Home to the Terracotta Warriors.....and smog levels that equal (or quite possibly beat) those in Beijing! Anyway, as for said Warriors, they were good but slightly overrated (I've probably seen hundreds of photos of them anyway) and as with most of the places we've been to, you have to put up with coach-loads of Chinese tourists barging their way in front of you! The trip was also the first (and possibly last) time we were able to 'scam' the Chinese......we were told to pretend to be students so that we could get in for half price (and save ourselves an entire 3 pounds)! Of course, none of us were students but we managed to fool them by showing a PADI Open Water card, some driving licenses and an E111 card!! Sad I know, but when they're always trying to 'scam' you, it's good to get one back!! We also managed to cycle around the city walls which was great fun - the bikes weren't exactly what I'd call modern or comfortable but at least the brakes worked. Again, it was a shame that the weather/smog was pretty bad that day so we could see much of the city. Xi'an was also the place I had my 31st birthday and so as a present to myself, I decided to climb up a mountain! Now when I say climb, it was more like get cable car to one peak, then walk up 1000's of steps to a few other peaks (whilst fighting past 100's of Chinese tourists) before getting the cable car back down. It was still bloody hard work but thankfully no repeat of Mount Fuji! I did treat myself later to a Pizza Hut - it was LOVELY!!!!