From Beijing to Xi'an

After an overnight train ride, the group arrived safely in Xi'an. On the ride, everyone learned how to play Chinese Chess and they all LOVE the game. Alex, Zack, Hannah, and Bryan have become quite good at it.

The leaders were really glad that the souvenir swords the group purchased in Beijing could fit into their suitcases. This saves a lot of questions and explaining when traveling.

Xi'an Highlights:
The group had an amazing time at the Terracotta Warriors. It was a long hot day, but well worth the effort.

The city wall and MMT* were equally amazing. On the day of the city wall visit, the rain stopped right before we were going to start riding bikes on the wall, and it started up again when we had finished our ride. That afternoon, the same thing happened for our MMT. Thankfully, the weather has been cooperating with us throughout the whole trip!

*An MMT (Magical Mystery Tour) is a Windsor Mountain tradition: leaders split the group into small groups (three or more), give them firm parameters and goals for the adventure, and send them off on fun and educational intercultural missions.

The best moment thus far was our visit to the Xi'an City Bell Tower. We ascended the tower when it was raining - the rain, the city lights, and the surroundings were a perfect mix of ancient and modern China. We sat there for about 20 minutes just taking it all in. The moment was beautiful with kids running in and out of the rain and us looking up at the sky seeing all the raindrops falling on our faces. Awesome!

The MMT was a complete success, with one group completing 21 out of the 25 tasks while the other group completed 23 out of the 25 tasks. Overall, Xian was totally relaxing and completely enjoyable.

Student Notes:

Kayla - She bought a sword and named it JingShen, which means "spirit" in Chinese. She also bought a tiger and a lot of Doomo stuff. Her suitcase is now packed to full capacity. Also, she was the cameraperson on the winning team during the MMT, and had a great time learning side kicks and straight kicks during our Martial Arts class.

Hannah - this girl had a great time exploring Xi'an. She literally walked everywhere. By now, she knows the Xi'an plaza area better than the leaders. She loves Muslim food and Chinese Ice Peak soda. We are amazed at her efforts to make connections with everyone she meets - she taught a new local friend how to sing a complete English song, and we have it on video!

Alex - She did somethign unheard of: she got on a Chinese bus, asked for a bus ticket without paying for it, and got off the bus. I think the ticket lady is still confused. She also learned a Chinese tongue twister from a French person on the plaza, and was a key player in her MMT group.

Zack - This young man loves Xi'an! Along with Bryan, he explored the entire Muslim quarter, and particularly enjoyed the food. He is great at Martial Arts - the teacher even asked him to demonstrate moves for the class. He also won the bike race on top of the Xi'an city wall.

Bryan - He got a haircut during the MMT to earn 10 points for his group! He was one of the most enthusiastic "raindancers" on top of the Bell Tower. He has been a great help to the leaders during the entire trip, always there to pitch in when help is needed. He was also overjoyed to find a good price Spanish national team soccer jersey.

Sasha - She was the leader of the winning MMT team which set an all-time Bridge China record of completing 23 out of 25 items on the list within two hours. Awesome! She was able to meet local police officers and snap a photo with them, and many other great interpersonal exchanges. Also, Sasha came in a close second during the bike race to the top of the city wall.