Friday was an excellent day overall. We got up early in the morning to drive to the Chengdu Panda Breeding Park, which is about a 40-minute journey from our hotel. The pandas reside in remarkably natural habitats, and we walked around 5 miles in search of them, which were easy to locate whenever we spotted a crowd! Most of the pandas we saw were giants, but we also managed to catch sight of a few red pandas that are harder to spot in the trees due to their coloring. We were accompanied by three of Xiandong's graduate students and his assistant for the day, who took great care of us, even providing small hand fans when both Michael and I were sweating profusely from the heat, the crowds, and especially the high humidity! One of the students, whom I particularly enjoyed, charmingly said to me at the train station when we parted later, "You are much cuter than a panda!" A few photos of our travel companions at the Panda Park: We only explored less than half of the park, but by around 12:30, we were ready to return to the city for lunch. Initially, we intended to have hot pot, but because of the humidity and heat, we opted for something lighter at a quaint little restaurant. Our hosts went ahead and ordered for us, and we were amazed at the food that arrived! We were served three very different soups alongside skewers of vegetables, seafood, meats, and various parts you could dip into the soup. They encouraged me to try a piece of chicken stomach, and surprisingly, it was quite delicious! It had a chewy texture and tasted somewhat like cracklins but was not crispy. Naturally, those three large dishes weren’t enough, so they also ordered several smaller dishes that we enjoyed. There was a lot left over, and the graduate students eagerly grabbed takeout buckets, much like graduate students everywhere who appreciate free food to take home!
After lunch, our hosts suggested we visit a local community theater showcasing a famous Chinese Opera. It was actually quite amusing as the singing sounded harsh to our ears, and we understood nothing, reassured that they too found it tough to comprehend. Apparently, it's something older Chinese individuals still enjoy, while the younger generation doesn’t quite connect with it. We stayed for about 30 minutes before they indicated we had seen enough and should head to the train station to meet Xiandong for our trip to Chongqing.
We met Xiandong at the station and took the fast train to Chongqing, which took just a little over an hour. Upon arrival, we walked to the river for an evening cruise to see the city lights. We arrived around 6:30 PM and found it still light outside, so we were directed to another restaurant with a private room, where the food kept coming and coming! It was a truly spectacular sight.
After dinner, we strolled back to the riverside with what felt like thousands of others to board a boat for our evening cruise. By then, both Michael and I were exhausted, but we persevered, and the city lights were indeed a magnificent sight. Chongqing is built into the mountains, showcasing a blend of the old and the new as we cruised along the Yangtze River.
Once the cruise concluded, we waited for our car for about 30 minutes, followed by an hour's drive out of the city to our hotel, where Xiandong was hosting another conference that Michael needed to speak at. We checked into our room around 12:30 AM! Feeling utterly exhausted yet grateful for a wonderful day, we both collapsed into bed and fell asleep almost immediately!
Friday turned out to be an excellent day overall. We got up early in the morning and set off for the Chengdu Panda Breeding Park, which was approximately a 40-minute drive from our hotel. The pandas are housed in impressively natural settings, and we strolled about 5 miles in search of panda sightings, which were easy to spot wherever there was a gathering of people! Mostly, we encountered giant pandas, but we also managed to catch a glimpse of a few red pandas, which are more challenging to spot in the trees due to their coloring.
