Day+4+May+25

 **DAY 4: May 25**

May 25th (T): Arrive Xi'an @ 8:19 AM  Tour the City Wall, the Bell Tower, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, North Square. Tel: 86 29 6267800 135 West Street Lian Hu District, Xi'an City. 71002**
 * West Capital International Hotel

The train ride, overnight from Beijing to Xi’an, involved stuffing four people into small compartments and hoping some of those bodies found sleep. The boys generally did better than the adults. By 5 am, those who hadn’t slept much could at least begin to see the scenery of rural China. At Xi’an, we met our new tour guide, Sherri, who is now working with Reagan to lead us around this area. After breakfast, showers, and a little organization at our new hotel in the center of Xi’an, we headed off to the Wild Goose Pagoda, the original temple from which Buddhism spread throughout China. These beautiful grounds still serve as home to a great number of practicing Buddhist monks. From there we visited an “amusement park,” more a grand garden and entertainment area, very uncrowded in the middle of the week but very beautiful. No rides or games as we expect at an amusement park in America, but a huge space encompassing a lake, gardens, an art museum, statuary, walking paths, playgrounds, and theatres. After lunch, we headed to rural Xi’an to visit the home and studio of Pan Xiaoling. Back in Xi’an, we enjoyed a dumpling-based dinner within walking distance from the hotel and finished the day with a tour of the Bell Tower at the center of Xi’an, which offered excellent views of Xi’an at night. Tomorrow, among other adventures, we will head out to see China’s famous terra cotta warriors. All of us are having a wonderful time on this very special trip.