Giant pandas and dirty, dirty monkeys

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Great. Now I want a panda. Sigh.

We went to the Panda Breeding and Research Centre in Chengdu. They have a great set-up where you can actually get quite close to the pandas; often they are just a few feet away. The enclosures are surrounded only by a low fence and a small dry moat, which may be more to keep us away from them because the pandas actually hang out in the moats just for kicks. Needless to say there was a lot of “tee heeing” and “they are sooo cutes” being bandied about (but oh my god, check out the pictures...tee hee hee…they are so cute). And, yes, I do absolutely need all 200 photos we took of them.

We also headed up to the Golden Summit which is a Buddhist temple on a mountain top (6,000+ feet in altitude) a few hours from Chengdu at Mount Emei. To get there we had a harrowing minibus ride up an uncomfortably small mountain road. The driver at one point was travelling so fast, T was getting tossed around the back like Pong (I’m kicking it old school with my references, baby) and I was hanging on for dear life to a plastic handle that wouldn’t have kept a drawer closed. I briefly considered duct tapping myself to the seat in front of me for safety (I do have some after all) but instead opted for praying to every god I don’t believe in for a safe journey (thank you, Erebus). I have to confess I freakin’ loved it. The driver eventually slowed down and explained that we were travelling through a dangerous rock slide area and he was speeding to get through it as quickly as possible. Excellent. It’s like saying that because the waters are infested with sharks, I’m going to swim really fast to get by them. You’re still surrounded by sharks, dude. Maybe just don’t go through the sharks at all. I’m just saying.

We then had a cable car ride and a half hour hike up the mountain to get to the temple and it was en route that my panda afterglow wore off because I was about to encounter my arch nemesis: the dirty monkey.

Now, I love a monkey from a distance, really I do. But if they get close enough to touch my shoe, me no like. So of course, we come across a whole swarm (Herd? Gaggle? Whatever you call a whole whack of monkeys who get uncomfortably close) on the path up the mountain. There were numerous signs in the monkey danger zone indicating where we’d potentially come across them and that they could be aggressive so exercise caution. No duh. And then - there they were. As T eloquently describes them “they’re huge suckers”. I managed to keep a safe distance and used the go fast through the sharks technique (ridicule permitted) and we ended up passing through unmolested. Phew.

Here’s a picture of one of the foul creatures. Bleah. I know what you’re thinking, and stop it.

They are not cute. Plus, I’m pretty sure they all have fleas.

I would also like to point out that they smell.

The bus ride on the way down was slightly less treacherous and only because we couldn’t speed through the danger zone because there had actually been a rock slide that stopped traffic dead. Someone passed by our minibus and said there’d be an hour wait so we figured we’d have time to get off the bus for a spell, yet what do we decide to do? Go check out the rock slide. Not brilliant in retrospect because about half way there the traffic started to move and we had to run back to our bus (which had decided not to wait for us) but it did at least move at a slow crawl once we got to it so we could hop back on. I think the lesson here might be, that if there is a natural disaster, don’t think it’s a good idea to go check it out. Or maybe it’s that I should run faster on the way back? I dunno - something like that.

Here’s an extra nugget for you (because you‘ve been so good you get a treat…)

The days are exhausting us and nothing shows this more than T’s entire journal entry for panda day…I transcribe it here (verbatim) for your amusement: “What a day! Woke up @ 4:30 a.m.! Yes 4:30 a.m.! Flew to Chengdu + saw the Giant Pandas…They are adorable”.

Someone needs more sleep.

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Photos

Golden Summit
I was all gorgeous, gorgeousness

Dafo Leshan
Giant Buddha on the river bank

Awww
People place these locks at the GS engraved with their and their partner's names to ensure a long and happy relationship.

Comments

[Cricket around the world]

Awwwww... The Pandas... They are sooooooo cuuuuuuuute... Tee-hee-hee-hee! What a day indeed! Glad you are still alive after that shark attack... euh I meant monkey attack... euh I meant... well, why are you so mean to them? THEY DID NOT EVEN ATTACK!!! Lynne, you can do better than that, I'm sure of it! :p Oh, and say hello to uncle M. for me... I don't know him, but I would loooooove an autograph when he gets back here! And a picture - yep! Famous family is a-we-some!!! Loved that picture of the giant Buddha on the river bank... can't wait for you to show me more pictures of that site! And please, tell T to rest a little... we'll need more details than that!!! lol