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Published: December 31st 2007
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at the airport
Nothing to do but sit and wait.....and wait.....and wait!!! So we get up early to catch our taxi to the airport. Now i have to say that chinese are mad drivers when it comes down to it, but here we were in the worst fog I have ever seen in my life, and Carmen was sure the guy was falling asleep at the wheel. His driving seemed to be a bit swaying, but nevertheless, we were going fairly straight, and i was sure that she was just getting her pre travel anxiety as usual. But then i suddenly realised why she was thinking that. The guy had his head down near the wheel, and was actually trying to look through the mist that had built up at the top of the windscreen, and through the fog. It was actually a mastery in driving, but as big trucks wisked by, and we certainly could not see any further than about 5M infront, things got a bit jittery. That woke us up, and infact was a prefix for things to come.
Our flight was due to take off for Chengdu at 0755, so we arrive early (0615). However, due to the fog we had just encountered......yup you guessed it, all flights
Not impressed
ooohhhh!!!! the mood is getting foul!!!! we delayed until further notice. This caused a swamp of people to attack the airline staff in a way I have never experienced before, and hope never will. In china, there are no rules, atleast that is how it seems to us foreigners. You have to push and shove your way through a line of people, who don't care who or where you are. Survival of the fittest. Stand at close to the attendant as you can, and wave your paper in their face until they look at you, then you have their attention. Its a wonder people work under these conditions!!! The poor airline staff were mauled.
As Carmen was not feeling well, and she is not one for being patient, I took up the task of trying to fins out what was happening with our flight. It so happens that i am pretty much taller and bigger that most chinese people, although this did not deter them from elbowing me a few times in order to advance infront of me. Que jumping is the norm here, and it is not long before i loose my patience and start acting like a local. I do feel quite bad
for the staff, but unless i do this, we will probably miss our flight!!
So the message is, flight delayed until further notice. We head to get a coffee at the airport coffee shop, and to our astonishment.......its 60 Yuan for a coffee. Not a pot, or Keg, but a cup of pretty regular coffee. $10 for a cup of coffee, even by western standards, is a rip off, but one we had to bear, as no coffee only ment further problems and anxiety!!!
So we take a seat in the corner of the airport, and wait...................and wait...........................and wait, until finally, and after several more bouts of elbow endulging, que jumping, voice raising jousts, we finally get our boarding ticket at 1400, and head into the departure lounge. But the fun has not stopped yet!!! Oh no!! In true chinese style, there is a revolt of some kind. As we pass through the security, a whole load of old people have formed a human chain, and are shouting and pushing security. We get through the cordon, and try to take a few pics of events, but theres lots of people now, and for fear of being trapped in
enjoying the hotpot
This concoction was filled with fish heads, chicken feet, Donkey, someones guts, throat, and some salami from god knows where......mmmmmmm!!! the scuffle, and missing our flight after all the trouble we had been through, we left them to it.
The flight is only an hour, and when we get to the airport, we are met by our pick up from the hostel, who had been waiting all day for us. We had rung ahead to let the hostel kow, and they said not to worry, but we never thought he would be there the whole day!! I guess it kinda explaind his overly aggressive atitude once we got in the car. He was like a man possessed, and drove us through the city to our hostel at breakneck speed!!
Chengdu is worlds away from Beijing, or even Xi'an. Its peaceful in comparison, with poverty and development living in harmony side by side. However, the pollution is just as eager to punish your lungs, and cause unpredictable SARS!!!! We have decided to relax a little for the next couple of days, and recuperate from the sudden bash to our systems that china has exerted on our poor bodies!!! In the meantime, we have booked our excursion to the Panda rehabilitation centre, and even booked a 3night/4 day Yangtse River
breakfast time
Its 0900, and its feeding time for the Pandas. cruise on a 4 star liner!!! Should be exciting. We have tired of city life a little, and long for countryside, not least because our lungs cannot take anymore punishment. However, we have found our feet with our dining, and can order a little feast of stuff in chinese (many thanks to the lonely planet guide, without which we would be starving or had the worst gastroenteritis the world has ever known!!).
The visit to the Panda Regabilitation Centre was a truely moving experience. There are only 1000 of these beautiful and docile creatures left in the world, and this Rehab unit has wond several awards for their research on these animals. We are picked up by our driver at the hostel, and taken, together with 2 other english couples, to this sanctuary. Its an amazing place, very calming and botanic, with bamboo archways, and pink flowers charming us as we walk through. Seeing the Pandas for the first time, brings the obligatory awwwhhhh. Its crazy, but even us grown men cannot help but coo at the beauty of these animals. We arrive early (about 0830) so that we can watch them eat. This is the best time to
enjoying a bite of bamboo
Pandas at their most active, now thatz my kinda life!!!! see them, as after this they usually partake in their second favorite passtime, sleeping. They move slow and gracefully, and when they look at you through those velvet dark eyes, you heart cannot help but flutter in waves of strange paternal jibblejabble. Come later on, the centre was flooded with young schoolers, making a clear raquet that belies the calmness of the centre. They are quite sweet, and say hello at every opportunity. As we leave, we are met by kindergarten kids, all astonished at the sight of me, and eager to say hello. It brought a smile to all our faces, and we left on a very happy note.
Later that day we visit Wushan temple, which is a buddahist temple from Ming Dynasty. This is another beautiful place, and as i watch people bowing and praying, i cannot help myself, and feel the need to comply with etiquet, and pronounce myself buddhist (atleast for the next 10 minutes!!).
The next day we visit the Grand Buddah in Leshan. This is a 2.5 hr bus journet from Chengdu, and is worth the time and money. Its Y42 each 1 way on the bus, and the Y70 to
yum yum
keep that bamboo coming!!! get into the grounds. However, the buddha is enormous, and you can probably have a picnic on the guys toe, its that big. The grounds itself are huge, and is a lovely day trapsing up and down steep steps, along cliffs, in and out of little caves, and through temples amd pagodas. You can take a ferry, which is a cheaper option, but only stays about 10 minutes at the base of the buddah, and then heads off again. I would definately recommend paying the Y70, and taking your time to explore the grounds.
We Had lunch in one of the little restaurants opposite the north enterance, and this was probably our worst experience of the day. The place was filthy, and we only ordered a noodle soup with egg for me and a veg soup for Carmen. Behind us was a little fish tank, and we witnessed a guy order a fish from the tank, take it out, wack it on the ground, aweight it, then send it to the kitchen for cooking. i guess yu can't get freasher than that, but shit, thats just not cricket mate!!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow we head off to Chongquing for our Yangtse
can someone bring me a comode?
a couple of beers, and a stripper, and i'm in heaven!!! river cruise on a 4* luxuary liner. I've been looking forward to this for a while, and tomorrow we shall see if it lives up to the hype.
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