Xi’an 2 – ‘The Mystery City’

I’ve searched high and low for my ticket stubs, scanned the web, asked all parties involved, and nobody seems to remember the name of this place. Oh well, the show must go on. This city reminded me of the Forbidden City in Beijing; only much smaller. We came across only a handful of other visitors. In such a populated country it was a little eerie to have almost the entire place to ourselves. It felt a bit like stumbling across a secret garden; without the flowers.


Klynt said I can just make stuff up “because it’s China and nobody back home will know.” So here we have the Emperor’s dining room. :)

A pair of pagodas.

A lonely red ribbon adds a dash of color.

I like this little old man. He paused for a photo and I snapped his picture.

The traditional red Chinese lantern is one of my favorite subjects to photograph. I could bore you with many pictures like this one.

While I am obsessed with lanterns, Klynt tends to migrate towards architecture, as you will see in the next several photos.

We walked around part of the old wall that enclosed the city. Large pagodas were stationed on all four corners.

Looking over the outside of the wall upon a green field and distant street.

From up here you can get a better overview of the size of our ‘undiscovered’ city.

You get quite another view on the opposite side of the wall. These long-standing buildings and broken rooftops have definitely seen better days.

We have a ‘thing’ for old doors.

Such a colorful contrast in comparison to what sits just across the way, on the other side of the fence.

The ancient city wall looks much bigger from down here.

Many dusty streets like these surrounded the outside edges of the city.

Like I said, we've got a 'thing' for old doors.

Xi’an 1 – Hua Shan (Mount Hua)

I’ve been meaning to share some photos of our weekend in Xi’an. Klynt and I really enjoyed our much-needed time away. It’s amazing what a few familiar faces and a change of scenery can do. It would’ve been nice to have an extra day to take in more of the city, but I can’t complain.

Even at the foot of the mountain the views were fantastic. Our journey began by bus as we weaved our way further up and further in.

This shopkeeper was enjoying her bowl of rice in the warm spring sun. There were many shops selling their goods.

This part of the trip made me a little uneasy. I wouldn’t say that I’m really afraid of heights, but my stomach and legs seem to tell a different story.

Stairs, stairs and more stairs; we did our share of climbing that afternoon.

Up top you see numerous chains covered with locks. Many Chinese people purchase these locks, attaching them to the chains, believing this will bring them good luck.

Locks, locks…

...and more locks.

A photo op. up top.

From here you can see the West Peak. We sat here for some time, taking in all that surrounded us.

And here we have a Chinese poem. Actually I have no idea what it says.

In a few short months the mountain will be crowded with tourists. I’m happy we made the trip when we did!

The steps were very steep and very small. I was hanging on for dear life!

This way you say? Xiexie (thank-you)!

Chinese + English = Chinglish

I got a kick out of reading some of the signs we came across over the weekend, and thought you might too.

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Therefore we did.

Please watch for falling rocks. Will do.

Just how exactly would you go about lighting a candle with smoke? I didn’t get a photo of the next sign but it said “No burning.” You just can’t win.


A nice little warning.

I love this one!

Yes we do.

No gawkers! Stop and have a look or please keep movin’!

If the light is on, the toilet is in use. If the light is off, come on in. Klynt had to explain this one to me.

No Flash?

The shower in our hotel room posted this friendly little reminder.

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Time Flies

Where does the time go? Seriously. Sometimes I have absolutely no idea. It just seems to whiz right by. I’ve been told that the older you get, the faster it goes. As of right now I can’t imagine it going by any quicker. Of course there are those days when you’d really like to speed this whole process along, but that’s an entirely different matter. ;)

Anyway, what got me to thinking about time and how it passes so quickly, is our upcoming visit to Xian. This weekend Klynt and I will be meeting our brother-in-law Dave and a couple of his fellow co-workers there. Now it was almost one year ago that he, Kari and the girls were here in China, and we all were gallivanting around Shanghai, Suzhou and Beijing. It just doesn’t seem like it has been that long already.

Posted below are a few of the highlights.


-Shanghai
Along the Bund with the Shanghai skyline for a backdrop. This photo is one of my favorites.

A famous shopping district in the city.

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-Suzhou

Making an entrance at Tiger Hill.

Showing off our new t-shirts along Jin-ji Lake.

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-Beijing

The Great Wall of China is pretty amazing.

There was a Panda sighting at the Great Wall. Luckily we were able to capture the moment.

In the heart of T-Square.

The Forbidden City in enormous!

Thanks Mr. Longfellow

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-

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Thai by Simon

Just when I thought life couldn’t get any drearier, it did. It has been raining on and off (mostly on) for about three weeks now. The few dry days we’ve had, have been sad and grey. I’m a solar-powered girl, so for me, the weather really impacts my mood. Some people claim rainy days or sunny, they suffer no side affects. Okay. Sure. Whatever. This morning I woke up, poked my head through the curtains and then promptly went right back to where I came from; curled up under a cozy flannel blanket dreaming the morning away – only to awake a few hours later to the same reality. What does any of this have to do with Thai food? Basically nothing. Well, other than the fact that one of the best restaurants in town has closed its doors for good. No warnings. No goodbyes. Nada. I guess it just sort of adds to the general dreariness of life lately. The few people that have visited me here in my temporary home know the impact this will have. It was one of my favorite places to eat, and not just in China.

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