Xi'an Day Two

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What an evening. After accidently dozing in the afternoon we woke up and it was already dark. We decided to head to the Muslim Quarter some time earlier but we were going to go late afternoon. How glad i am we didn't and left it until after dark. The palce felt so much more alive. The streets were crammed with market stalls selling food or clothes or artefacts, handcrafted from wood or stone. The air was filled with the smell of burning coals and cooking meat. There was the noise of chatter and music and laughter! Laughter, what was this. The only chinese persone we have seen laugh since being here was our guide Dragon, and then it was shallow! Our eyes were assaulted with brightly coloured lights and and brighly coloured stalls mingled with the steam that floated up from the food stalls and creating a stage lighting effect. The street was rammed and still cars and rickshaws beeped and squeezed through the masses of people.

It was truly amazing. Finally a Taste of Real China!!!!!!

Last night i slept well for the first time. I decided it would be a shock and awe tactic - I denyed my system sleep until i could read no more and then kept going until just after midnight, thus shocking my system back into a regular sleep pattern. And it worked to a degree of success. Until!!!!! We were rudely woken this morning by the sound of the national anthem and a loudspeak and cheering children. We can only assume it was the early morning excercise that takes place in the square near our hotel.

Today was cold. Very Cold. The chance to have children is sadly lost.

We went to the Terracotta Warriors. Dragon warned us it was going to be minus 7. (Yeh right we thought. having been up early and gone out and it been nowhere near that cold.) He was right. Or at least it was bloody cold. It was strange seeing the oddly life like figures standing in their ranks. Only a handful are complete. All the warriors were smashed when the hated emperor died by the people and the handful have been painstakingly restored by archielogists. We spent two hours shivering our way round the musuem. And while it was cold, it was still enjoyable.

Later on we are doing our charity bit at a lcoal school for disadvantaged children. I am looking forward to this and feel it will have a big impact on our trip.

Peace out!

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