Hi All

There are some more pictures in the earlier blogs

Hope everyone is ok.

Nigel: So we arrived in Xi'an about 12 hours due southwest of Beijing after another overnight sleepless train journey. The main reason we came to this place was to see the Terracotta Warriors, but the city was really nice as well. The Warriors are located about 40 minutes outside Xi'an, which we went on an organised tour through the hostel. We had read a little about them before we went, but was unsure what we would see when we got there. The Warriors were made about 2000 years ago by one of the Chinese rulers who was slightly paranoid that he we be attacked once he had died. They are all made to represent each of the emperors soilders in both height and facial apperances. When they were made they had colours on them, however, since they have excavated them, they lose there colours in days. There are 3 pits which each have Warriors in and they have just unearthed more, so the total amout is unknown but currently there are several thousand.

Alison: The Muslim Quarter was right behind our hostel and it was quite an eye opener. We only went in there looking for a western chess set but came out traumatised by a street we have affectionately come to know as 'meat street'. The street was lined with butchers and the smell was gut wrenching. I consider myself to have quite a strong stomach as a nurse but this was horrendous. The meat mainly looked to be offal and some of it was green and covered in flies. No one seemed to be bothered though. We couldn't believe people bought meat in this condition but then realised that we had probably been eating it all week in the local restaurant :-\ Despite the initial horror of 'meat street', the rest of the Muslim Quarter was interesting to see. Lots of little restaurants and shops and very busy. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Xi'an.