected the then Emperor on his journey into the afterlife. Surely the world's most difficult jigsaw puzzles, these clay creations, all unique in dress and facial features, had been reconstructed to show how they would have stood 2200 years ago. Wow! The pits show various stages of discovery and its truly amazing. As is the number of people trying to flog off souvenirs of the big guys. We leave with a gold painted version which become "princess and princes" on the bus journey back home. I think I hear Emperor Qin turn in his grave!

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