World Wonder

Thousands of terracotta warriors lined up in their original pits is a sight which no-one is fully prepared for. Each one with a different face and some complete with their horses, although the wooden chariots have rotted away. The tour also included a sight of a pit which has not yet been excavated because the warriors are thought to still bear their original colours and the authorities want to be sure they can preserve them properly before uncovering them.

The whole site is huge - the Silver Shadow contingent were provided with golf buggies to make the journey from the car park to the main area. Everything seems far distant from the mound where the emperor is buried and it is thought that the whole area contains parts of his vast mausoleum. The mound has not yet been excavated because it is thought to have many traps for grave robbers and to be contaminated with mercury because the emperor thought it would give him long life. Instead of poisoning him.

The journey was long and hard - 27 hours from ship to ship, including long bus rides and the return flight. Dinner was a box of sandwiches from Starbucks and the guidance was against eating the airline food. The hotel was excellent - ridiculously so for a 7 hour stay. It was vast like everything else in China and the rooms had so many lights that many guests could not work out how to switch everything off and just slept with the lights on. TSH and Diva were in control of the system within 15 minutes. The bathroom with circular bath and separate shower and twin basins was open plan with the bedroom (except for a curtain) but the toilet was nicely tucked away in its own separate room with basin.

There will be a separate blog about TSH's solo adventure.

Cruise ship note: TSH and Diva did not see another cruise ship between Alaska and Tianjin, where they encountered Royal Caribbean's 'Ovation of the Seas'