Chengdu and Pandas as reported by AiLi.

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We arrived at the Xi'an airport and there was another travel incident with Marty and Laila who didn't get tickets at first. The rest of us got to the gate where they were already boarding--surprisingly--and we got information they would close the gate in 20 minutes. Five minutes later Marty and Laila came through security and started for the gate. We were so happy they got tickets!

It was a two-hour and ten-minute flight and when we got there we met our new guide, Emily. She looked a lot like Catherine, our guide in Beijing. Once we got out of the airport, etc., we headed to the hotel--the Crowne Plaza in downtown Chengdu. We went out to dinner that evening and had another delicious meal.

The next morning we had breakfast and boarded our bus with Emily to the panda research centre. Once we got there we bug-sprayed and sun-screened up, and then we went through the research centre. Emily didn't have a flag so was a little hard to follow. The first panda we saw was big and was eating about 5,000 pieces of bamboo. When we moved on to see the next panda, it was also large but there were five in the habitat. My favorite pandas were the red pandas, which have long tails and red fur. They are very small and very cute. One of them near the end followed us all the way to their cage. After that experience, we went to the panda souvenir shop and then boarded the bus to go to lunch.

After lunch we headed off to walk around the old town, stopping at little shops for treats and trinkets. Once we got back together as a group, we went back to the hotel for a good swim. We went out to a very good hot pot dinner--also very steamy. Finally, we went to a Sichuan opera show. It was bright, loud and the mask-changing was phenomenal. After that we returned to the hotel, packed up and went to sleep.

The next morning we headed off to the airport, said good-bye to Emily and zoomed off to Hefei with no travel incidents.

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Comments

[Marilyn]

Steamy
Loved seeing you all through the Steam. Looks good, the food, that is! Glad Susie had a bottle. Travel sounds daunting! Food sounds great! Have fun for me.

[Montyson]

Marilyn
We all wish you were here. Hope you are well. Love the group.

[Sharon]

I've so enjoyed seeing your pictures and reading about your adventures in China. It sounds like you are having a wonderful experience despite your transportation incidents. The time you spent at the panda research center sounds very interesting. A panda eating 5,000 pieces of bamboo must have been fun to see and the picture of two pandas in the tree is quite awesome. Last but not least, what a great picture of your favorite panda, the red panda. What a special experience and memory that one of the red pandas followed you to his cage. Enjoy all your up-coming adventures!

[Sharon]

I've so enjoyed seeing your pictures and reading about your adventures in China. It sounds like you are having a wonderful experience despite your transportation incidents. The time you spent at the panda research center sounds very interesting. A panda eating 5,000 pieces of bamboo must have been fun to see and the picture of two pandas in the tree is quite awesome. Last but not least, what a great picture of your favorite panda, the red panda. What a special experience and memory that one of the red pandas followed you to his cage. Enjoy all your up-coming adventures!