Friday's Site Seeing Wrap Up

Okay, let's get back on track with the beautiful scenes from around Xian. Below is the drum tower, followed by the bell tower across the plaza. These towers were used in ancient times (remember, the city wall around Xian was built over 600 years ago) to signal the opening and closing of the city gates at the beginning and ending of the days. They were also used to send other warning signals or announcements of sorts throughout the city. We walked from our hotel to this plaza area on Friday afternoon, after our visit to the South Gate and the City Wall and after Aidan and The Boss got a good nap. No matter how tired I am, I can't seem to sleep in the afternoons here. The Boss on the other hand, sleeps every time we sit down on the couch for more than 4 minutes :)

Below is the De Fa Chang Dumpling restaurant. Check out the banner announcing their title under the Chinese characters. No small amount of pride there!

The courtyard in front of the restaurant and its neighboring stores was full of people enjoying the cooler air and breezy evening. There were vendors with kites, fans, t-shirts, hats, and all kinds of toys. Little kids were riding their bikes and it seemed as if everyone was watching the Western couple with the gorgeous Chinese baby. Everywhere we go, we get smiles and nods, questioning glances, and even some older folks patting the baby and making eyes at her. She smiles away, clapping and waving - as if she's used to the entourage.

This is the entry way to the dumpling restaurant. None of the dumplings shown here are real, but meant to show interested diners all the different varieties available. Our guide, Jo, had called ahead to make a reservation for their "dumpling banquet" and specified that we preferred nothing too exotic or "scary." Yes, she used the word "scary." I didn't even ask what she meant, but she offered anyway: no animal organs, no frogs, and no dog. Yes. She said dog. What a great start to a new culinary adventure.

This is a big, golden dumpling. No, Shaggy, it is not real and you cannot take it home and eat it. :)

Here are our non-exotic, non-scary, non-dog dumplings. They were filled with everything from chicken and peppers, to veggies and tofu, to pork and leeks, to walnuts with almonds and brown sugar. My favorite was the pumpkin and roast pork dumpling. The Boss liked them all. Aidan liked the pork and leek ones. I cut them up in tiny pieces and she picked them up a little at a time between bites of mashed bananas and green peas. Funny story: even the waitresses here noticed that Aidan ate non-stop from the time she sat down till we left. This girl has earned that little belly she's sportin'!

I don't know about the rest of you, but I am totally impressed by The Boss's bravery in sampling all the new foods put in front of him. I am equally impressed with his chopstick skills - he has not left one meal hungry and uses those things almost like the natives! I excuse my lack of dexterity and gracefulness by making sure I'm cutting up food for Aidan all the while that I'm feeding myself. Can't very well cut up a dumpling with chopsticks, now can ya?!

It was a great experience. We are a big dumpling loving family, so this was a special treat for us to be able to enjoy. However, I must agree with our guide, Jo, on this: the dumpling banquet is a fun experience to be able to have. But at the end of the day, the common man's dumpling of pork and veggies is my favorite. Steamed, fried or boiled, just dunk me one in a bit of soy sauce or teriyaki and I'm a happy gal.

Next post, I'll share our amazing day at the TerraCotta Warriors Museum. It was a long drive out there, but well worth the trip. We loved every single minute of it.

Finally, thank you all for your prayers for Aidan, and for The Boss and I. We woke this morning feeling refreshed and Aidan is less stuffy. Her cough is still fuller than I'd like, but we are pleased with her progress. We should be fine for the 2 1/2 hour flight to Guangzhou on Tuesday. Please pray that her passport is processed and finalized early tomorrow to allow for our flight out. The tickets for that flight can't be purchased till we have the passport finalized.