Day 4 Xi'an -- TerraCotta Warriors and Horses

AMAZING, WONDERFUL, FABULOUS!!!!

We are standing in front the some of the warriors at the 'hospital.'  These are warriors that are still being pieced together.

     The tour of the Terra Cotta Warriors was really unbelievable.  It was a day full of travel, history, delicious food, more history and art.  I am so glad we were able to fit this tour into third China travel.

    We woke up at 4:15 am to finish packing and check out at 5:15 am.  The hotel had prepared a box breakfast for us and we ate it on the way to the airport.  Our guide, Cindy, got us all checked in and off to security.  We had a very little wait and board our ChinaAir to Xi'an.  

 This was NEW this morning at our hotel in Shanghai.  It is made all of balloons. 

     The smooth flight was 2 1/2 hours long.  Avi, our Xi'an guide, met us at the airport.  We immediately loaded all of our luggage into the van and started the drive to the TerraCotta Warriors and Horses Museum.  It was about an one hour drive.  When we left the airport we started seeing farm land which turned into a big city and continue the expansion of the city to the Warrior Museum.

Farmland in Xi'an.  Mostly pomegranate trees.  They even line the highway.  They do grow corn as well.  It is not a very rainy area.  

The huge amount of growth taking place.  There are about 8-10 million people in Xi'an.

     We stopped shortly before the museum to learn how the soldiers were made and watch them do it now.  It's an amazing process -- actually, unbelievable when you look at the enormity of the vaults with warriors, horses and chariots.   I was able to purchase a smaller version of some soldiers.  

 This is taken at the shop that makes replicas of the warriors.

 They are all made by hand.  The clay is pressed into the molds, taken out, details added by hand and dried.  They make many sizes.

After they are completely dried they are fired in this HUGE kiln.
Finally, the REAL ones made long ago were painted.

MD fighting a warrior.  Even at this 'factory' the full size warriors all are different. 

     Next, we are off to the museum -- 2 million people visit this a year (this is not really a typical museum.)  It is considered the 8th wonder of the world.  There have been three vaults unearthed -- they have huge buildings around over them to try and preserve the warriors/horses and 'stuff'.  The first vault is the largest of the three.  It is about the size of 1 1/2 soccer fields.  There is around 6000 warriors found in this vault.  EVERYONE of them are different.  This is an enormous place.  The even more unbelievable part is that it took over 300,000 men to do this.  The emperor made these people do this for him and when he died the people went in and burned it.  They hated him.  There is also no records of the emperor do this because it was a secret -- it was for his after-life.  BUT then a couple of farmers were digging for a water well and found some pieces.  One farmer found an entire face so he reported it to the government.  This sight was uncovered.  The warriors and horses were found in pieces.  So, they have to fit all of them back together.  What an ENORMOUS job.  There is still so much to be done.

The mountains by the Warriors.  This is where the special clay comes from.

The first view of the warriors.  WOW!

MORE!

A bit closer -- LOOK, everyone is different.

Look at all of the 'pieces' still to work through. 

The warriors w/o armor -- these would of been the young fighters -- the front line.

In the 3rd vault.  This one had been looted before the actual discovery.  This was the HEADQUARTERS for the generals -- also where they sacrificed before war.  SMALL!
 

     After vault #3 we were off to lunch in the museum.  WOW!!!  It was the best food yet.  Xi'an is famous for their noodles.  The people here eat very little rice.  They made the noodles right in front of us.  AMAZING and oh, so delicious!!! I have to try doing it :)

Pulling the long noodles.  Of course, after he's wacked them and thrown them :)

Throwing them in the HOT water.  These noodles were then put in our soup.  YUMMY!

The LONG and fat noodles for pork and noodles.  MY FAVORITE!!  It was a bit spicy and oh, so tasty.

     After lunch we went to vault #2.  This vault is about the size of a soccer field.  There is not as much uncovered in this vault.  BUT the archer warriors are amazing - they were only found in vault #2.  I don't have time to give all details but amazing!  In all of their work they have only found ONE warrior completely intact.  The detail is unbelievable.  

Vault #2 -- lots of work to be done -- millions of pieces.

The only warrior found perfectly intact.  This is a archer warrior.

The detail is amazing!  AND yes, they were also painted but once they were discovered and unearthed the color has faded -- to being GONE.  That is why they are not unearthing all of them -- they are trying to figure a way to preserve them.

     After this vault we got to meet the farmer who found it all and get his book signed.  NO PICTURES!

     Finally, we made the long hike back to the van.  We made our way back into town.  We went and saw the Wild Goose Pagoda.  It was interesting.  Only 20% of Chinese people claim a religion.  Of that 20% Buddhism is the largest.  

The Wild Goose Pagoda.  It's actually leaning.  Yes, there are monks here, too.

Worship area.

The three of us!

MD -- he has been awesome.  Our guide was so impressed with him.  

Last picture leaving Xi'an.  Beautiful.  A place we need to spend more time.

     Unfortunately, that was all the time we had in Xi'an.  We went back to the airport.  Our flight left at 7:30.  It was AN HORRIBLE FLIGHT!!!  It was very bumpy and wavey.  I tried to sleep as much as possible -- we were all exhausted.  When we landed our guide picked us up and took us to The Garden Hotel.  IT IS AMAZING!!! It is by far the nicest hotel we've ever been in.  Thankfully, we have a suite -- we will be very comfortable the remainder of the trip -- OH, and for those of you who have been to China -- The Garden does NOT have rock beds :)

     The boys went right to sleep.  I organized a bit and read the itinerary.  I will let you know about it later but all that matters is we get ELIZABETH around 2:00 pm OUR TIME on Monday (which is 1:00 am your time.)

Praises:

1. An absolutely wonderful day!
2. The fun we have had!!!!
3. Safety and health!
4. We are in our final destination -- Elizabeth's hometown!
5. Our children at home are doing well with nanny and pa.

Prayer Requests:

1. Our health and safety.  Matt and I keep having BIG headaches.  Continued good control of my diabetes -- my sensor keeps acting crazy :)
2. Elizabeth is leaving her 'home' in 18 hours.  COMFORT and adjustment for her.  Oh, it must be so scary!
3. TOMORROW -- MONDAY at 2:00 pm is when we get Elizabeth -- PRAY for her and us.  (it will be 1:00 am Michigan time.)
4. A good adoption group -- we all meet at 4:00 pm today (your 3:00 am)
5. Our kids at home