Chengdu pm

"The beds in the East are soft".

(Anthony and Cleopatra, Act 2, Scene 6)

At the Sunshine Hotel, the beds and the duvets are the softest I've ever encountered. They even managed a bit of sunshine for our afternoon sightseeing expedition. First (following a delicious lunch) was the Wuhou Temple, where many legendary heroes and emperors have larger than life statues. Our guide, David, told us all the local legends but it's impossible to recall them today! 

Next on the agenda was a walk on Ancient Street, with lots of interesting  little shops. I bought two little bowls and M bought a proper artists or calligraphers brush. There were more tempting establishments but our schedule was tight, and we were due at a Tea House next. Here, the oldies were more interested in playing Mahjong and wanted us to join in, but only M knew the rules, and furthermore we needed to get back to the hotel for a shower and a beer. We rounded off the day with dinner at the hotel's Korean Restaurant. The food was nothing special (I think because David had chosen cheaper dishes, rather than the traditional sizzling Korean BBQ, in order to keep us under budget on this all-inclusive tour). Also, I had to get the female supervisor to tell off 2 men who were smoking in complete disregard to the notices on the wall. I was rewarded by a thumbs up from another western couple who were dining nearby!

We went to a show of many different acts, including Chinese opera, traditional instruments, acrobats, comedy acts (in Chinese) and the grand finale - the changing masks show. It was all very skilfully done : a wonderful performance all round!

Early to bed, as we had to be up at 3.30 a.m. To catch the 6.35 flight to Dali.

Lunch spot, inside and out.

Approaching the temple.

Inside the temple.

Bonsai display in the park.

Playing mahjong at the tea house.

This lady has just won!

Changing Masks Show.

Pandas

Panda means

"Big and fat"

Noted by French missionary 

1960 to 1980 pandas sold to west

Lack of bamboo

340 in panda base

1800 in wild

Farmer jailed for trapping P's

Ps don't know how to mate at first

Twins born usually

(Notes after introducion by our guide)

Chengdu

A very full day of sightseeing was planned. Firstly, a drive through horrendous traffic to the Panda Research Base, the top attraction here. There are about 340 now in captivity and about 1800 in the wild, as a result of the very successful breeding programme. Pandas live to about 30 years in captivity, 25 in the wild, where they are busy all day looking for food. The park itself is lovely, with bitumen paths winding their way through groves of bamboo. We were fortunate that it had stopped raining, but lots of fungi had sprung up in the wet conditions.

We saw several fully grown pandas, each one in its own enclosure, some lazing over branches, reclining on platforms apparently asleep or else engaged in their daily business of stripping and eating bamboo. They eat between 15 and 30 kilos per day, and in the Research Base they also get supplements of "panda cakes" made with egg, rice and corn. They usually have twins, but normally the mother picks the strongest and lets the other one die in the wild.  In the Research Base, the newborns are cared for by the staff. They are tiny at birth, only 100 gms in weight and live in their own baby panda nursery. We saw four in a large square cot, but couldn't linger for long watching them, as the guard hurried the queue along, reminiscent of the Crown Jewels or Tutenkhamen's tomb!

Entrance to the Panfa Research Base

The park grows lots of bamboos for the pandas to eat. The pic shows mist irrigation for the bamboos.

Panda eating

They strip off the outside of the bamboo, cast it aside and chew the softer inside.

This one looks to have had enough!

Baby pandas asleep in their cot. The pic is blurred because the guard was hurrying the queue along.

"5 star " toilet in the park. Most public toilets in China are pretty basic: squat style and smelly! You are not supposed to throw paper into the toilet as it blocks the drains.

The three intrepid travellers pose for a photo!

Chengdu

We arrived this afternoon (plane was 1.5 hours late) and it was pouring with rain. It hasn't stopped since! We are in the Sunshine Hotel!! The traffic from the airport was horrendous. The worst news is that I can't blog in China, nor use Google. The authorities have banned the use of these sites and many others! What a big pest! Will have to keep a diary and write it up when I get home.

Traffic outside our hotel

Day One To Chengdu

Our Cathay Pacific flight left Perth at 5 minutes to midnight.  It was absolutely full on a Saturday night. The announcement from the flight deck told us that the captain was a woman. The flight was somewhat turbulent, but I did manage about 4 hours sleep out of the 8. The food was just OK - I had a prawn stirfry, but the man next to me struggled with a huge piece of lamb backstrap that he was unable to cut up with the puny knife provided. Breakfast was not good either. I was in Premium Economy, but M and V were even worse off in Economy where breakfast was served in a little box with no hot food and no coffee offered!

(When I tried to post this earlier from Chengdu, I discovered that Blogger is one of many sites banned by the Chinese Govt.  However, on arrival in Hong Kong, I found that the ban didn't extend to there; I was free to post again, using my diary entries which I'd written every day throughout China).

Hong Kong Airport, 19 September, 9.00 a.m.

Spring in Perth

New babies everywhere!  This is a big family of ducklings.  The parents are on duty 24/7 looking after them.  If any predator comes too close, the babies are hurried into the water by Mum.  Dad stands guard onshore till they are all safely away.

There are 4 cygnets in this family.  Dad was particularly aggressive towards me as I approached with my camera.  He spread his wings and flew straight at me before I scrambled away.

Nothing to fear at Wireless Hill, where the wildflowers are in abundance after the winter rains.

Kangaroo Paws

Cats Paws

Orchids

Top left: Bacon and Egg Plant; Top right: Granny's Bonnet; Bottom left: Orchid; Bottom right: Milkmaids

Donkey Orchids

Left: Wattle;  Right: Bacon and Egg Plants

Camino Confidential goes to China!

In a week's time, I'll be setting off with 2 intrepid girl friends to Yunnan in SW China. M and V have been doing a course on Chinese Culture and planning this trip for 6 months. I have agreed to go along and left all the organising to them! It's not a walking holiday (and I've been having trouble with my hip of late, and will have to get a replacement soon). It's more in the spirit of "adventure before dementia". JL says: "why on earth do you want to go there?"

Our itinerary is as follows:

Hong Kong

Chengdu

Dali

Lijiang

Zhongdian (aka Shangri La)

Kunming

Hong Kong.

We will be travelling to some high altitude places, so fingers crossed we will be OK! Apparently oxygen canisters are available. The scenery should be spectacular.

Map of Yunnan in SW China

Seen in the travel agents' window today

I'm also reading "Lost Horizon" by James Hilton, a fictional account of Shangri La.

Because we are always agonising over what clothes to take with us, V sent this photo, suggesting it would make life easier:

I replied with this photo, showing - at the other extreme - my knickers with a secret pocket. As we will be travelling to remote regions where there may be no ATM's, a reserve of cash can be carried in this pocket.  It was cut from an old pair, to utilise the elastic on the waistband:

OK, I know I need to lose weight!

Weekend in Busselton

To celebrate Claire's birthday, we went to Mandalay Resort where we had booked a beachfront cabin. Friday afternoon was a bit wet, but we had beautiful Spring weather. We've had enough of Winter: it's been the coldest on Perth for 20 years.

Playing frisbee in front of our cabin

Dining at Al Forno: E put away her mushroom risotto in record time! C and I had fish pie and JL had Coq au Vin. We found room for Tiramisu for dessert.

JL's Coq au Vin: enough for a doggy bag!

Next morning, we went to visit S in Dunsborough and admired her new garden and "house with a view". We had a delicious morning tea. E scoffed several pieces of fruit bread (she admits to 4!)

We had a day of touring the area planned: sticking up with bread at the Yallingup wood fired bakery, Howard Park Winery for a crate of Cab Merlot, the Venison Farm for 3 chorizo sausages and finally the Candy Cow in Cowaramup, where E spent the $5 she'd found in her coat pocket - easy come, easy go!

E and C playing boules at Howard Park

At the bakery

We also visited Canal Rocks where the surf was the highest I've ever seen it.

Back at Mandalay, JL sat in the sun reading the weekend papers, while C and E had a long go on the bouncing pillow.

Sunday morning was departure day, but the weather was just right for a walk on Busselton Jetty. C and E raced the little train to the end.