Sharon & Bob in China 2007  Download

 

China 2007 #2         Download

 

China 2007 #3 Download

 

 

Sharon In China - - 2005

Xi'an

 

 

 

Traditionally Chinese hosts welcome their honored foreign guests with a banquet and send them off with another.  Food can be very interesting at these.

We were on the Petro China compound which is home and work place to about 10,000 Chinese.  The grounds were lovely.  We had to walk about 15 minutes four times a day back and forth from our guest house to the school.  This sounds like no big deal but in 105 degree heat, it was often a challenge in itself.

Annette Scheel and Onalee Garmon just had to stop and play on the playground ellipticals.

We also regularly stopped at the market for fresh fruit, cold drinks and ice cream bars.

English Corner

A row of bushed teachers.

One of the national treasury destinations in China is the Terra Cotta Warriors outside of Xi'an.  In 1974 a couple of farmers were digging a well and hit something.  Thus began what became one of the largest archeological discoveries of modern times.  They estimate there are more than 7,500 life sized soldiers as well as horses and chariots.  Here my roommate Susan (who lives in Springfield, MO) and I stand waiting patiently for the rest of our group.

The first emperor of China, Qin Shihuang, had these soldiers created more than 2,000 years ago to protect his journey in the afterlife.  Today they are in a shambles when uncovered but workers labor to put the pieces back together again.  This building is not air conditioned and the heat keeps the crowds moving.
Making replicas of the real thing is big business, from life sized and fully painted to miniatures like the one Bob brought back from China several years ago that is in our dining room.  The warriors were originally painted and no two faces or outfits are alike.

A bunch of us went for a massage.  Only $3-$5 in China for 60+ minutes.  But be ready for a good beating along with the more soothing moves.  With five of us in a room with sweet Chinese girls who knew no English, it was quite a bonding experience; hilarious at times.

If that wasn't enough, I also had a foot massage.  Long story...ask me sometime.  Another cultural experience. Yes those are my feet!

            

Xi'an is the only city in China that has it's city walls intact.  These walls date back hundreds of years, maybe more I forget.  Really old anyway.  They've been restored of course.  I took a bike ride to say I did.

Xi'an has a population of about 7 million.  It is big.  Every time I was on the road I saw

accidents.  Lots of cars.  Very modern in some places, very third world in others.

Group exercise happens every morning in front of the library and lots of other places.  They invited us to join them.  That's Onalee in the photo on the left in the back with yellow shirt.

See pictures of Camp 2 in Xining by clicking here.  Check out my Usborne website too at www.usborne-books.com.