Xi'an

We had a few days to spare this week so we went to Xi’an, a 2 hour flight from here. Domestic flights in China are easy and usually on time. Check-in closes 30 minutes before take off and the main hassle is getting to the airport through the Kunming traffic and ever-present roadworks. At the other end of the flight, the airport shuttle bus took us straight to our hotel in the city centre. (We had been advised not to use taxis in Xi’an.)
Our main reason for going was, of course, to see the Terracotta Warriors (or "worriers" as they were described on a packet of postcards we bought.) So we signed up for a trip which included a visit to a silk factory and another tourist attraction, the Big Wild Goose pagoda. This is actually a large Buddhist temple complex with the pagoda as its focal point. The pagoda is modelled on an Indian pagoda of the same name, so called because a wild goose is said to have dropped dead at the site! The visit led to some interesting conversations between ourselves, the local tour guide, (Sean - good Chinese name!) and the American Jewish couple who made up our small group.
At the silk factory we were fascinated to watch the fine silk threads being unwound from the silkworm cocoons. The larvae are used for food and each cocoon yields over a kilometre of thread! Before we left the factory there was the inevitable opportunity to buy the products.
We had seen the excellent warriors exhibition at the British Museum last year which was a good introduction to seeing them in situ. It was so impressive to see the rows of thousands of warriors, horses, etc. which were uncovered by chance in 1974. A farmer made the discovery while digging a well and when we arrived he was on hand to sign copies of the guidebook. He is a lot richer now but looked as if he might have been happier as a farmer.
Our hotel was in the tourist area with lots of shops asking tourist prices. Just over the road was Starbucks which we don’t have in Kunming so we treated ourselves to several lattes while we could. We enjoyed wandering among the fascinating variety of shops and stalls in the nearby Moslem quarter. It was there that we were accosted by a couple of female students who are studying Business English at one of the 75 (!!) universities in Xi’an. They told us that they make a practice of speaking to foreign visitors in order to practise their English. They were good company as they helped us to identify the mysterious objects we came across and encouraged us to bargain for the best prices - not very British! We must admit we introduced our new friends to MacDonalds. They were a bit puzzled by the ‘jam’ in their beefburgers – so were we until we managed to identify it as melted cheese!
We are now back in Kunming where it is getting warmer but still not really hot - Kunming is known as Spring City - and looking forward to seeing Richard and Hazel Padfield visiting from Gloucestershire next week

Some of the Terracotta Warriors

.......... and some who escaped to seek a new life in the city!!