My one regret on this trip was not taking the video from INSIDE the cab in Xi'an. People joke all the time about how scary a cab ride is in New York City. But please ... spare me. Riding in the cab was like watching a movie unfold. There are so many bikes, and so many walkers, and so many cars ... AND NO TRAFFIC LIGHTS!!! Beijing is more sophisticated with lights, but for the other cities ... BRACE YOURSELF. It's a free for all ... like playing Frogger. And even if there are lights, a guide told me, "it's only a suggestion." I used to say that the scariest time of my life traveling was Budapest New Years Eve. No longer ... crossing the street is now #1. It took me a dozen tries, but I inched out a motorcycle. The reward was survival.

To me, shopping and traffic were the two funniest highlights of the trip to China.