On our last day in Xi’an, we woke up around 8 and went downstairs for breakfast. I had an amazing french toast, hash browns, chicken nuggets, a croissant, and some fruit, along with a refreshing orange juice. Today I was really missing home but we had an exciting day ahead visiting the Terra Cotta warriors and bike riding on the city wall. Our group gathered in the lobby and we got onto the bus. The bus ride was an hour so I was able to nap which was much needed. When we arrived, we went through security and stood in line to enter the site. Unfortunately it started raining and mostly everyone forgot a rain coat. It was also pretty chilly but I managed. When we were entering I saw a women carrying her dog in what looked like a purse but had holes for the dog’s legs. Also, I noticed that a lot of people do not form lines. Most people would just crowd around the entrance of the gate and push to the front. We took a tram car to the actual entrance to the exhibit. I sat on the back of the car and it was so fun. Upon entry, many people took pictures of us. It has happened before but this time, the people were more aggressive and adamant. At some point, I began taking pictures of them taking pictures of me which did not stop them. I had one women come up with a selfie stick and she asked to take a picture with me, when I said yes, about four more people asked for pictures. At first it feels like being a celebrity but after a while, I felt like an animal at the zoo. Other than the excessive picture taking, we saw the impressive, ancient Terra Cotta warriors and learned about the history. It was incredible seeing how they piece the warriors together and we learned it will take about 500 years to build them all back together. Also, I still find it crazy that each solder is unique with different faces, weapons, and armor (or lack of). We visited three of the pits: the first having over what seemed like hundreds of warriors, the second containing very few generals and horses, and the third having a few broken weapons, archers, and warriors. The third pit did not contain much as archeologists are waiting until they finish the first pit. After visiting the pits, it was time for lunch. Unlike most of our provided meals, this lunch was not a lazy-Susan styled meal but a buffet. I liked this a lot better because I could choose what I wanted and not waste food. The noodles were amazing, probably the best I have had so far, and the fried rice was also very good. After lunch we left for the bus, our next stop being the city wall. We were told that the wall was 8 miles and we were given 1.5 hour. As Candice and I biked for about a mile, we noticed her bike was broken so we came back. After exchanging her bike we rode again for about 15 minutes when we saw a store on the side selling ice cream. Naturally we turned around and decided not to attempt the 8 miles and instead relax and enjoy some ice cream. We then rode our bikes a bit more and then came back to where we started. Mostly everyone else finished the 8 miles. Then we headed over to dinner courtesy of Dr. Li. The dinner was amazing. My favorite dish was the fried bread. After a very filling meal, we came back to the hotel. Instead of packing like I was supposed to, I fell asleep.
