DSC04685This first photo was taken just minutes before I fell, hard, on the cracked sidewalk outside the train/subway station. My purse, camera, suitcase, and body all went sprawling helter-skelter on the concrete.DSC04701

I counted my blessings that nothing was broken, on me, or my camera, although my “trip” certainly produced a large amount of pain. But not enough to keep me from experiencing the one full day we had in Xi’an.

DSC04688One measly day to cram in the Terra Cotta soldiers, the Big Goose Pagoda, the Xi’an City Wall, the Dumpling Feast, and the Tang Dynasty Dancers’ after dinner show! Dragging my hip/leg around was an inconvenience, to be sure, but I took twice the recommended pain meds and managed to soldier on (pun intended). This was a day (but aren’t they all?) too good to miss!DSC04691

Just getting to the excavation site was an adventure in itself. The smog here was extremely heavy (I could almost taste it), but it didn’t deter, or detour, the goats being herded along the sidewalk of a major arterial.

DSC04692Inside the gate, the wide courtyard/route to the museum was lined with souvenirs, but everyone knows you don’t buy souvenirs on your way IN, for crying out loud!DSC04695

And yes, I really, really wanted to “correct” the spelling of “Reestaurant,” but that IS how they pronounce it here, and bless their hearts for attempting to accommodate us English-speaking tourists!

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