Cheng Du to You!

(Ms. Luskin and Ric)

Cheng Du to You!

Terry and Ric thought we’d attempt a co-blog to bring you up to date on today’s adventures. We know you’re all panda-ing with anticipation (today being our long awaited trip to the Panda Breeding Center) so here we go!

(R) We arrived at 11PM last night. Strangest airport you’ve ever experienced. Our China Airlines 737 parked in a row of aircraft away from the available but empty and dark jet way terminals. Why use those when you have a humongous tarmac to play with? They drove a ramp up to the door, off loaded, and bussed us to the baggage claim area. Ditto for about eight other flights - bedlam but efficient. We inexplicably had our luggage in short order – if it was Logan we’d STILL be waiting - and squeezed our way through the single door exit. Our local guide Zhang Han (who I keep wanting to ! call John Paul) was there to meet us with a friendly sign and a welcoming smile. The airport is in the south and our hotel in the north, so it was a bit of a drive to get to the fabulous Cheng Du Tibet Hotel, a journey made longer by road diversions for a new subway system they’re installing. The Big Dig follows us east!

(T) Far and away the poshest accommodations of our stay. The room is beautifully appointed with dark woods, upholstered headboard walls, two comfy double beds, triple sized bathroom with separate tub and shower, CNN & HBO on cable, and free internet access (woo hoo!). Even heated halls and public spaces, and a coffee bar!

We started our day after breakfast by stopping at a local laundry shop for the benefit of several in our group (no names will be mentioned) who decided it was “time”. The bus pulled up – much to the amusement of a number of locals – and an overfilled laundry bag was dissected in a semi-public way! Zhang Han had to cajole the proprietor into 24 hour turnaround – they initially insisted that quicker service was not possible because of the crush of post-holiday laundry from locals.

(R) A land of laundry shops, and you can’t get stuff washed quickly? There’s an irony!

(T & R) The Panda Breeding Research Center has a woven network of paths through hundreds of acres of bamboo heaven! We saw our first giant pandas after a 15 minute walk along well manicured routes punctuated by the odd call of peacocks. Cameras flew out of pockets like guns out of holsters at a high noon duel. The pandas just stared out past their bamboo buffet with indifference…

The park houses pandas that are a variety of ages (since pandas are born in the fall, the youngest cohort of seven-month-olds). Their enclosures look fairly modern zoo-typical, with the visitors having fairly close access over a deep dry moat. Their behaviors ranged from idle bamboo munching, dozing on man-made wooden climb-arounds, and general rumpusing (our behaviors ranged among gawking, clicking, and ooohing). In the final enclosure there was a group of four youngsters who were engaged in a full fledged WWF session – and we don’t mean World Wildlife Fund! Several of us got some video of this unusual behavior which we’ll try to send back as an AVI file (Zhang Han, who knows a lot about “panders”, says that the adults are solitary beasts). We could have had our photos taken with one of the larger pandas but at 1,000 RMB per person, we politely declined. Thought about it though!

(T) Our next encounter was with the far more active Red Pandas; we fell hard for them! Raccoon-like faces at one end, long white-ringed tails at the other, red brown upper fur with black bellies and legs. They prowled their enclosures inquisitively, in contrast to the introspective, noisy munching of the giant pandas. Apparently these fellows are a comparative bargain – it cost just 50 Yuan each to be photographed enjoying the company of a red panda while it munched apples. Each of us put on giant clear plastic gloves and an oversized surgical gown, and then sat in a special chair where a zoo attendant plonked the content munching beast on our lap! A thrill fo! r all . Then off to the gift shop (proceeds in support of panda research), where Drew joined the “Man Bag” contingent with a spiffy panda backpack.

(R) Back to the bus for an hour long drive to Sanxingdui Museum, a fantastic compound along the Duck River. We had yet another terrific Chinese style lunch at the museum’s restaurant then set off to take in the amazing artifacts whose origin continues to puzzle scientists and archaeologists. The articles they found pushed back the known date of habitation in the area by about 1,000 years. Since there were no written records of any kind, the Shu people are still a mystery to be unraveled.

Another mystery to be unraveled is how anyone survives a journey anywhere on Cheng Du roads – especially rural routes. Road rules? Here they are merely vague suggestions. And while some countries have right hand or left hand driving customs, here EITHER seems to apply, while crossing the road at all angles seems also to be de rigeur. It all seems to be a giant cosmic mathematical game of “avoid the moving objects” as people on foot, on bikes, on tricycles, on mopeds, on motorcycles, in busses, cars and trucks all bob and weave for position. Dodging potholes adds to the excitement. In fact, the latter seems to be a perfectly acceptable excuse for cutting off anyone at any time.&n! bsp; “Excuse me! Didn’t mean to veer into 3 lanes of on-coming traffic. There was a big hole in front of a large section of vacant pavement. Thanks so much for swerving to avoid me.” Our implacable driver never so much as raises an eyebrow as he calmly and safely maneuvers us through the frequent chaos. Zhang Han seems unconcerned. “Han”? Perhaps the Force is with us? In any case, Terry and the kids seem oblivious. They’re all asleep!

(T) Napped our way back to Cheng Du city where we see many pre-1990’s structures with royal blue windows. It seems that clear glass is a more recent phenomenon. We drive to People’s Park, home of a flower show as well as a lovely inner city garden. There are very Victorian curving lines of contrasting color plant material but much is potted, not planted in. At the end of a long walkway overlooking a small pond there is an enormous green moss covered elephant topiary bearing the Beijing 2008 Olympic logo. No one is sure why – as the elephant is certainly not the Olympic mascot!

We headed for an outdoor tea house by the shores of that small pond. There Drew discovered soft ice cream cones being sold from a cart; that had the other kids gaping with envy. As we headed for a table for tea, we were accosted by a cadre of “ear-cleaners” who persisted for a good length of time.

(R) We ordered, then sipped our Jasmine tea as they looked on, standing much too close for far too long. Apparently they couldn’t hear our polite and repeated statements in multiple languages that we did not require their services (would you want your ears cleaned in a tea house buy a guy wielding a large tuning fork and a bouquet of metal swab-like things?). They suddenly vanished – perhaps scurrying off to clean their own ears… Leaving the Tea House, the kids stop to buy 4 more cones from the cart. Terry and I resist but I am envious and slightly resentful. Once upon a time I could eat that way too, with no adverse consequences. I probably gained another pound and a half just being in the proximity of ice cr! eam c arnage…

(T) On the way back to the bus we observe a retired peoples’ band accompanying singing swarms of older people who are hanging out and listening. Zhang Han says they can also be seen dancing hour after hour. We motor past the remnant of the old city walls, dark grey with a tall, sloping crenellated top. 2000 years ago they ringed the entire city and over the centuries were frequently renovated. But most of what survived was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Only 200 meters now exist. Hearing this, the kids talk about how much change the older people of today’s China have seen.

(R) Speaking of seeing things, we’ve had quite a day! We get a few hours break then meet in the lobby at 7P for a local dinner none of us is quite ready to eat. We walk a few blocks to a restaurant where the Sichuan cooking style can be… tamed and controlled. We pass a nearer place, where Zhang Han suggests with a broad and knowing smile, that it would be “very dangerous” for people who are unaccustomed to the heat of local peppers. None of us are inclined to argue!