Day Six - RAIN!

Today it rained ALL DAY! We went to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum outside the city but of course we made a pit stop at a local artisan shop beforehand. They make lacker furniture and also replicas of the Terra Cotta Soldiers. The shop was nice and as Uncle Tom put it, "you have a genetic weakness" so, I bought a red wood lacker bangle. Shopping is just part of my DNA.

The Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses Museum was by far the coolest thing we have seen in my opinion. They were created from 220-206 BC during the Qin Dynasty but were not discovered until the 1970's. Many of the clay soldiers were still intact but most of them were in pieces and had to be repaired. There are 8,000 soldiers, one for each in the emperors army. 

We had lunch at the museum. It was actually pretty good. A noodle making station was at one end of the room. The noodles are made fresh and cooked in boiling water. They then put them in a bowl with broth and other cooked vegetables and meats. I prefer the thin noodles over the thicker ones.

After lunch we toured the museum some more and then headed into the country to visit a farmer's cave home. As you walk in the home you see there are actually three homes in one. Each section of the home is separated by a doorway and a courtyard. The front section is brand new and still being built for the son to live when he gets married. He is only 10 years old now. The next section is made of wood beams and has a thatch type roof.  This is where the parents live. The third home is were the Granny still lives inside the cave. Her bed is made of hard stone and is hollow. In the winter they put burning cole underneath to keep warm. It is all very simple in design, functional, quaint, and not particularly clean. 

We got stuck in Chinese traffic on our way back to the city. There was some kind of accident in front of us. Connie said in Xi'an there are 1,000 new cars on the road everyday! We didn't sit very long but we were already running behind on time. 

The Muslim Quarter was next on the list. We walked down two long streets, in the rain, where vendors were selling everything from Prada to pickled peppers and chicken feet to Chanel. Way in the center of all this craziness was a mosque. We didn't spend much time here but the courtyard I'm sure is beautiful in the sunshine. Once unside you do not feel like you are in the center of city with 8 million people. Dinner was at a Chinese Muslim restaurant. Food was good but still very similar to what we have been eating. We had some kind of stir fried cauliflower that was delicious.  

Connie said that Xi'an people love days when it rains because it clears the air and washes away all the dust. The city is very polluted and over populated. She also said that because of energy usage in her neighborhood they turn off the electricity one day a week during working hours. They also turn off the water one day a week during sleeping hours. Can you imagine if they decided to do that in America? 

Another big day tomorrow. We have an early morning flight to Chendu to see the Pandas!!!!