Carly Howes

Sunday 28th March: We were all up very late after our big night out and got up in time for lunch - burger and chips :D ! Unfortunately, Mel felt very ill all day as a result of our partying so i spent most of the day with Helen and Helen. We went to the bank, post office and a HUGE street market where they sold anything and everything very cheaply! After this, we slept again, had dinner and i packed as my flight from Chengdu to Beijing was early the next morning. Monday 29th March: I was up at 6.30am and caught a taxi at 7.30am to the airport...it was very sad to say goodbye to Mel and Andy and the two Helens but we have all agreed to meet up and have a BBQ ... read more

So here is what ive been up to in my last week at the Panda Centre...! Sunday 21st March: (Still in Chengdu!) I hadnt slept very well on Saturday night because i was stressing about the news of the Fiji cyclone Tomas and the beds in the hostel bascially didnt have a matress to lye on! We got up at 9am and had a free ''english'' breakfast in the hostel - scrambled egg, 2 slices of toast and jam/marmalade! It was nice not to have a chinese breakfast of either noodles or yet more rice for once! After breakfast, the two Helens, two Canadian guys we met at the hostel and I went to the ''People's Park'' in the centre of Chengdu. It is a large segregated piece of parkland in the middle of the busy ... read more

Sorry i havn't updated this in a while - i have been a tad busy... as you will find out if you read on! Friday 12th March cont: On Friday afternoon we met a man called Henry Nicholls who was researching pandas and interviewing volunteers for his book about pandas ''The Way of the Panda - The curious History of China's Political Animal'' which will be released in October this year. Henry joined us for dinner and explained a lot about his book and the research he has done which was really interesting. He is at the centre now to try and find out the future of the panda so he can finish his book! (I like to think we helped a lot....!!) After dinner he joined Mel, Helen, Helen and me in my room for ... read more

Hope you enjoyed the last blog! Thanks for the comments - its really great to hear from you all! Please keep them coming!! So... here is what ive been up to since last Sunday! Sunday 7th March contd. : After lunch (rice, chicken pieces, pork pieces and veg), i met a new volunteer Vicky, 21, from Scotland and showed her around the area and how to get hot water for the shower etc. Monday 8th March: It was very cold and wet all day. Due to the rain, sweeping up the leaves and left-over bamboo in the outside panda enclosure was quite tricky as they all just stuck to the floor! Later on, i met another new volunteer, Teddy, 29, from Australia however he used to live in Indonesia and his parents are chinese so he's ... read more

Hello there!! Sorry this first blog has taken me sooo long to write... hope it's worth the wait! Sunday 28th February & Monday 1st March 2010: As usual, i was packing last minute on Saturday and Sunday morning but luckily i finished in time and got to the airport with lots of time to spare! Saying goodbye to Mum and Dad was agonising and i couldnt stop crying all the way through security, waiting to see the gate number, sitting at the gate and once on the plane! I kept getting very worried looks off other people probably wondering what on earth i had tear-stained cheeks, red puffy eyes and a sore nose (from blowing it so much!) for! The flight to Beijing and the transfer to Chengdu went smoothly - they provided lots of food ... read more