Small world

Midday flight from Xian today, so late breakfast and then off to airport.
I go to breakfast, start thinking about what to have and notice that a couple are looking at me. Flies checked (ok) , i had noticed the toothpaste on my cheek in the lift and wiped it off so cant be that, its not the couple i keep bumping into at various sites, so what?

As the man walks towards me i recognise him. He says he is on holiday, but just in case he is pulling a big sickie i wont reveal full details (Steve A from B) someone i have worked with and against for many years back home - but probably not seen for a year or so. Travelling around Asia for a couple of weeks seeing both his sons along the way.

What this does mean of course is that if the competition are down here, then i must be able to put the trip down as "research" , so that's going to be a big old expenses claim when i get back.

Xian - Terracotta Army

Today was a full day trip around a number of Xian sights (Pagoda, Walls, Mosque), but was dominated by the main feature, the terracotta army.

So it goes like this
:
You are born into quite a decent family, and become emperor at the age of 13.

You decide that you want to unify China, which takes a bit of time, but you achieve that by age 38.

You embark on political and economic reform, and start a few large projects.

One happens to be quite a large wall the length of China.

Whilst this is all going on, you give some thought to life after death and at the age of 13 you start building a mausoleum and of course as part of that you build in some protection - over 8000 soldiers crafted in Terracotta, reflecting some of the troops that have enabled you to conquer your neighbours and unify China, and each unique.

You die age 49.

The next emperor struggles to control the country and there is a peasant's revolt which includes damaging (all but one) of the statues and stealing weapons. Over time the statues pits get overgrown and forgotten, until found by a local in 1974 - over two thousand years later. I guess that got a few archaeologists excited.

Now a combination of restored, to be restored and to be unearthed objects, it is an amazing sight. Something of such scale and at the same time such detail. I cant think of anything which really compares.