Retro Blogging: Xi'an Trip

Being that I am blogging about all our travel in Brazil, I figured it only right that I catch up with our time in China.  

 

Before our time in China was over we really wanted to make it to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors, so we decided to make it happen one of the last weekends there. Our weekends were filling up fast, but we knew we wanted to make this trip so we set a weekend aside and am I glad we did.  We originally went to see the Warriors, but found out Xi'an is a great city with great eats and lots to do.

Just hanging out

These guys hadn't been been fully restored yet and were waiting to join their friends

Pit 1 of the Warriors

Our lodging for the weekend, Warrior Apartments, was amazing.  It was a quirky, unique, and spacious apartment where we enjoyed our down time (not that we had much) in Xian. In our apartment there were over fifty terracotta warrior replicas.  Some were life size, others were small enough to miss if you weren't looking.  It was a great place and right next to the Muslim Quarter of Xian.  I would highly recommend it to anyone who visits Xian.

A couple of times the warriors scared the daylights out of me when I woke up or walked around a corner.  I guess they did their job of protecting the apartment.

The kitchen door was Chinese red, some of the the warriors in the wall, the shower even had the warriors in tiles.

 

 

 

We arranged for Clarence, who owns the apartments with his darling wife, to take us out to see the Warriors. Part of the tour he gives includes visiting a couple's house that was built into the side of the mountain.  We talked with the sweet couple and they explained that they built this house over forty years ago with their own hands.  Being in the side of the mountain it naturally conserved energy and heat, it kept the house cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. They showed us around and then we were on our way.  I will always remember meeting this lovely couple and being welcomed into their home! 

Clockwise: Top Right-Us with the couple, silk worms for dinner, their kitchen, the entrance to their house

  Being our hotel was located almost in the Muslim District you know we had to check out the delicious food available.  Our favorites of the weekend were nan and mutton stew.  It was so flavorful and filling. We spent awhile looking for the perfect, non-touristy place to try the stew and we hit the jackpot on our pick.  It was a hole in the wall (aren't those always the best) with amazing servings and a fun staff. 

Chinglish never gets old

 Our last day in Xi'an we rented bikes and pedaled the 14 kilometers on the Wall that surrounds the city.

Entrance to the city wall

Door along the ride

Some of the wall and views from the wall

We finished!