wide eyed: Traveling day nineteen - in which I take almost as many photos as there are Terracotta Warriors

Today was the day we got to do the most touristy thing on our trip - chosen by Granny. We hired a driver and an English speaking guide to go and see the Terracotta Warriors, apparently the eighth wonder of the world (according to our guide).

Things I learnt about the warriors that I didn't know:
- the same emperor who commissioned the warriors for his tomb also built the Great Wall of China - Emperor Ch'in (where the name China comes from because he unified the tribes/took over everyone else). He was a BIG thinker.
- there are about 8000 warriors - four different types of men (generals, middle ranking officers, archers and infantry) and one type of horse
- you can tell what rank each soldier was by their hairstyle
- all soldiers had moustaches. All.
- each warrior was individually carved and their faces were modelled on real people
- they were painted bright colors, and when the colors are exposed to oxygen the colour fades and peels in about 15 seconds, so they have left some still buried
- the army was discovered by farmers in 1974 - and there was one of the original farmers sitting at a desk at the entrance signing books (for a fee)
- the soldiers were standing up in specially constructed wooden corridors
- the emperor suddenly died while he was inspecting his tomb - so they stopped working on it and buried him
- the tomb was attacked by a general 100 years later and all of the weapons that the Terracotta soldiers were holding were taken
- some of the weapons had chrome plating - invented by the Chinese 2000 years before anyone else
- they are uncovering entertainers, acrobats and musicians closer towards the actually tomb after the soldiers
- the emperor's tomb has not been opened - it is still sealed up and protected by a river of mercury, poison darts, and booby traps. I am pretty sure Indiana Jones would have a go.

getting ready to go see the Terracotta Warriors

oh yeah - there's heaps of them!

a bronze chariot that was found in the tomb

the front three lines of the warriors. Otherwise known as the cannon fodder.

The warriors were fired in the kiln without a head, then the head was placed on after. Like Lego.

Unrestored warriors.

I quite liked the terracotta horses and chariot drivers.

Spot the difference.

The only complete warrior to be found - this Lucky Archer.

Our guide was excellent, and he took us to a local resturant after our Warrior visit because we were fainting from hunger. We were a tourist attraction for the locals I think, especially when we asked for noodles with no chillies, no even a tablespoon because we can't really mean NO chillies.

We have also become alternative communication users when we are out in the streets of China. I get the hotel staff to write vocabulary in Chinese characters for me, and I use these to talk with people eg where is the toilet, no chillies please, this s my hotel. Our vocabulary is limited, but we have been able to catch a bus, eat, shop and go to the loo.

Tonight we went and checked out the Drum Tower, Bell Tower and Muslim quarter in Xian. Lots of action, food, neon lights and people. I was approached to have my photo taken with some strangers. I tried to look nonchalant, like this happens all the time. We had tasty tasty Chinese street food. We were also stopped by a couple of girls who were doing their grade eight girls doing their English homework - they obviously had to interview foreigners in English and tell them a prepared speech. They were good, but didn't understand me when I went off script and joked and asked them questions.