Panda Project China GapGuru (Futuresense)

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GapGuru Panda Project China

First off, let me start by saying that this blog was created in order to inform other persons on what to expect if they intend to undertake the Panda project in China, specifically in the Ya’an Bi feng xia Base, Chengdu, Sichuan area. It is not my intention to indiscriminately criticise any aspect of the project or put anyone off from going to this base camp. However, there are a number of details that are not included, deliberately or not, by the organisers, which I feel are very important in your consideration. In this case our project was undertaken with GapGuru (Futuresense) in the UK. At the base we met with other persons from other countries, who also had similar “lack of communications or problems” from their own project organisers. At the same time, I want to take this opportunity to inform you also, on details about the Pandas themselves and the positive aspects of the experience.

Our story begins with my wife and I wanting to participate in a volunteer project, in which we could help and interact with animals that were in someway special, or that we would love to work with. After deliberating during some months we decided to do the Panda Project, firstly because we both thought that Pandas were really cute and also because it was a good opportunity to get to know China on our travels. For us, one of the prerequisites was that we would have a room to ourselves and not have to share a dormitory. Having done some research on Google we came up with GapGuru and contacted them. Our contact there was Prakriti, a lady who kindly attended to us and answered any questions we had. We decided on the two week placement and quickly paid our deposit (and the remaining amount a month later). At this point, even though we still had a few months to go until we left, we did not receive any kind of itinerary or information pack. As we got closer to the date, we started pushing for this and only received this much closer to the day that we were leaving. We didn’t think anything of it at the time and because we were undertaking other projects and had travel plans for 3 months covering several countries, we didn’t bother to fully scrutinise the info pack. We just gave it a quick look over and assumed the best.

We began our travels firstly through Japan and then headed to China, travelling through several cities before starting our project in Chengdu. Upon our arrival in Chengdu, we were picked up at the airport as arranged and were then transferred to what we thought was going to be the Panda base near Ya’an, but instead was a youth hostel in Chengdu. Also, we were transferred on the public bus and made to walk with our suitcases for about 1 mile from the bus stop to the hostel. There we were informed by our guide that we would spend two nights. The following day we were to do a guided city tour and on the second day we were to be transferred to the Panda base. This was all new to us, as no mention had been made of the two nights in Chengdu in any of our conversations or communications with GapGuru, or in our info pack (note: You will spend two nights in Chengdu City, even though it’s not mentioned at any point). It would have been nice if we had known this, as we probably would have made alternative arrangements; Chengdu City was not a place we really wanted to see. Instead, you could arrange to arrive on your day of departure or even the previous night. Also, it meant two less days on the Panda project, something which we were not happy with, especially as we paid for those days with the belief that they would be at the Panda base.

We emailed our contact back in the UK and no logical explanation was given as to the cock up. Furthermore, we were told by our guide (Tina) that we were sharing a dormitory with total strangers, even though we had made arrangements to the contrary. Fortunately, this problem was soon resolved and we were given a room to ourselves. We were really relieved, that is of course until we went to the room and saw what condition it was in. Although very basic, which we expected, it was absolutely filthy. I had to ask Tina to get someone to clean it and showed her exactly the problem areas, just so we were absolutely clear. Later we were given our key and told the room was clean. We went back to it and found it was exactly the same as before. Once again I had to get on their case to clean it. They cleaned it, but only superficially. These people need proper management and training. Why do I need to tell them their job?

That same evening, we were expecting our welcome dinner, as prearranged by GapGuru, only to find that it was cancelled until the following night (we had to pay for our own dinners that evening).

We were told by Tina that we would be picked up at 8.30am for our city tour. In the morning we had breakfast with all the others at the youth hostel and were picked up at 8.30am, only to be told that we were going to have breakfast before going to the tour. (Again, we had paid for our breakfast, even though this was also included in the price). Of course nobody was aware of this fact because no one was told and nobody had an itinerary of what was taking place.

The hostel itself, Traffic Inn, is a real dump, very noisy at all hours, as people come and go 24 hours a day. The place is dirty and in need of an urgent refurbishment. I will of course be writing a review on Trip Advisor, but Lonely Planet really needs to sort out their ‘recommendations’. STOP GLORIFYING THESE DUMPS, SERIOUSLY! The staff “appeared” to know English and say “yes” to everything; however, after a while you realise they just pretend to understand or pretend not to understand when you complain about something, quite conveniently. (You will find this is the case in most places).
We were taken on our tour of the city, but very little if any information was given during the tour. We had to probe our guide to get feedback. It really wasn’t much of a tour, just a nice walk, if anything. We did enjoy watching the elderly doing their exercises (Tai Chi, dancing etc) in the park. It was very colourful and cultural and made me think of some of our own elderly back in the West, who are just cooped up in retirement homes, living their last years as vegetables. We could learn from that, I think! They are very respectful to old people in China, as taught by Confucius!

The market was a bit shocking for some, with all the hanging meats. Usually there are also dogs hanging up for sale as food, or so we’re told. I’m glad I didn’t see any, or maybe I did, but mistook them for something else. The fish market had just about anything you can think of that lives underwater, including buckets of live turtles. We couldn’t help but feel sorry for them, but hell, they eat anything that moves, over here, besides its part of their culture!
That evening, we were taken for our welcome dinner at a restaurant not far from the hostel. There we all introduced ourselves and it was here that I had the pleasure of meeting Max from Switzerland, later nicknamed Mad Max the Penis eater (because of a restaurant he once went to in Beijing that served penises and balls, wow!) What a great guy! We hit it off straight away. He was doing the panda project as an article for a German magazine he works for, called “Das Magazine”. We also met the young Chloe from the UK, who once worked as a Chalet Girl and loves snowboarding! She was fresh out of university after having studied business. There was an Australian couple, Amanda and Dean, fellow scuba divers like ourselves and an elderly couple also from Australia, Dennis, Lynn and their daughter Shan. I hope I spelt your names correctly guys!

Our second night at the hostel was as sleepless as the first. Some loud mouthed Chinese man talking on his phone at the top of his voice in the court yard, next to all the rooms, at 3am, woke us up with a start. We had to endure his irritating voice for about 10 minutes! The previous night people were coming and going throughout the night, doors slamming, people dragging suitcases up and down the stairs whilst conversing without a care in the world. By the time we got up in the morning, we felt like zombies. These were certainly the worst nights we’ve had in a whole month of travelling (don’t expect to rest properly while at this hostel, unless you’re a heavy sleeper).
We were promptly picked up in the morning and after breakfast we headed to the main bus station which is conveniently situated next to the hostel. It’s the only positive thing going for it! There we all took the bus to Ya’an, a two hour ride with the rudest and most uncivil people that I have the misfortune of meeting on this planet. Burping in your face and clearing the phlegm from their throats to spit out in front of you, is all quite normal over here. Expect it! It goes on everywhere, I kid you not. You will hear and see it on buses, airports, the street, restaurants, internet cafes, everywhere and anywhere. It’s totally disgusting but quite normal for them. Oh yes, and before I forget, picking your nose is also quite normal. We witnessed this many times, even in restaurants. On our flight with China Eastern, from Tokyo to Shanghai, we saw the air stewardess do it and flick her booger away. Furthermore, one of the air stewards drank out of the same bottle of water that he was serving the passengers from. My friends, if you can’t stomach this, do not come to China!
Once we got to Ya’an, we transferred to a smaller bus and took another 30 minutes up a mountain road to our next stop, where we waited for our next bus to take us up another mountain road for another 20 minutes. At long last we made it to our hostel, our sanctuary, or so we thought.

We unloaded our luggage and in the hostel were given our room keys. I don’t even know how to begin explaining our disgust at the state of our room. Not just our room but everyone else’s. This was supposedly a new place, but the condition of the rooms said everything to the contrary. The walls were covered with the stains of dead insects, obviously squashed by others before us. The tiled floor was littered with dead insects of all types, along with dust and mud stains. There were spider webs and spiders in every corner of the room and bathroom, even by both bed head rests, drawers, TV, chair and ceiling lamp. There were spiders crawling around every corner and wall. There were no towels, no toilet paper, no soap, no nothing. The beds are the most uncomfortable we have ever slept on, they were almost rock hard, we had more sleepless nights because of this, although infinitely much quieter. It was the same thing in each and every room. The staff had neglected to prepare the rooms for their guests. This was totally unacceptable. Everyone’s initial thought was one of regret and disgust at having come to this location.

Immediately, I went downstairs and asked Isabella, our main contact and head guide, to have the staff clean the room. The room was much better when they finished, but was not up to standards. The rooms were spacious, the beds having their own electric blankets was also a bonus, but unfortunately there was only one socket, so only one blanket could be used at a time. At night, the smell of sewage in the rooms was horrendous. This was the case with all the rooms. The incense sticks we had helped a little. The duvet covers were damp to the touch. If you decide that you want to go ahead and stay here, take your own sleeping bags or sheets and pillow cases. Also, take a roll up mat, which will help with the hard mattress. They do not automatically clean the rooms as in other places. You have to ask. They don’t provide you with anything i.e. towels, toilet paper etc, unless you ask for it. Some of the others were too embarrassed to ask, so they just endured. There are no wardrobes or draws, you will need to live out of your suitcase.

Don’t think for one second that you can stay at a better hostel or hotel locally. We met other volunteers that were staying at other places and their descriptions of these were even worse than the one we were staying at. This was confirmed later by us when we visited them. It made our place seem like The Ritz. Come Prepared, both mentally and materially!

Organisers of GapGuru and others, who I won’t name, but who were used by other volunteers, paint a great marketing picture. They choose their words very carefully and don’t inform you on all the negative details, they’re only interested in taking your money and won’t give you a refund. Very smart! I’m sure a lot of people wouldn’t volunteer for this project if they knew the truth. Oh, I hear what you’re all asking out there, but surely interacting with the pandas is worth it? Patience, my friends I’m coming to that real soon!
FOOD was provided every day: breakfast was organised by Isabella, who happened to be visiting the project that week (although she is not usually in the Panda base). Toasts, porridge, tea and coffee were offered to us, which was fine, although we would have appreciated some fruit and butter. Lunch and dinner are the same every day: rice with veggies and meat. There was always enough food for everyone and it was quite good. Also, the family who owns the hostel did the best to accommodate dietary requirements (food for veggies for example). They were kind and welcoming.

On one occasion we were taken to the city of Yaan for dinner, for which we were grateful, as it was a welcome change. This was also organised by Isabella, who did her best to keep us all happy.

Contrary to what we were told by GapGuru, there are no shops locally. The nearest decent shop is in Ya’an, about a 1 hour bus ride from the base. Take plenty of supplies with you, including soaps, shampoo, tooth paste, something to kill the bugs etc. Come prepared! Also, the only internet available is in the camp base, a long walk from your hostel (about 30 minutes). This is only available during opening hours (from 10am – 4.30pm). You will only be able to use it when you’re not actually working with the pandas, so it doesn’t give you much time. Also, there are plenty of other people wanting to use it, so you might not get a chance. It is very slow and sometimes doesn’t work at all. Don’t count on the internet! Tell yourself that it won’t be available, that way, if you do use it, it will be a bonus!

This brings me to the Pandas. The day before actually starting with our duties, we were taken to the camp base and introduced to our “Masters” or the Pandas “Keepers”. B, I and Max were part of one team and had the great pleasure to have “Master Strong” as our “Mentor” during our time there. We were given our uniforms and told to report for duty at 8.40am the following day, which we did.

We were really lucky, Master Strong was the only Keeper that spoke acceptable English and as an added bonus, he was very knowledgeable. If you get any of the other Keepers, you will not learn about Pandas and you won’t understand anything. Try and have Master Strong as your Keeper, if you decide to go. He is very kind and attentive.

Unfortunately, we also learnt while we were there, that the Keepers are not happy about having volunteers. This was very disappointing to us, as we thought that we were contributing and helping in some way towards the Pandas, as it turns out, it’s more complicated than that. There are disputes between the Keepers and Management in regards to how much they get paid for accepting us. Also, they believe we make their work more difficult. For example: a cage was left open accidentally one day, while one of the Keepers had a volunteer helping him. The Keeper had to take a huge cut out of his meagre wage and blamed the fact that the volunteer had distracted him from his duties.

On another note, the money you pay towards the project (advertised as a ‘contribution’) which would logically go towards the Pandas, in this case, is not used for that. Once we’d paid the ‘contribution’, and whilst flicking through the dossier they sent us, we discovered a breakdown of ‘costs’. It was then we realised that not one single penny of the money goes towards the Pandas. Instead, it’s used for accommodation, food, administration etc. Therefore, your money doesn’t help the animals or workers at the Panda base. You believe you’re contributing to a project physically and economically - when truly, you’re just paying to be close to the Pandas. But your money won’t help them and your efforts are not really needed. Make sure you ask where your money is going to before committing to any project.

Regardless of the internal problems within the organisation, our Keeper was very professional at all times and went out of his way. We learnt a lot of things about Pandas and kept pestering poor Mr Strong with unending questions. In his best English, he gave us all the explanations with patience and clarity, making this a unique experience.

Panda Facts learnt from Mr Strong:

1) Male and female Pandas have different type of noses. The female’s is rounder the male’s is longer.
2) The two Pandas we were working with, Tian Tian (Sweet) & Yang Guang (Sunshine) are to be sent to Scotland in 2012, as ambassadors for China. These will be on lease for 10 years, with a cost of 1 million dollars a year, plus maintenance costs!
3) There is theory as to why Pandas have their black and white markings; so they are more visible to other Pandas when it comes to breeding. At the same time, because they are solitary animals and like to have their own turf, they are also visible to other Pandas and serves as a warning not to walk into their territory.
4) Oldest Panda ever, lived to 33. The oldest current Panda is 27.
5) They eat 45 kg of bamboo shoots, but only absorb about 20%. At the base, they are also given apples, carrots and a specially made cake. Their diet is really controlled.
6) When they die, they perform autopsies on all the Pandas to determine the cause of death. Some Pandas are buried, others have their pelts removed and used to help in rearing orphaned Pandas as their mothers can only feed or look after one.
7) Pandas are also carnivores and in the wild sometimes eat rodents. At the centre they are given no meat as it has been demonstrated that it has no health benefits. The Pandas in the wild will only eat rodents or meat that is already dead, they do not hunt themselves.
8) Males eat more than the females.
9) Pandas have six fingers. The have developed a sixth smaller finger, to help them hold things like bamboo.
10) They move slowly and deliberately, amazingly they can climb to the tops of trees and will fall asleep on a branch without actually falling down.

At the base, the taller trees have a protective metal cover at the base of the trunks to stop the Pandas from climbing up. This is because the keepers sometimes have to climb the trees to retrieve the Pandas. Instead they have shorter trees, 3 – 5 metres high, where the Pandas can climb and makes the Keepers’ lives that much easier. It has to be said that the Pandas are VERY well looked after.

We were told by Master Strong, that experiments have been carried out to reintroduce camp Pandas back into the wild. One experiment resulted in the death of a male Panda. It ventured into the territory of another male Panda and subsequently it was killed. The camp Pandas don’t know how to fight and are nowhere as aggressive as their wild counterparts. Recently, they have released a female Panda and are watching her every move. The best is hoped for and could open the gates for more Pandas being released into the wild.
Working as a volunteer at the base is not at all difficult. It entails only cleaning out the cages and preparing the food. If you have the impression that you interact with the animal, please get this idea out of your head. This is not the case, there is absolutely no interaction. 3 volunteers left within the hour of arriving when they realised that their job just entailed cleaning and food preparation. You don’t even feed them; this is left to the Keepers. They are always behind bars, so you are never with them or they are in the open grounds, where you are not allowed, unless they are put away in their cages and then you can clean.

This aspect has been very disappointing for us. The impression we got from GapGuru was one of more interaction with the Pandas. This should be highlighted by the organisers. If any of you have ever done the zoo keeper for a day at Chessington Zoo, it’s exactly the same kind of thing. You can go to see Pandas in any zoo in the world in the same fashion.

However, working next to the Pandas (even if whilst cleaning or with the Keeper by your side) has been an experience we won’t forget. These are truly amazing animals.

One last thing, it’s a very important point. They don’t tell you this until you get to the camp base. You have to pay to take pictures of the Pandas. You can take normal pictures just like every other tourist, from a distance and these are free. If you want to take pictures of yourself with a Panda, you pay about £50 for about 30 seconds worth. Max had some taken by the staff. Unfortunately for him, they didn’t come out very well and they wouldn’t retake them. If you want to take pictures feeding the Pandas, it’s £100. If you want to play a couple of minutes with a Panda its £150.

Everything wasn’t all doom and gloom. Even if the picture I’m painting seems that way. There were some real great things too. Isabella! She showed us that not all people in China are rude, bad mannered or even uncivil and aggressive. From the very beginning, Isabella was there for us. She attended to each and every one of our needs. She was attentive, for ever smiling, a ray of light, educated, polite and civil, and a wonderful person. She organised Chinese classes in the evenings, cultural classes, cooking classes where we learnt to make dumplings, a typical Sichuan ‘hot pot’ for the entire group in Ya’an etc. She endured our moaning and complaints with all the dignity she could muster. She answered every question we had and even though we didn’t get a chance to say it to her, we wanted to thank her for her generosity. It was very touching, she didn’t charge us for our bus tickets back to the airport or the food we had at the hostel, even though these weren’t included in our package. Credit where it’s due, Isabella offered to pay for the dinner and lunch that we had to pay for in Chengdu, which we kindly declined. Thank you Isabella from the bottom of our hearts for everything, it was a real pleasure having met you, you made life more bearable for us while on the project!!!

And of course thanks to Mr Strong, who taught us so much and was so generous with his time.

Personally I didn’t think it was worth the money or effort to spend two weeks with the Pandas. In fact we cut our trip short by 1 week as did other volunteers. We left on the same bus, bitterly disappointed. However, I would recommend visiting the base camp to see the pandas if you’re in the area. You can enjoy a day visit and leave in the afternoon.

I know that the above article is going to piss off some people. At the end of the day, it’s nothing personal. It’s our story, it’s what we went through and it’s an opinion. At least now, you can consider if you really want to go and if you do, you only have yourself to blame if you encounter these problems, you know what to expect!

Thanks for reading.

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Comments

[Chloe]

Panda Project
I can't possibly add anything more to this article myself as Manny has said everything I would have written too! I just think we were so lucky to have Isobella with us at the camp that week....if it wasn't for her I don't think any of us would have even stayed the week! Be warned though, it is not just GapGuru who 'misrepresents' their trips. I booked a month in China through Gap Discovery and had the same experience regarding the lack of information. The Panda volunteer work was not originally part of my month's stay but very disappointed with what I was actually told I was to be doing, Isobella kindly said I could join her at the Panda reserve. However, I had to pay for all my transport from my original base (which included a flight and many taxi's and buses!!) even though I had already paid for the whole month! Consequently, I left my trip 3 1/2 weeks early, despite paying for the whole 5 weeks! As expected no refund can be given for the trip but I can certainly say I will NOT be booking again though ANY gap commpany, neither will I be recommending any to others!