We have been having a great time cruising around Chengdu and Songpan, of the Sichuan province. Chengdu is a far western city with fewer historical attractions, and thus fewer tourists. Hardly anyone here we encountered could speak English, even in American style pizza joints and cafes. We visited the poet Dufu's museum, a Taoist monastary, and some nice parks. The panda breeding center, with a large number of pandas, was excellent. We got there early to watch them active, during feeding time. Otherwise, we soaked in the local atmosphere lots of young people on the street, and great spicy Sichuan food with special chili peppers that numb your gumbs which, according to my sister, are illegal in the U.S.? They give you tons of pepper sauce on your noodles, but it isn't all that spicy, more
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