DFR Travels: Sunday, April 14. Warm, 30C.

Awake at 5:30 after a great sleep, again!. The touring is interesting but we are on the go all the time. We will have to pick and choose what we want to see in Shanghai methinks so we have a little relax time, just the two of us.

Regardless, we had breakfast where I was successful in getting a few pictures off so that was good. Back to the room where Fellette had packed earlier and soon we were in the lobby with our luggage on tour again.

First stop was the Muslim Temple in the Muslim Quarter for a stroll and peek at the Mosque, built in 742. The Muslims that settled here were from Persia and they were some of the traders travelling the Silk Road from China to Europe that married Chinese women and settled here. There is now about 80,000 Muslims living in Xi'an. They also have their own shops and restaurants etc. It was very interesting to see them cooking exotic looking dishes right in the street, and patrons eating there as well. The place is obviously old, but as clean as it can be. They look identical to the Chinese here but just dress slightly different sometimes.

Next we went to a street that sells products for those that practice the art of calligraphy: a wide assortment of brushes, papers and a vast array of associated goods. There were scores of shops, and as many or more street stalls in the area. Other artists have also set up there.

Next we went to the City Wall: Xi'an is a walled city, a rectangular wall, three by four kilometres each side 14 kilometres all around. It was built several hundred years ago in eight years and has beautiful watch towers every 120 meters. The wall is 14 meters across and about 10 meters high, truly a beautiful feature for the city, today full of families and tourists strolling, flying kites and biking the wall on a Sunday. The wall was put up to keep domestic malcontents out, not foreign invaders. The rich lived in the city and the poor folks lived outside in the country-side. It is illuminated at night, the watch towers as well as the wall and is absolutely beautiful.

Next we asked to be taken to the airport to get ready to fly to Shanghai, or Bird Flue City as I call it.

I may have mentioned before how nice it is to have this private call all time. My gosh, we just finish somewhere and next thing the car is there and the door is opened and we are whisked off, it is magical and a bit addictive I think.

As you can see we have done a fair amount before we even fly for the two hour flight where we are to be met and taken to Shanghai by a Magnetic Levitation train, known as a Magnev. Then we will have time to relax and unwind before we start it all over agin in a new city!

PS We arrived as scheduled and are now in our hotel room. My gosh, it keeps getting better... This one is absolutely over the top. Indescribable, right down to free international phone calls! I will try and describe later.

We have talked to our guide and will modify the hectic time here and bring it down a notch. Great.