2010年8月10日星期二

Chengdu trip


So we were going to be spending our last week in Chengdu, we booked to see the Pandas at the Panda Breeding Base the next and we really wanted to make the most of it as we were really looking forward to seeing the pandas! We went with a tour with the hostel, and they took you to the Panda site really early so that you caught them in time for feeding time where they are active, most of the day they just sleep! We saw the young pandas first, and they were so sweet!! It wasn't too busy so we got some very good views of them! We then went to see the red pandas, which are beautiful and have more of a mischievous look about them. The big pandas weren't in sight as much when we saw them but we saw them none the less! The pandas were like children in suits, they had some real human characteristics! After we saw a new born panda, which hadn't even grown his black and white fur yet, and then we went to watch a very corny but nice documentary on Pandas and what they do at the breeding base. Before leaving we had a short stop at the Panda museum. Was a really lovely morning, just wanted to pick one up and hug them! You were able to actually hold a panda, but it was 100 pounds and you barely get 5 minutes so wasn't worth it, and probably more favorable to the pandas that people don't come and hold them all the time... No one did in our group anyway.

We decided to add some variety to our stay in Chengdu and booked into another hostel for the last 5 nights. We stayed at the Traffic Inn and it was 1 pound a night in a dorm. Absolute bargain! It was a very nice dorm as well! It also had a restaurant with cheap good food with a big tv to watch movies and lounge about in and free internet (albeit could never stay on long as everyone stands around wanting it too) The people were friendly and we met a cool Canadian girl called Adrienne from our dorm who has an obsession for Leonardo Dicaprio and refried beans and hung out with her sometimes. Over the 5 days we relaxed, explored the city and watched a lot of sweet movies! There was also a hot pot night for people in the hostel. There was lots and lots of food, veggies meats etc and there was too massive pots of broth, one very spicy and one mild. Each person had a small bowl of coriander, oil and chilli. What you did was put in what veg and meat you wanted in the communal pots, and then waited a few minutes then take it out with your chopsticks and eat! It was all very tasty and very hot! There was a competition to see who could eat 10 slices of potato completely covered in hot chilli the fastest Toe decided to partake in (only one that got a free beer for entering!) Only two other people took part and another British guy won in the end. Toe's mouth was positively burning afterwards and there was a lot of eye watering! After the meal ended we sat and chatted with Adrienne and another couple who were there who endured an experience as they were stuck in Tiger Leaping Gorge when all the landslides had happened which was actually one of the reasons we didn't go in the end. They were there on panda the day we found in Lijiang it had been closed. When we left Chengdu, what we thought was going to be a very very long 40 hour train journey didn't turn out to be too bad, we slept most of it. We got to Shanghai and got a bus to the airport, and waited all day to check in before departing for Sydney!!

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