Overland trip - the bright lights of Xi'an...

From camping out at the 'National Grid' Park we enjoy our last, long, day on the road and arrive in Xi'an.

Slightly tricky arrival as the truck squeezes down the back route to the hotel car park, taking out a China Telecom sign and a couple of kids (well, we heard a 'crunch' half way along).

Nice room, poor view, and sadly no pool yet.

Before the group met up for dinner, we had a walk around to get our bearings, then onto have some Peking Duck, which, here, is served with the head sat on the edge of the serving dish. Sure I saw it move....

There's a pleasant 'green' open space outside the hotel, where seemingly all of Xi'an congregate to fly kites. Not to be outdone, we joined in and only nearly decapitated 2 people, though at least we got airbourne, then tangled beyond repair.

Next day, a trip out to the Terracotta Warriors - at over 2000 years old, these were built for the Emperor to take with him into the afterlife, and only discovered in 1976.

There's still more to uncover, but exposing them to the air is problematic, a bit like the Mary Rose.

Chris and I had a chat about what we might take into the afterlife (if such a thing exists...);

Chris - a pony, chocolate (various), glasses, scuba diving equipment, Hoegarden

Paul - a car and some diesel, a laser gun, shoes, Ipod, Skittles

Chris went to the 'interesting' Steles Museum to see the stone tablets - some of the earliest examples of stone tablets displaying Calligraphy.

Only 2 nights in Xi'an before the adventure of an overnight train to Beijing...

Paul and Little Chris