We returned to Chengdu after a disgruntled morning in which we broke a bus door and had our bags held hostage by the angry bus driver until money was paid. All before the sun rose. By we, I mean one of our group members, but there's no need to disclose their name. The point is, try not to mess stuff up in China, because foreigners get screwed. Furthermore, you think Chinese is helpful until you realize that many locals speak their own dialect and barely speak standard Mandarin. Then you're in a world of hurt.
After an hour of heated discussion and unhappiness, we got on our bus to Chengdu. We drove along a canyon of staggering beauty and horrifying mining operations. The imminent destruction of wild places in China is enough to spur me into seeing everything I can now. We could see where all the marble that lines the subway stations in Shanghai is mined and the mountain sides that used to be lush and pretty.
The bus ride was long, long, long. We stopped at some hideous lunch canteen that overcharged everyone, and probably especially us foreigners. It was unpleasant. I visited the most disgusting outhouse/restroom I have ever seen, and I've seen many. Any primitive toilet is disturbing in its own right, but with the addition of hundreds of people becomes unbearable. Yuck!
Anyway, we made it back to Chengdu in one piece and I came back to the dorms at Sichuan University for a free bed! They have a great setup for exchange students and I fit right in with no questions asked from the front desk people. Thanks to Dana for letting me crash in her room. I'm so grateful and I had a wonderful time.
I went to dinner with several Americans living in Chengdu. We had a traditional Sichuanese hot pot, which is where you sit around a big pot of boiling broth and put raw stuff in it to cook. It was so spicy I could only eat about ten things. But it was certainly satisfying. The others made fun of my fledgling Sichuan tastebuds, but I made it through without tears or tantrum.
I did not go see the nightlife of Chengdu (though I've heard it's awesome) because I needed to sleep before my panda adventure. I was walking to the tourist bus station and then catching a 2元 bus all the way to the panda zoo. To clarify, they call it the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base which makes it sound like a wildlife refuge or something. It's just a zoo. A zoo with mainly pandas in it. So don't expect anything more if you go.
The trip was easy enough and totally worth the hassle because it's ridiculously cheap. I bought my ticket into the "Research Base" and promptly headed to the restroom (because who knows when you'll find a usable one again) where I had a nice cartoon to look at.
Pretty funny, right?
Well, I thought it was hilarious so I took a picture. But anyway, most people arrive at the zoo with a large tour group, and you know how I feel about large groups...
So I promptly took off in the opposite direction of everyone...and ended up on a fifteen-minute walk alone in a beautiful arboretum interspersed with random panda enclosures. I saw four people! It was insane and AMAZING. It was quiet; I could hear the crickets chirping and birds chattering. Best of all, I got to appreciate all the zoo had to offer without sharing it with anyone. Is that selfish? Sorry...
Flowers.
Self-portrait of yours truly.
The panda cages were pretty nice for a Chinese zoo. Some of the pandas were eating, but most were lounging around in their fat panda way.
Hehehe.
Okay, I'll try.
Oh, to be a panda! Chillin'.
So cute.
You thought THAT was cute, look at these!
Yep, got to see some very tiny panda babies. There was a huge bottleneck in this area of the zoo. This is for two reasons: the panda is China's national symbol and everyone (especially Chinese) loves extra cute things. The combo of nationalism and cuteness was pretty much overwhelming to everyone. We all swooned.
They also had red pandas, which are awesome critters that are a combo of cat and badger. Plus they are colored kind of like a fox. They crawled around everywhere and dangled from trees. The zookeeper came out at some point and yelled at them as though they were children, telling them to come and get their food. It was hilarious! They are so squirrelly and fun!
Mr. Red Panda.
So there you have it, my trip to Chengdu and the west of China. I had an amazing time and I am thankful to have friends in that city. The food and vibe are amazing. If Shanghai is New York, then Chengdu is like Denver or Seattle. Clearly, my kind of place.
Ttyl readers!
ellen
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