We just arrived at our hotel! We had a long flight (9 hrs from Newark) but fortunately with many movie diversions- people watched Taken 2 and more - my personal favorite was Cinderella Moon, a lovely Chinese piece with beautiful adornment in it. We have a very luxurious bus and got a nice ride to the hotel with an initial glimpse of the old city walls and some of the beautiful sights. Our guide Ali seems very nice and knowledgeable. Today is a get  used to the town and rest up a bit day.