Things are not always as Black and White as they may seem

Thursday 23rd November 2006

Today was National “going to see Panda” day, this means that everyone who is in room 1822 and of the Australian or English nationalitiy must go and see a panda. So following local tradition off we went to see the Pandas at Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Center, supporting the world’s only giant panda breeding and research base. Pandas are big black and white things, and they eat bamboo and to see them in the real was just awesome. What else can I say about this amazing creature? Not only did we get to see the big black and white ones but we also got to see some little baby pandas. Now imagine your big teady bear in black and white about about 2 foot high (or imagine that fluffy toy in Hamleys that you just loved the minute you saw it) now imagine them moving about a little trying to walk, you are now going into a deep sleep… (do I sound like paul mckenna?), how do you feel? Great? Yes, thats how I felt when I saw these amazing creatures. My friend wanted her photo with a panda (I wasn’t keen to be honest), paid up her money and made her dream come true, that was my friend set up not only for the day but the week, the month and the year, it was her year of the Panda that’s for sure. She then went on to have her picture taken with a little red panda. Little red pandas are not Red and White pandas as you may think (ever seen a red and white panda?) but actually look like foxes, not like evil city foxes but like little cute chineese foxes, they even have chopsticks in their paws and drink tea – how cute! After Pandaland we moved on to visit Wenshu Monastery, here we were to eat at the vegetarian restaurant which was really yummy. The chineese eat so much food, so much to even satify the fattest man on the planet, do not ever attempt to eat it all. I have now become an expert at eating with chopsticks. A visit to something called “Shu Brocade” – silk weaving which is a traditional craftwork of ancient china was very fascinating, it takes a day to weave about 7″ of material. The only problem with visits to these things is that they show you around for free then expect you to buy something at some extortionate price “we take credit cards” they tell us over and over again. Good for them. In the evening we went to the Theatre to see a Sichuan Opera, which involves all sorts of wierd and wonderful things including face changing, shadow puppets, dancing and spitting fire. An amazing end to a fantastic day.

Caves and Duvets

Wednesday 22nd November

 Today we went to see cave, and cave was actually really really good – I was plesently surprised. We were also taken around some Zen garden and shown some Chineese artwork – very interesting if you are into art. If I told you we went to see how duvets were made would you laugh? I give you permission to laugh. But these were silk duvets – my friend bought one but I was not prepared to backpack around the world with a silk duvet in my back pocket – so happily gave it a miss. Onwards and upwards as we journeyed to our next destination – panda land. DELAYED DELAYED DELAYED – Our plane to Pandaland was delayed – they said due to adverse weather conditions but I think it was due to big Olympic Panda escaping from the Panda centre and found trying to board the plane to Alice Springs in need of some hot sunshine but he had taken a nail file with him in his hand luggage and they were worried he was going to do some dammage to fellow passengers. We did finally arrive in Pandaland an hour or so later, to meet our guide also called “Helen”. Thank goodness she did have an off switch, she wasn’t in a Panda suit either. Hotel is standard Hotel – very much like the other one really but with harder beds but the broadband (which is not wireless but at least its broadband) is better than the last hotel. Time for some sleep…