Xian

Xian was handsdown my favorite stop in our honeymoon. 

During our first date, Michael asked me if I could go anywhere in the world...where it would be? I answered: The Silk Road. And he said "we shall go one day." In my mind, I thought he was a little crazy since it was our first date. Also in my mind, the Silk Road encompasses: Xian, Uzbekistan, Kyrgystan, Turkey, parts of Iran and lastly Italy. Travelling to those places would be the ultimate adventure since my inner nerd loves the history and art of the Silk Road. 

To be honest, Beijing was quite hectic and stressful since it was such a big city and the people were a tad bit unfriendly. If it wasn't for my friend whom I met in Bath, we would be lost. Xian was much friendlier, the people spoke more English and it was such a culinary adventure! 

The first day, we ventured down to Muslim Street! It has always been a dream of mine to taste all the delicacies and see the encounter between the East and West of China. We had so much fun tasting all the street food: oysters, flat bread with meat fillings, lamb burgers, steamed dumplings...you name it! Everything seemed so exquisite and exotic...Western China is quite impressive (I have previously travelled to China but only knew the Cantonese side).

The second day, we went to see the Terracota warriors. I have seen them in history books and heard about them but to actually see them was kind of surreal. I recommend booking a tour since the museum is 1 hour away from the city, and it so much easier to have a guide. We also met one of the farmers that discovered the Terracota Warriors. It was interesting to learn that the warriors had a hierarchy and were placed a certain way for auspicious purposes. We also went to the Ban Po people museum where we learned about the ancient settlers who had similar cultural practices as the Mosuo people (walking marriages, round houses) in the south. 

The third day, we went to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. I really recommend this place since it has a nice garden to walk around and different ancient artefacts to look at. The Pagoda itself is not accesible to the public since it is so old. There is a giant bronze bell that you can play for good luck (for the price of 5 yuan ~ $0.70). It was an overally fun place to tour around. At night, we attended a Tang dynasty show which was really cool since it showcased the costumes, music and traditionsof said dynasty.

Overall, I would rate Xian 10/10 in terms of food, hospitality and adventure factor. I woudl definitely go again just for the food!

Pictures for your enjoyment: