Flying

Last night we arrived in Xi’an about midnight, a full 10 hours later than expected. Our original flight had been cancelled with no explanation given. Unlike American airline companies, we were not automatically scheduled onto another flight. Instead the Tour Group Company, EF, had to work hard in the background to find seats for us on another flight. They did. This flight was late in arriving and late in leaving. We flew on an airline called China Eastern Air. The accommodations onboard were typical, but hearing the pre-flight speech from the Flight Attendant in another language completely reminded me that we were not at home, and in fact, were on the other side of the world. I slept through most of the flight, but was quickly awakened by the landing. I only have this one flight to go on, but I am not sure if they call their wheels first making contact with the ground “touching down,” like I am used to. Instead we slammed to the ground in a landing that jarred our teeth. They say that any landing you can walk away from is a good landing. This was a good landing.

We got into our rooms about 1:15AM. We are staying in the beautiful Xi’an Hotel. We met the bus this morning about 8AM, ready for another full day. I was surprised by how large the city is. We knew it would be the smallest city we would visit and that colored my expectations. Like Beijing, apartment buildings fill the city with skyscrapers. Some 8.3 million people live here in what is referred to as the “Ancient Capital.” It served as the capital for eleven different dynasties, including the first Chinese dynasty, the Qing (pronounced Ching.) The first emperor of the Qing Dynasty was responsible for building the Great Wall and the 8th Wonder of the World, The Terracotta Warriors.

The Terracotta Warriors were our first destination. In 1975, a farmer was digging a well. He unearthed a soldier’s head made of terracotta. Local politicians heard of his discovery and sent our archaeologists to discover the source of this head. American archaeologists were also invited in. All told, more than 7,000 life-sized terracotta warriors and horses were found. The first Emperor had them created to guard his tomb. He expected that after he died, the army that he had buried would protect him in the afterlife. They were lined up in battle formation, seemingly ready to march out of their underground home to protect their emperor. After his death, a peasant revolution brought about the end of the dynasty. In the war that followed, enemies broke in to the Terracotta Warriors home and broke them up ad burned the timbers supporting the roof. They were found almost 2,000 years later when the farmer began digging. Many have been repaired and now stand again in their places of honor. Most are still buried and are being painstakingly unearthed by the archaeologists who continue the work. It is estimated that it will take generations to finish.

The rest of our day included a “Dumpling Banquet,” a visit to an Art Museum where we were able to practice writing in Chinese symbols, a visit to the City Walls, and a stop at a Buddhist Temple. It has been a full day.

I have taken hundreds of pictures to share, but can no longer access my blog to post any. Once I used the name Tiananmen Square, it became blocked. I can also not access Facebook or Twitter. It can be easy to forget that I am in a Communist country until things like being blocked from certain sites by the government quickly remind me that this is not home. I am loving the journey and have walked around in constant amazement. I will keep emailing my entries to a colleague who is posting them for me. I look forward to processing this whirlwind of information over the coming months and appreciate the opportunity to share the journey with you.