Sometimes you just need to get away from your surroundings. Like in Modesto, you just need to take a trip to San Francisco every so often. We just had to get a change of scenery, so we went for a quick weekend trip to Xi'an. We already went to the Terracotta Warriors, so we didn't do that again. We just spent the weekend shopping at Muslim Quarter, eating delicious barbecue, and making a few trips to Dunkin' Doughnuts. There's just some things you miss when you don't get it too often, like doughnuts and hot chocolate, especially when it's getting cooler. It was nice to just sit and relax while sipping on hot chocolate.
While in Xi'an, we decided to check out a museum. We really enjoyed looking at all the statues. The lighting on the subjects made it exceptionally magnificent.
Our favorite part of this trip was admiring all the colorful leaves falling from the trees. There were all hues of red, green, yellow, and brown. It finally felt like fall.
We spent majority of the time shopping for souvenirs. The first time we went to Xi'an, I kept on walking past a local artist and his daughter. I really loved his work, and I left the city without buying one of his pieces. I regretted that decision, and so this time I didn't leave empty handed. Alastair and I picked a black block print on white rice paper depicting the harvesting of corn in the countryside. I really love it and it made life complete....not quite.
With all markets, you want to buy everything your eyes lock on. We purchased a "Burberry" scarf, a Christmas ornament, table cloths, a "North Face" jacket, and a few hiking backpacks. Money well spent, if I do say so myself!
One last trip to Dunkin' Doughnuts, and we headed back to Luoyang on the speed train.
