Terracotta Warriors

My day was upset initially when my credit card was refused at the parking machine in the city.  My memory was drawn back to an email I vaguely remembered receiving about a possible security breach.  I sifted out the email which still looked a bit dodgy to me, but called a number as it directed me to.  Turns out it was a perfectly legitimate email and my card had indeed had an unusual transaction.  Bottom line, it took almost an hour for me to contact the bank, sort the issue, re-set the credit card (with much more limited usage options) and then finally be able to pay the parking meter!  Lucky a warden didn't come by whilst I was parked but not paid.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I came to see the Terracotta Warriors.........I knew they were big, I knew they were individual, I knew they were precious.  The 10 Terracotta Warriors that have been brought to New Zealand's Te Papa are all of those things and more.  It was quite an amazing feeling to stand in front of one of the 10 Warriors that are encased in a large, glass viewing 'box' knowing him to be over 2000 years old, knowing that someone created 'him' all those years ago, right down to the details of his hair, and knowing that he was part of a major oriental dynasty in a period when the world looked, acted and believed so differently to today.  It was as though the modern world as we understand it to be was condensed into this one warrior.  A very odd and somewhat enlightening experience. (see extras for more detailed views)

No surprises, but I spent a lot longer in the exhibition than I had originally thought I would so other sightseeing was put on the back burner for now.