Our first real day in Xi'an started with an incredible experience at the Xi'an City Wall. This wall was built over 500 years ago and encircles the ancient city of Xi'an and has a variety of lookout points and pagodas that served to protect and warn the people of invaders. We were able to rent bicycles and rode around the entire wall--I believe it was around 12 km. It was an incredible opportunity to see the city and a bit bumpy riding along the stone path. Incredible history...and a beautiful city.

We then enjoyed a "hot pot lunch" back here at the hotel. This consists of every person having their own burner and boiling pot of broth. Then around the giant lazy susan is a bunch of food--meats, vegetables, tripe, etc. You choose what you want to put in your pot and then you also make your own dipping sauce made of a variety of different spices and sauce. It was amazing and a wonderful environment.

Then we went to see Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site and Museum with the famous terracotta soldiers. It is about a half an hour drive from Xi'an and it was incredible. It lived up to my incredibly high expectations and you can't help but marvel at the vastness of it all. It is difficult to describe how amazing it was.

Then we met our Chinese counterparts for a dumpling banquet. It was great to see Mr. Feng once again and they treated us to such a great welcoming banquet at a very famous dumpling restaurant. The food kept coming and coming and each one of the dumplings was different. They shape each of them like what is inside of them and they tasted wonderful.

I was incredibly tired by the end of the day, but had another rough night of sleep. There is something pretty great about sleeping in your own bed, even with sleepy children that wake you up throughout the night.