Chengdu

With a population of 6 million, Chengdu is yet another Chinese metropolis larger then all but a few US cities (NY,LA,Chicago). In China, Chengdu is known for its tea houses, an accompanying lazy atmosphere, spicy Sichuan cuisine, hotpots that boil assorted dishes of meats and vegetables at the table, and as our local guide proudly explained, "independently minded women who aren't the submissive sort quite like the traditional women in the north"
The favored Chengdu tea houses are outdoors, in the parks. We spent an afternoon surrounded by families in paddle boats, local Majhong players and kids fishing for goldfish as we drank green & chrysanthemum tea and played cards. When you picture travel destinations the expectations often, for better and worse, romanticize reality. On this occasion the scene was spot on.

About 15 kilometers outside of the city is one of the most preeminent Panda Breeding Centers in the world. Since the majority of the endangered Giant panda population lives within the forested mountain regions around Chengdu, it is also home to several panda research centers and reserves. The entire wild Giant Panda population is estimated at around 1200, rebounding slightly in recent years. There are around 180 Pandas in captivity, approx. 70 of which, including one of the five Beijing Olympic game mascots, live in the Breeding center we visited near Chengdu.

As herbivores, the cuddly colored Giant Pandas' demeanor is a contrast to that of the black bear, our campsite visitors in Yosemite, and especially to the grizzly which we are more familiar with back home. The keepers move throughout the pens and the pandas sit on paying visitors' laps (fur makes the appear bigger then they actually are) while munching on bamboo. You might actually get away with trying to hug one of these.

Panda are finicky breeders, with the females having a few fertile days each year and the males rarely caring to expend energy on anything other then eating more of an inefficient food source. Interestingly enough, we learned that advancement in the center's artificial insemination methods has been crucial to expanding captive Panda populations.

Walking through a Tibetan Monastery in Chengdu, where we had a delicious multi-course Vegetarian lunch.

The sedentary older Pandas eating bamboo

The 1-2 year old pandas playing king of the ladder

"Cupping": the heating of bowls placed on your back, which is supposed to remove toxins. Follows up a 20 Yuan (3 dollar) hour long massage

The aftermath- round hickeys that lasted about 5 days.

Tea & Cards at the Park

Dion enjoying beers with Andy and Ed, our new Brit and Irish friends from the tour.