Ni Hao!
We are in Xi'an, Kylee's birthplace and the original capital of China. At one time it was also considered the biggest city in the world! It is rich with history and culture and we are looking forward to exploring it in the next few days. Our hotel is walking distance to the Civil Affairs office where we will meet Kylee tomorrow afternoon for the first time. WE CANNOT WAIT!!!!
Today we visited the Wild Goose Pagoda, the history of the pagoda is interesting; it was built at the request of a Buddhist monk who spent 15 years traveling in India and collecting holy books of Buddhism there in the 7th century (652 AD). When he returned, he asked the Emperor to construct the pagoda to house the books. What’s really interesting is that the monk wrote his memoir detailing his travels, and that served as the basis for the famous novel, Journey to the West, written in the 1500s (The Monkey King).
The famous monk, Xuan Zang of the Chinese Tang Dynasty
Wild Goose Pagoda
Xi'an's local cuisine is mainly noodles and dumplings so we decided to try some at a local restaurant, they were wonderful! The air in the center of Xi'an is highly polluted as you will note from our outdoor pictures. Nonetheless it is an amazing city and we can't wait to visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors, among other sites.
Mia writing in her journal
Thank you all for your comments, we have really enjoyed reading them!
The Geveke Family
I'm glad you had a wonderful day in Xian- go back to the Big Goose Pagoda for the light/fountain show- the kids LOVED it! There are 2 great places to eat near there- an Indian place and a Muslim place (if you like ethnic foods- though every meal is a bit ethnic while we are in China!) The kids loved the noodles in Xian, I actually found a recipe on the internet and made some last night:)
ReplyDeleteWe are praying for tomorrow and can't wait to see pictures....
Blessings,
Gayly
Hi Ana...it is ALMOST TIME TO MEET YOUR DAUGHTER!!! How is Jo-Jo? We're enjoying your pics and can't wait until tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteDeborah
Your last day without Kylee physically present. Wow! The time is rapidly approaching. We are so excited for you to get to your sweet girl tomorrow. We are praying for everything to go smoothly and for Mia and Kylee to experience no trauma. We love you each!
ReplyDelete-Boston and Wayne