beijing okay

Muslim shops in the Hui quarter. The Hui are ethnic Chinese who converted to Islam during the days of the Silk Road.

羊肉泡模 (yáng ròu pào mó) A famous Shaanxi province lamb stew with grilled nang bread

A strange display in the Terracotta Warrior complex.

Wrestlers from a large display of ancient court scenes.

Hui Muslim quarter.

Statue of a general, Terracotta Warrior museum.

散步；Ruby and Silvia, Andy and Ariel.

A garden in 清真寺, the oldest mosque in Asia.

Hostel beds.

Chatting over noodles.

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西安
Xi'an

The crew and I went to the ancient city of Xi'an for a few days, which is the ancient capital of China. It's hard to underestimate the history of the place, being the city Marco Polo exalted, the terminal city of the Silk Road, a city with five thousands years of history. However, due to contemporary history, the city lost a lot, and is now mostly a typical Chinese provincial capital with a few exceptional things. Notable are the restored city walls, one of only two cities in China with intact walls, lively Hui minority quarter, preserved bell and drum towers and great street food.

We saw the terracotta warriors, met our friend Ruby, were treated to excellent and fancy dumplings, got massages, saw the "Forest of Steeles," took very cold showers, strolled, ate some more...

The trip was nice, but still, it was relieving to see Beijing stretch out before us on our long bus ride back.