Nov 9, 2009 - Dayi Mountain - China extreme

Kate writes about our trip to Dayi Golden Mountain Resort back in October (BB - before Blog). I will write more about this and get some pictures - but the male minggong are many here in Chengdu - easy to spot with their plimsolls, small stature, hard hats worn day and night, and liking for lounge suit jackets. ... They amble the streets in little groups at night and are always keen to stare at weird foreigners - some are even brave enough to shout "hello" or "ok".Kate writes about our trip to Dayi Golden Mountain Resort back in October (BB - before Blog). I will write more about this and get some pictures - but the male minggong are many here in Chengdu - easy to spot with their plimsolls, small stature, hard hats worn day and night, and liking for lounge suit jackets. ... They amble the streets in little groups at night and are always keen to stare at weird foreigners - some are even brave enough to shout "hello" or "ok"....

Nov 5, 2009 - Getting started

We've spent the last few hours grappling with this blog technology, so many options - but I think the long lead up has not exactly inspired Anna who is busily delivering unwanted drinks from the water machine.We've spent the last few hours grappling with this blog technology, so many options - but I think the long lead up has not exactly inspired Anna who is busily delivering unwanted drinks from the water machine....

Oct 16, 2009 - Panda's Breeding Center in Ya'an County,Chengdu City,Sichuan Province,China

The Chinese Panda's Breeding Center in field is newly being transferred to Ya'an County,Chengdu Province,Sichuan Province,China due to the big earthquake happened last year in Sichuan Province. ... The former Panda's Breeding Center located in Woolong County ,Chengdu Province,Sichuan Province,China was sufferred great loss with several pandas died and facilities destroied owing to the earthquake. ... This Panda's Breeding Center is situated inside a national natural scenic zone named Bifengxia scenic zone around 40 kilometres away from Chengdu City and 2 hours' ride by sightseeing bus via the national highway. ...

Oct 7, 2009 - Chengdu - Oct 5-7

October 5 At Xi'an airport this morning we had a spooky experience - we ran into Simon and Esther, a couple we both knew from Bermuda who are also travelling. It just shows what a small world it is bumping into someone on the other side of the globe! We arrived in Chengdu mid-afternoon and got a taxi straight to the hotel. ... Given that we are packing so much stuff into our days, it is sometimes nice (although a little stressful) to have these travel days to just have some down time - those couple of hours at the airport pre-flight plus the time on the plane sometimes seem like a good way to do nothing! Arriving in Chengdu, we headed out for some dinner. ... Having had bad Sichuan food in Xi'an, we weren't keen to try any again for a while so we had Tex-Mex - Elizabeth's choice - and it was really good.October 5 At Xi'an airport this morning we had a spooky experience - we ran into Simon and Esther, a couple we both knew from Bermuda who are also travelling. It just shows what a small world it is bumping into someone on the other side of the globe! We arrived in Chengdu mid-afternoon and got a taxi straight to the hotel. ... Given that we are packing so much stuff into our days, it is sometimes nice (although a little stressful) to have these travel days to just have some down time - those couple of hours at the airport pre-flight plus the time on the plane sometimes seem like a good way to do nothing! Arriving in Chengdu, we headed out for some dinner. ... Having had bad Sichuan food in Xi'an, we weren't keen to try any again for a while so we had Tex-Mex - Elizabeth's choice - and it was really good....

Oct 4, 2009 - Moving on again: our first sleeper train - Day 17

We checked out of the Hotel again with another dispute with the staff, this time over the return of our deposit.We checked out of the Hotel again with another dispute with the staff, this time over the return of our deposit....

Oct 3, 2009 - The day the heavens opened - Day 16

We decided to start the day in true Chengdu spirit and take it easy. ... It is suppose to be the biggest park in Chengdu, however you can walk round the whole thing in 10 minutes. ... We were trying to find the Chamber of Horrors (apparently a scary experience of their version of hell).We decided to start the day in true Chengdu spirit and take it easy. ... It is suppose to be the biggest park in Chengdu, however you can walk round the whole thing in 10 minutes. ... We were trying to find the Chamber of Horrors (apparently a scary experience of their version of hell)....

Oct 2, 2009 - A wasted day turned into an evening being wasted - Day 15

First thing we did was email hostels. We met some of the Chengdu Football Club (chinese provincial team) players who were from Nigeria and Brazil. ...

Oct 1, 2009 - The trouble begins - Day 14

Dispite running out of hot water (luke warm pot noodles), excessive spitting on the floor, children screaming and poking Nicky in the eyes,and people smoking throughout the carriage NOT in the designated smoking area, in the end we felt the train was barable. Looking out the window on our way across town we could see the huge fire work display launched from Chengdu's city square, which every city centre would have organised. ... We arrived at the hostel releaved to finally be at a place where we could rest and shower.Dispite running out of hot water (luke warm pot noodles), excessive spitting on the floor, children screaming and poking Nicky in the eyes,and people smoking throughout the carriage NOT in the designated smoking area, in the end we felt the train was barable. Looking out the window on our way across town we could see the huge fire work display launched from Chengdu's city square, which every city centre would have organised. ... We arrived at the hostel releaved to finally be at a place where we could rest and shower....

Oct 1, 2009 - Day 12: Chengdu - Pandas

Happy National Day!! Was quite excited to be seeing the pandas at Chengdu, as I'd read lots about the park and the conservation work that the scientists are doing there. ... 3 billion people are - they are in the supermarket in Chengdu. ... I'm sure it has something to do with being National Day today, as the supermarket was like our Christmas, only worse.Happy National Day!! Was quite excited to be seeing the pandas at Chengdu, as I'd read lots about the park and the conservation work that the scientists are doing there. ... 3 billion people are - they are in the supermarket in Chengdu. ... I'm sure it has something to do with being National Day today, as the supermarket was like our Christmas, only worse....

Oct 1, 2009 - Mount Emei

We were all looking forward to our excursion to Mt Emei.We were all looking forward to our excursion to Mt Emei....

Sep 30, 2009 - Chengdu - Giant Pandas and a Giant Buddha

Chengdu was our next stop – home to the Giant Panda and we were all looking forward to the experience. ... That afternoon in Chengdu we went to “Snack Street” and treated ourselves to various wontons, varieties of meat on a stick and noodles. ... We then headed to one of the many tea houses that Chengdu is famous for a sipped tea in the afternoon – J even got a shoulder massage as a treat! The next day we caught a bus to the site of the Giant Buddha – a Buddha that stands at 71 metres – its ear is 9 metres long and its foot is 8 metres – the whole complex was impressive with various temples and a park throughout. ...

Sep 30, 2009 - Day 11: Chengdu - Leshan - Chengdu

The Giant Buddha (Da Fo) awaited us on our day trip to Leshan, and he certainly was big!! I'd seen lots of pictures of him before, but seeing him in real life was amazing - his hands and feet were incredible, and I couldn't stop looking at how huge his fingernails and toenails were - about the size of a person! Construction on this amazing sculpture began in 713AD, by a Buddhist monk called Haitong, and took 90 years for it to be completed. ... The Buddha statue is located in a huge park, so we then spent a couple of hours exploring the rest of the places - a little cave where the monk lived, lots of beautiful pagodas and teahouses, walked through a bush/rainforest area, looked in a couple of temples and in the burial caves, photographed a gorgeous bridge over one of the rivers, walked through an interesting fisherman's village and climbed lots of steps!! We got back from Leshan fairly late, so it was pretty much time for dinner. ... A group of us (the four Canadians, two other Australians Joanne and Adelene, and I) decided to go and find Jing Li Street, an area famed for outdoor night food stalls.The Giant Buddha (Da Fo) awaited us on our day trip to Leshan, and he certainly was big!! I'd seen lots of pictures of him before, but seeing him in real life was amazing - his hands and feet were incredible, and I couldn't stop looking at how huge his fingernails and toenails were - about the size of a person! Construction on this amazing sculpture began in 713AD, by a Buddhist monk called Haitong, and took 90 years for it to be completed. ... The Buddha statue is located in a huge park, so we then spent a couple of hours exploring the rest of the places - a little cave where the monk lived, lots of beautiful pagodas and teahouses, walked through a bush/rainforest area, looked in a couple of temples and in the burial caves, photographed a gorgeous bridge over one of the rivers, walked through an interesting fisherman's village and climbed lots of steps!! We got back from Leshan fairly late, so it was pretty much time for dinner. ... A group of us (the four Canadians, two other Australians Joanne and Adelene, and I) decided to go and find Jing Li Street, an area famed for outdoor night food stalls....