Xi'an

We got to Xi'an around 2 am Wednesday morning, after taking the cheapest flight we could. (Train tickets were all gone.) The hostel we booked our rooms at had no electricity, so after waking up the reception guy, he rummaged around for a candle, then a lighter, then our room key. He led us up the stairs and left us the candle. A day and a half later, there is still no electricity there, but we don't really want to go to the hassle of moving since we have an okay double bed room with a bathroom for 90 yuan per night.

Yesterday we slept in, bought our train tickets back to Beijing, then walked downtown. Our legs are still sore from the hike up Lao Shan, the mountain where the springs for Tsingtao beer are. There's also a monastery up there where the monks wear their hair in buns because they aren't supposed to cut it.

We saw the bell tower at the center of the city and took in the great contrast between old and new China. We ate some wonderful Muslim food, the best food we've had on this trip, I think. We finished the day reading in the courtyard of our hostel by evening light and then by candle light until we finally decided it was a decent hour to go to bed.

Got up early this morning and headed out of town to the Terracotta Warriors. Seeing them costs 90 yuan, which is the same as the cost of our room per night. They are impressive, but also quite sad and mystifying - that Emperor Qin actually thought they would guard his tomb well?

Well, the internet cafe I'm at is frustrating me, so I'm going to go...