Xi An on a Bycicle Built for two (plus one for our favorite third Wheel)

While Shenzhen sprung up virtually overnight, Xi An has been around for three thousand years and was once China's capital. This city is a gem- besides the famous Terracotta Army(post forthcoming!), it offers a wonderful sense of China's history, so long, rich and varied, and so hard to sense in Shenzhen. Xi'an is a lively place, the city center is a towering pagoda in the center of a large public square that is always filled with activity.

In the mornings you'll see old ladies doing tai chi while the younger ones try something that looks like a variation on square dancing to Canton pop music. In the afternoon the skies are filled with hundreds of fluttering kites, kids on roller skates zip by and couples stroll along enjoying an ice cream cone. As if all that weren't idyllic enough, Amy suggested that we rent bikes for a joy ride around Xi'An's ancient city wall and we had such fun doing just that. (Can you believe I talked Eric in to renting a tandem bike? It was so Laverne and Shirley!)