Monday, July 25, 2011

Xi'an Day 2

Today was spent sightseeing and meeting with our customer again. First we saw the Terracotta Warriors and Horses; they are an amazing discovery found in 1974 by a farmer. They were created around 210 B.C. Pictures to come later. We also visited a factory where they build replicas from a few inches tall to taller than me!
Then we went to the Big Goose Pagoda; a Buddhist temple with monks in residence. It is very beautiful. I look forward to researching Buddhism and the other religions of China, including Confucianism and Taoism. China is officially an atheist country, but they have several religions in different regions.
Finally we feasted on Peking Duck with our customer. It is nothing like any duck I have had in the US. The sauce is delicious! Any one know how to make it?
The driving here is insane!!!!! Yes, I know that is a lot of !, but you have to see it to believe it. Cars, buses, scooters with up to 3 people on them, 3 wheel motorbikes with deliveries stacked 6 feet in the air, 1000's of taxis and tons of pedestrians all merging and turning when and where ever they want to. And traffic is usually bumper to bumper, literally. There were buses about an inch from our van today.
The people we meet that speak English are warm and friendly. Parents on the street encourage their children to talk to us to practice. Most tourists in Xi'an are Asian and we have seen few Americans here. People who speak English are likely to strike up a conversation with you.
Oh, and it kind of smells here...

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