So i bought a new camera yesterday. We had to buy pictures of us in front of the Goose Pagoda water show the other night. Dude wanted 10RMB for 2 pictures. So we take the two. And of course when we go to pick them up he’s all “oh! well it’s 10RMB for two pictures of one picture….if you want two sets of both that’s 20RMB!” So after some amusing arguing b/w Patrick and the vendor, we decided to just buy them both….since that ended up being $1.20ish for each pair. Regardless, that water show is incredible. So…if you’re even in Xi’an, I’d highly recommend it.

We also had some really good Indian food before the show, and I actually felt full from that meal! We’ve been eating a lot, but I’ve never felt stuffed. Most of the food from the restaurants is meat and veggies…low carb! Different story for the street vendors though. Yesterday i had this bread pocked filled with tofu and a hard boiled egg that had been cooked in tea. It was AMAZING! (see pic on my flickr). I also tried this weird corn ice cream stuff. It was basically vanilla ice cream surrounded by this thin wafer like corn flavored shell. It tasted like an ice cream cone on a stick. Weird. Yet pretty good!

The hash run was yesterday, and a blast! This is how it works: someone in the group runs ahead and creats a trail with splotches of flour on the ground. Then the group takes off a littel afterwards and tries to find the trail via the splotches. The catch: they make dead ends. The winner is the first one to complete the trail. As you go, whoever’s in the lead will scream “ON ON!” as they find each splotch of flour to show that they’re on the right path (or at least some path). One of the dead ends ended up running us through a huge field of weeds. We all got cut up and of course my legs broke into hives because i was wearing shorts. Ha! Then you finish up where you started, have a beer, and we all went for Chinese bbq afterwards. (note: they have a Hash chapter in Chicago and I think we should get a group together to do it!)

We also got a taste of the nightlife here in Xi’an. So far, we’ve just been hanging out at the hostel bar up the road. It’s pretty hoppin’ and they speak English there. Last night, we met some Germans that were on the Hash run, and they took us to a few clubs. The first one was closed. The second one was dripping w/ security guards (who wouldn’t let me take pictures) and was pretty dead as well. Apparently the Chinese don’t like to go out on Saturday nights.

Today we’re going to rent bikes to ride along the wall that surrounds the city. Then Patrick has a bbq at his place.

Also, yesterday I bought a new camera so I’ll try to post whatever I can. Joee didn’t bring the cable for her camera so I guess you won’t be able to see pics of the one really famous thing we saw here so far (Terracotta Warriors) until we get back.