Xian - On and Off the Beaten Path

The Terra Cotta Warriors have made it into the awareness of most savvy travelers, but there is so much more to Xian than just the warriors. Sure, the warrior excavations are the greatest archeological discovery of the 20th century and an absolute MUST when visiting China, but wow, Xian has a lot to offer.

Xian is the capital of China’s Shaanxi Province and is one of the most historic cities in the world – not just in China. The region boasts more than 6,000 years of recorded history spanning 13 different kingdoms and dynastic periods.

My guide for 2 days was Professor Wang Baoping who is one of China’s most knowledgeable archeologists on the Han period (206-220 AD). Prof Wang is the director of the Yangling site – the most technologically advance excavation site in the world and is the result of the collaboration of top archeologists from 8 countries….a very big deal! I won’t bore you with the details here, but if you want to know more, let me know. Truly fascinating.

Essentially, like the Egyptians, the ancient Chinese sought to take some of this life with them into the next. The emperors would start work on their tomb as soon as they came into power. The Terra Cotta Warriors is only a portion of the tomb for the emperor Qin.

The actual tomb of Qin has not yet been opened - just some of the satelite pits which is where the warriors are. The advances in technology continue to grow and the Chinese are just being cautious to optimally preserve the contents.

Amazing area of the world! If you are interested in participating in the excavation work, let me know…I can hook you up!

Also in Xian is The Great Mosque and the Old City - one of the most interesting sites in Xian. It is a great reflection of the history of the Silk Road and the cultural interchange that China and the West underwent in the 8th Century. The Great Mosque was actually built in the late 14th century and given imperial recognition during the Ming dynasty.

Another super exclusive thing we got to do was go to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum for a private viewing of the frescoes taken from Tang Dynasty (618-907) tombs with conservator Wang Jian Qi. Amazing. We couldn't take pictures there, but the frescoes tell the story of the Tang Dynasty period and have been invaluable to historians.

Most people only give Xian 1 day...maybe 2. It is really worth more time if you are at all interested in history. This too is where the dumpling originated...more to come on that.

Walking the Wall

The Great Wall of China – it is just an amazing thing really. The wall is the longest man-made structure on earth, built over hundreds of years. When visiting Beijing, an outing to the wall will undoubtedly be on your itinerary.

There are actually several sections that can be easily accessed from Beijing... typically, tourists go to the Badaling section of the wall. Since we are not typical, we went to the Mutianyu section – far less crowded and a ‘newer’ (Ming Dynasty) section of the wall so it is in much better condition than Badaling.

The Mutianyu section has a cable car that will take you from the ground up to the wall – or you can hike if you like. Then walk several miles to a bobsled to take you back down to the base. Great fun. Or you can hike down…if you like.

Late October to early November is a beautiful time to visit as all the trees are turning. We were just on the tail end of the Fall color, but still had a gorgeous time walking the wall.

Singing and Dancing and Skipping Rope

This is Sunday morning in Beijing!

My first day was a beautiful sunny day and I set out on my own to find my way to Jingshan Park from the Peninsula - no small feat. I think the walk took almost an hour, but it was well worth it. I saw so many wonderful scenes along the way.

Jingshan Park is on the North end of the Forbidden City and is a hub of activity. The park itself is beautiful, but it is the people that make the experience. At first, all I saw were the ladies doing line dances in the main courtyard, cute. Then at every turn, there was some other activity. There were groups singing at the top of their lungs - apparently it is virtuous to be a good singer and they do take it very seriously.

Clusters of people playing chess or cards, haky sack, jumping rope, people playing instruments, acting troups, etc...it was a beautiful day. I am very very tired, so this is not the most eloquent of posts, but here are some pictures.

The Perpetual Souvenir

When traveling, I find that cooking classes are a great way to get to know a piece of a culture and have something to take back with you that can be shared over and over again.

Now there are full blown cooking schools and then there are simple ½ day classes as well as variations in between. All are beneficial and fun, it just depends on how much of your travel time you want to devote to this one aspect of the travel experience.

Some popular cuisines for cookery schools are French, Tuscan and Thai, but really any where you go has something unique to offer.


All four of the following are excellent schools offered by Orient Express hotels.

Tuscany -
http://www.villasanmichele.com/web/ovil/cookery_courses.jsp

England -
http://www.orient-express.com/web/olem/olem_c5a_introduction.jsp

San Miguel -
http://www.sazon.com/web/osaz/osaz_a2a_home.jsp

Venice -
http://www.hotelcipriani.com/web/ocip/ocip_c7d_cookery_classes.jsp

Each of these schools offer both shorter and longer, more involved classes. There really is something for everyone – including children.

I also love the classes offered at the Mandarin Oriental in Chiang Mai: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/chiangmai/leisure/culinary/ .

It is a fairy tale hotel beyond description and the classes are fantastic.

Local restaurants will also typically provide ½ day courses. Want to learn how to make the best BBQ in St. Louis or the best bread in Provence? Every destination has a culinary gift to offer. Restaurant based classes are great too because you will usually walk to the local market with the chef, learn about the local ingredients while shopping, then return to the restaurant to prepare a meal. And then of course, the best part, you get to eat!

Wherever your travels take you, consider a cooking class as a part of your experience. It is a souvenir that you can share with your friends and family over and over again.

Bon Appetite!

Zoe

My Office Mate Zoe

I recently moved my office from Preston Center to my home. The transition has been good in many ways and I am thankful to not be driving so much. If you know my driving record at all, you would understand.

Anyway, I have a new office mate - and she is great!

Zoe is her name and she is a joy to have around.



She has her corner of the office, I have mine. It works out well for both of us I suppose. She is usually really encouraging and playful and fun, but sometimes she gets a little demanding. I of course oblige her demands.


What a joy to have a beautiful view doing the perfect job with such a delightful office mate!

Order?

I traversed this intersection in India on foot and lived to tell about it.

For someone who loves order and systems and things that all work together, India challenged every fiber of me. The funny thing is that there really is order to this seemingly chaotic mess.

Pedestrians yield to bicycles,
bicycles yield to motorcycles,
motorcycles yield to cars...then the size of car matters too,
cars yield to trucks.
Everyone yields to cows and the oxcart just takes its place somewhere in all this.

For some reason what appears to us to be chaotic here actually does have order. This can be true in any situation – what may appear as chaotic or dis-orderly, really may have order…I just can’t see it.

India is a good reminder to me to look beyond what is in front of me and patiently try to understand. It is also a reminder to pray and trust in God's protection and direction through any intersection in life.

My Boys Do Love Baseball!!

Baseball IS just so very American isn’t it! Keith & Michael have really enjoyed going to some of the historic parks of baseball and cheering on their favorite teams. They aren’t necessarily favorites for the team that they are today, rather for the legends that come out of the parks.



Yankee Stadium for the Subway Series – how cool is that! My boys hold that experience high on their list of favorites. The iconic stadium, the iconic teams, and the iconic series, all perfect ingredients for a ‘pinch me’ moment for any baseball fan!

Probably as famous as Yankee Stadium is Fenway Park in the heart of Boston. The Boston fans generate an iconic baseball experience – no matter who they are playing! The atmosphere at a Red Sox game just makes you love baseball all the more. The music, the chanting, the energy is just really not describable. You have to go to know what it is to be a Red Sox fan!

We plan on hopping up to Wrigley Field this summer and add another great baseball experience to our list. Chicago’s not such a bad place to visit either!

A great way to share in an American experience together as a family and create memories that last a lifetime.