Xi'an was Right On

Terra-cotta Warriors

Having a Laugh...

Gabby used chopsticks for the first time!

On top of the walled city

At the Muslim Mosque and Gabby picking her nose...

 Muslim Mosque

This weekend we flew to the walled city of Xi'an (pronounced Shee-ahn). It's infamous for being the site of the Terra-cotta soldiers and host to a really cool Muslim area. We went with some friends, who were visiting for the weekend, which was great for many reasons- but especially for the good company and the extra set of much needed hands since we come well equipped with baby stuff. I was thoroughly impressed by the Terra-cota warriors. They're brilliant and worth the trip. I was told that it was just "okay," but it's right up there with the Great Wall as an important site to see in China (at least in my opinion). We hired a guide who spoke English so we got to hear the story of how the farmer found them in 1974 and other fun facts that we wouldn't of known from reading it in a book. I was surprised to learn that they were painted but lost the color when they were exposed to the air. The muslim quarter was awesome and we went to a mosque that was still functioning. It was interesting to watch the local muslims pray. The mosque felt authentic and had a certain "untouched" feel which I enjoyed. All in all, a short but fabulous trip.