Moo's Mid Life Crisis: Chengdu

Pandas can look very relaxed, even halfway up a tree.

Next stop was Chengdu, our guide Alex's home town and home to many of China's pandas. The group headed off for a traditional 'hotpot' dinner where there is a big bowl of (very spicy) soup, boiling in the middle of the table. You add additional flavorings to your own bowl and cook the meat and veg in the communal boiling pot. I was tired and hangry however,couldn't work out what the additional flavorings were, don't really like vary spicy food, and just could not be bothered, so I went off by myself and had pizza. I now regret that a little, but I was not in the right mood for a sociable and chatty self cooked meal.

I've been finding that I tire and get grumpy and antisocial more easily these days. Whether it's 8 months of travelling, or just me getting older I'm not sure. Add to that the food here in China has been a bit more hit and miss, and in some cases down right weird, so I've been taking advantage of the occasional KFC when there is one available.

Next day we had free in Chengdu. The city has several raised ring roads. The one right by our hotel has a fast bus service on it where you can go clockwise or anti-clockwise for 2Y (about 30p). You climb up onto the ring road and get on in the direction of your choice and there are buses every few minutes. With a population of around 10 million people, good public transport is essential, and China does seem to do a pretty good job of it. I have been finding it rather frustrating to have to go through 'airport' type security every time you go into a train station or subway, and getting your passport checked each time you go on a bullet train too.

We went to the main park/square and saw the 'lonely hearts' posters. These are apparently put up by the parents advertising their 20-40 year old children, rather than the 'lonely hearts' themselves, and the phone number on the posters is invariably for the parents too. Very odd to our western sensibilities, but finding out these weirdnesses is why we are here.

We also saw a chap doing what I think was 'ephemeral poetry', writing on the pavement with a huge brush and (I think) water.

We popped into a 100 year old tea house for tea and mah jong.

A pop into the museum to see some shadow puppets and other things

Carved stone rhino

Intricate gold filigree ball thingy

A wander down to a picturesque old looking shopping street, which Alex tells me is only about 15 years old.

Some 'party' herons, a snowy egret, and some properly old buildings in a nice park by the river.

Next day was the real reason for our visit to Chengdu - PANDAS!

I'm not sure what to say about the pandas other than PANDAS!!!

They were moderately cute, seemed quite lazy, but when they wanted to move, they were pretty darn quick! There were some red pandas and peacocks there too, just in case you got bored with pandas.