Tibet? Yes! No!!

Still at Starbucks... Staying in a twin room at a nice hostel with a view to the Bell Tower in the centre of Xian. They speak English fluently, and are very helpful and service minded. We almost got tickets to Tibet, too - including flights in and out, hotel, and guides - agreed on a schedule and went to the bank to unload about $3000 in cash, only to come back and be told that the rules had changed at the Tibet office: Papers must be sent by mail, not fax anymore. That added a few more days which we don't have, so we'll still have to go somewhere else. Oh well. Coffee break is over! Off to the terracotta warriors!