Beijing Shenghuo

In a market across the street from Beida...

Chinese Acrobatics Show

These boys were about ten years old. Absolutely incredible.

This woman started with the ball at the very bottom step and through balance and strength she bounced the ball from step to step until she made a basket at the very top.

YES. She is balancing on her tip toes on his head. No strings attached, nothing holding her to his head. He preceded to turn her in a full circle...

Here she is balancing on his shoulder...

Haha, one of the favorites of the night. The love story of a extremely muscular man with nothing to wear but a black speedo and a subdued, delicate young woman. In agony over the distance that separates them, they have no choice but to preform emo gymnastics on their oppositely colored pianos...

This was the most impressive act of the night

It is hard to tell, but the two girls in the center are biting on a thin metal pole. Yes, indeed the girl balancing on the top is supporting her entire body weight with her teeth. 

dramatic drumming

Xi'an

We took an overnight train from Beijing to Xi'an (5pm to 6:30 am). 

Four bunks to one room. Best way to travel in China.

Muslim market street, the testing ground for my bargaining skills

The Great Mosque, known to be one of the most beautiful mosques in China. It was built in the Tang Dynasty (742 A.D.) Today over 60,000 Muslims live in Xi'an.

Which is faster, the turtle or the hare? Well... how about a hairy turtle?

A strange treasure I found in a shop on the Muslim street: an algae covered turtle swimming around in a vase full of fish.

Forest of the Stone Steles. Built in the Song Dynasty (1090 A.D.), this was once the Temple of Confucius. It holds the oldest collection of existing Confucian classic texts.

The Xi'an Night Market

Roasting chuar, meat on a skewer.

Late night restaurants overspilling into the sidewalks.

pedicabs

sizzling hot veggie jaozi

the entrance to the market streets

We stopped in at an arcade and witnessed some hardcore Dance Dance Revolution.

Skyline of Xi'an

Late night drinks and ice cream

Xi'an's famous noodle dishes

The Terracotta Soldiers

The Wild Goose Pagoda

Below the Wild Goose Pagoda we encountered some elders doing calligraphy on the sidewalk using large brushes and buckets of water.

The calligraphers visit the Wild Goose Pagoda every night. When we told them that we are taking a calligraphy class they invited us to practice. We wrote simple messages back and forth to each other. For example we wrote, "We like China a lot" and they wrote, "You are my American friends." A crowd of 30 people gathered to watch us.

Most deliciously greasy breakfast I've had. Deep fried chewy sweet potato dough filled with melted sugar...mmm

Early morning sweeping on the Muslim street...wait, in the distance there pigs hanging outside....hmmm

TANDEM BIKE!!!!!

We rode around the entire Xi'an city wall (8 miles)

Matt and I got a lil cocky...