Hi everyone

We have now completed two overnight train journeys of eleven and eighteen hours to travel from Beijing to Chengdu via Xi'an。 The weather has become gloomy again and we have had quite a bit of rain。We have visited the Teracotta Warriors which were amazing， walked around the biggest Buddha in the world and climbed Mount Emei at just over 3000m but unfortunately we didn't get to see the magnificent views because of the mist。

We have also had some very interesting local experiences。 We were behind an old Chinese woman in a supermarket who was caught shoplifting potatoes! Last night we ate at a small restaurant where there food was live in cages outside - use your own imagination! A couple of times we saw fish taken live from a tank and whacked on the floor and then put straight into the frying pan - talk about fresh food!

Tomorrow we are visiting the giant pandas and starting a three day cruise along the Yangtse River, a chance to relax after all the hectic sightseeing and mountain climbing!

Bye for now,

K & D X