Mayon Volcano- The Beautiful One

Derived from the word Magayon, which is beautiful in Bicol dialect, Mayon lives up to its name.  Being the most perfectly formed volcano, it is easily one of the most beautiful  volcano because of its symmetrical cone.  Tourists flock to the province of Albay to see it.  

It is as dangerous, as it is beautiful. Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines and can be very destructive.  Many tourists come to see Mayon- but more tourists come during eruptions.  It is a sight to behold during eruptions, specially during night time where you will see the glowing lava rolling down its perfect slope. 

I used to wake up to it during my 4 year stay in Albay- and it never failed to give me the feeling of awe. The very same feeling I had when I saw it once again during my recent trip to Bicol. One beautiful reminder of how magayon life is. 

Xi'an's Terracota Army: Protector of the First Emperor

The first Qin emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, has not only unified China during his rule from 221-207 BC. He also left behind a treasure, which can aptly be considered as another wonder of the world.  He built a mausoleum for himself- and thousands of life-size terracotta army, horses and chariots.  These terracotta army, arranged in battle formation near the Emperor's tomb, is believed to protect the Emperor in the life after.  Emperor Qin died in 209 BC and was buried with his terracotta army. They remained buried for 2,200 years, until the accidental discovery of the terracotta army in 1974, by some farmers digging a well. The mausoleum of Emperor Qin remained buried and not excavated to this day. 

Since it was opened to public in 1979, the Terracotta Army has attracted millions of visitors per year.  It is considered as one of the must-see in China, along with the Great Wall.  And I was not going to miss it for anything!

Our colleague has arranged for the taxi driver to take me and my colleague Shanta from Xi'an airport to the Terracotta Army museum, upon our arrival from YuLin. It's an hour drive from the airport.  We first had lunch then met with the tour guide which the driver has arranged for us. The tour guide showed us where to buy the admission tickets, we queued, bought our tickets,  and started with the tour. It was a bit of a walk through a nice garden, from the gate to the exhibitions.  

Ticket booths

Everybody off to see the tarracotta army

And here we go.....

The mausoleum and the terracotta army museum is in a 20 square mile compound. There are 3 exhibitions, showcasing the 3 pits of terracotta warriors.  We entered the biggest building, the 1st exhibition. It is where 6,000 terracotta solders were found. The tour guide shared that the figures used to have colors when they were first unearthed.  However due to exposure to air and light, the colors faded.  

The life-size terracotta soldiers (archers, cavalry, infantry and officers) are arranged  in battle formation along with chariots and horses. There were also 40,000 bronze weapons (spears, axes, crossbows and arrowheads) found in the pits.

Looking closely, each of the members of the army has distinct facial features and facial expression, height, and hair style.  Our guide shared that the artists then, copied the features of the of the Emperor's favorites among his soldiers.  

Our guide also shared that a number of laborers and artists, who helped in the construction of the tomb and of the terracotta warriors, were killed in order to preserve its secrecy.  

The 2nd pit or the 2nd exhibition has cavalry and infantry units.

The 3rd pit contains high ranking officers and chariots.

We headed to the souvenir shop. Our guide pointed to a man signing souvenir books by the entrance of the store.  He's one of the farmers who accidentally discovered the terracotta soldiers.  

I bought myself a replica of the kneeling archer, made from the terracotta soil.

The sales person said the kneeling archer is a symbol of luck.  I hope the kneeling archer will indeed bring me lots of luck, so that I will be able to see all of the world's wonders.

USA Day5b- Palace of the Fine Arts: Picture Perfect

I have never heard of it so when my friends said we're headed to the Palace of Fine Arts, the claustrophobic me was not happy with the thought of being inside another dark, damp, museum building with vast number of pictures painted by famous artists hanged on the wall.

I was happily disappointed.  The Palace of Fine Arts is a gorgeous, picturesque outdoor architecture. The classical Roman rotunda and colonnades by a lagoon makes for a beautiful, romantic landscape. No wonder it is a favorite for weddings in San Francisco.  

Roman colonnades in San Francisco

The Rotunda

It was said to have been built in 1915 for an exhibition to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal and the recovery of San Francisco from earthquakes and fires in 1906. The plan was to dismantle it after the exhibition but it was too beautiful to be taken down so it was allowed to remain. The theme, Roman ruins, was selected to show "the mortality of grandeur and the vanity of human wishes". Because it was not built to last, the palace later on suffered decay and in 1964 it was demolished- and restored. 

We had fun exploring the place, just being together and mastering "jump shot" photos against this lovely back drop.

Classical ruins in a beautiful garden-  the palace has become one of my most favorite places in San Francisco. 

Chao Anouvong Statue and Park

Along the bank of the Mekong river, and directly across the Palais Presidentiel, the statue of Chao Anouvong stands proud.  He is said to be the last king of Laos, and has fought the Thai invaders in the 1800s. He was defeated and died as prisoner in Thailand, then called Siam, but is considered a war hero by the Laotian.

His 6 foot statue is made of bronze , facing the Mekong river (it is said to be facing in the direction of Thailand).  At the foot of his statue is an altar where people pray and make offerings such as incense, flowers and food. 

The statue is in a small park called Chao Anouvong Park.  During early mornings, it is a good place to jog or walk, ride a bike, do Tai Ichi's , hang out with friends, or catch sunrise. At night, there is a night market selling mostly Laotian and Thai goods.

The park and the statue are both free of charge.