Xi'an - Day 4

We are headed to Xi’an today.  Sweet Yi, and our wonderful driver Liang, met us at 6:00 AM to get us to the airport. 

I was able to fit in a run this morning to explore the other areas of the university I wasn’t able to get to.  Such an incredibly beautiful campus!  So many waterways, willows, stone paths, and peaceful areas.  There are so many runners out at any hour of the day, which is great.  It is also great that many the runners are quite a bit older – both because they are still active and because it makes my slow pace feel faster J

Our hotel

New discovery.  Such a pretty campus!

Main gate of campus

Performing Arts Center

We have been entertaining ourselves with making up captions for the billboards we cannot read.  This is one of many that made us giggle.

We encountered about weather delays before leaving for Xi'an.  However we also encountered Starbucks amd sausage and egg McMuffins from Mc'Donalds.  When the announcement was finally made to board, it was completely in Chinese.  Luckily we were observant enough to notice a crush of people rush the gate.  You would have thought there were no assigned seats!  Once on the plane we waited some more.  Poor Corey had a session to lead that afternoon, so began making some calls to expedite our travel from the airport.  Thankfully the man next to him spoke some english, so he was able to help us see the delay predictions.

But finally, after 4 hours of delays, we left!  Here is the in-flight meal - Congee Poridge, fermented carrrots, peas, and pickles, a coconut bun filled with a dried and feathered wasabi-like cheese, and yogurt. :)

We need to bring these napping booths to the US!

We were greeted at the airport by Benson and Hong's father.  They arranged a little bus to take Corey to the conference center and the kids and I to the hotel.  So kind!  He would not let us pay for it, and Benson warned that insisting would be insulting to Hong's dad.

Driving in.  The city seems so clean and even.  The buildings, as Caden put it, look like they did copy paste :)

As we got closer to the hotel, the sidewalks widened and the roads were strewn with beautiful lanterns.

The kids declared this their new favorite hotel.  The people are so kind and friendly, walking us through the property and helping us plan our itinerary while in Xi'an.  The room has two bedrooms and is beautiful, with a great view of the city, dotted with lanterns.

The room also has a kitchen and a laundry room.  Glory be!  But the kids were most excited about the toilet with its own remote to select various bidet settings, including temperature, flow, and a drying option.  Quite a juxtaposition!

 We walked over the mall next to our hotel for a quick lunch.  The mall, like the one we saw in Beijing, seems design for kids.  There are stores for making robots, doing Legos, crafts, racing cars, you name it.

This is the most detailed cotton candy art I've ever seen!

We ended up eating at a Korean restaurant.  The table attendee does all of the cooking for you at your table.  The kids chose mutton, steak, dumplings of course, and sushi.  We over-ordered once again.

After lunch, we headed to the pool.  Coolest lockers ever.  When you check in you each get your own rubber bracelet that automates the locker opening.  Then to enter the pool area, you walk through a shower that waterfalls down from the door, so no options for skipping your pre-swim shower!

Corey and I enjoyed a little Saske at the bar downstairs from our hotel.  Beautiful lights all around.