The VERY LAST leg of our trip brings us to Xi'an. Why Xi'an?! Because of these little guys:
Again - Don't be like me, and go here without researching if it's a dang holiday... Or you will be met with an insane crowd fighting your way among tourists to actually see something. More on that later.
We left Beijing and caught a flight out to Xi'an which is about a 2hr flight south west of Beijing. As we were waiting for our flight, I saw a strawberry pie being advertised in a McDonald's window, so I got me-self that and some fries... because, a girl needs food in the AM, I like Strawberries, I like pies, and I like fries.
So it was a win-win-win-win situation.
** FYI: That Strawberry pie was delicious, and was really sad it was only available in China.
Also, scroll yourself over to the next image, and you'll notice me eating my fries in a lounge chair. What's NOT pictured, sadly, is the really cool Pod Lounge Chair they had where it envelopes you from the outside so you can take take a nap in the dark. So this little guy was my bestie while waiting for the flight out of Beijing.
Now, after landing in Xi'an, if you're planning to go to The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, aka: The Terracotta Warriors, you'll need to take yourself over to Lintong, which is a district in Xi'an. That taxi ride was about 30-45 minutes out of the airport - not too bad, but our driver got lost. SO LOST, in fact, that he really needed to use the restroom in the midst of the drive, he pulled over, and when I thought he was going inside a building, he didn't. He straight peed on the bush not even that far from the vehicle. Note To Self at that moment: DO NOT SHAKE HIS HANDS AFTER HE DROPS US OFF. DO NOT DO IT.
We finally found the hotel, and realized it was more of a resort, and not just a pretty hotel. We stayed at the Angsana Xi'an Lintong Hotel. Got to the room and it was gorgeous. And yes, that bathtub looked so much like a bowl, I had to take a bath in it. Those pictures will NOT be posted - haha!
Since we arrived late, and didn't want to drive around after the flight, we decided to eat at the hotel. I'm so glad we did. The food was delicious. This time it was traditional Shaanxi food. Also realized there are absolutely no pictures of the food. I do remember this mango dessert thing I had which was phenomenal and I miss it a lot and need to figure out the name of it so I can make it.
The next day was THE DAY: TERRACOTTA WARRIOR DAY. We took a cab, and the entire time, the cab driver was telling us that it was such a rip off, and that it was a waste of our time.. Dude: I don't care for your opinions, I quite flew 20 hrs to see this damn place, and I'm gonna love it. And I did. FU taxi driver. Anyways, I would give you a guide on how to get there, but honestly: you take a taxi. If you're in Lintong already, why bother going to take a bus. Take the Taxi. If you're in Xi'an, yeah, I guess a bus would be cheaper. I don't know. You can also read through this guide which was helpful: How To Get To Terracotta Army from Xi'an
Remember, we went on a holiday, big mistake. There were lines everywhere. The Bathrooms, Tickets, To Walk. I have a bladder of an infant, so I thought best to use the restroom before going inside - I waited in line for 45min to pee. My girlfriend gave birth to her child faster than that.
Anyways, we walked this path to get to the Mausoleum, and get SLAMMED IN THE FACE with tourists. I have a little video of me laughing about it, somewhere.
There are currently 3 Mausoleums, with I believe more still being uncovered. The details that went into these are incredible. Each one is different: Hair, Height, Outfit, Weapons, etc. It's absolutely fascinating.
After our little outing, we decided to spend the last night relaxing before flying back to Shanghai to eventually go back to California. So we headed over to the Angsana Hot Springs which is adjacent to our Resort. If you've never been to a Hot Spring before, I highly recommend one. It's like a bunch of Hot Tubs that look like tiny ponds, each at different temps. Some were hotter than others, some a little cooler for more sensitive skins. I loved the HOT ones - Fire Cannot Hurt a Dragon.
And that's basically it. We relaxed, then ate dinner, and packed up our stuff before heading back out to Shanghai which would then eventually take us back (back) to (Cali) California.