A brief view of the Himalayas - A quick return to Mainland China - hennaonthetrek

      One of the things I appreciate most about Asia, aside from the people and the landscapes, is the abundance of tuk-tuks and rickshaws. In my homeland, they wouldn't really be practical. But here, when you have a blister from all the walking (not me, that's Toni with his new Crocs), it’s no issue— a tuk-tuk pulls up right beside you. Looking for the mall? No problem, a rickshaw will stop for you (in India, we had an amazing day touring around, mainly because we paused to chat with our driver). Need a ride to the airport? No worries, tuk-tuks are everywhere. Well, tomorrow we plan to walk to the airport since our hotel is just across the street, but right now, I’m enjoying watching all the traffic. You can see my large windows in the photo below. It’s quite fitting because my story takes us back to mainland China and Chengdu, known as the panda capital of the world, and you can spot a panda on a billboard in the photo.

      Our flight from Lhasa to Chengdu was smooth, and I think we both felt relieved to be at lower altitudes again. At the airport, we were welcomed by the lovely Casey, one of the best tour guides we've ever encountered. We instantly connected, and the conversation flowed effortlessly throughout our time there. She was also knowledgeable and provided great insight, so it wasn’t just our pleasant talks that made her a good guide. Initially, I hadn’t planned to return to mainland China after Tibet, but since there were no direct flights from Lhasa to Kathmandu, it made sense to spend a couple of nights here if we needed to fly anyway. I’m really glad we did!

      On our first night, we didn’t have any specific plans, so we decided to take a stroll. I had read about a tea shop in People’s Park that I wanted to check out. True to Chinese style, the park was crowded, so we didn’t order any tea. I should have known that my expectations of the park were outdated. I envisioned a tranquil tea shop by a lake with tables for people playing Mahjong, but it was anything but calm—there were people everywhere and no Mahjong tiles in sight. I wasn’t disappointed though, just a little let down by my earlier assumptions. I know better than to base my expectations on outdated history books.

      We wandered around the park and saw people playing card games and kicking around a large shuttlecock, along with boats on the lake and vendors selling everything from souvenirs to food. We tried some delicious meat skewers and some tasty fried dough snacks! On our way back to the hotel, we met a lovely lady out with her family who wanted to practice English with us. They invited us to join them at a mall, but we decided to call it a night.

      On our full day in Chengdu, Casey was set to show us what the city is famous for: the Giant Pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, more commonly known as the Panda Base. Besides tourism, the Panda Base focuses on studying and caring for these adorable animals. And they truly are adorable! Have you seen videos of baby pandas with their caregivers? Just imagine a fluffy little goofball trying to climb a tree while wobbling on flat ground, or clinging to their caregiver’s leg while they’re trying to tidy up. They certainly keep their humans busy!

      Did you know that baby pandas have the same caregiver for their entire lives? Talk about commitment! There’s so much to see in the area; it’s so expansive that they have little buses to move visitors around. Along with giant pandas, there are also red pandas, but the baby pandas were definitely my favorite!

      After visiting the Panda Base, Casey took us to Chunxi Road for a little shopping. After a fruitless search for a new jacket (my zippers are starting to fail), we enjoyed a coffee, and I tried those berry skewers I’d seen all over China. I couldn’t decide between the strawberry and grape, so I got both, and the vendor was kind enough to give me a blueberry one to sample for free! The berries were covered in glazed sugar, making them quite sweet, but very enjoyable. I liked the strawberry one the most!

      Next on the agenda was Wuhou Temple area, and I must say, I enjoyed walking around there. It is a historical site that honors Shu Han Emperor Liu Bei and the strategist from the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang is known for winning several battles with clever tactics. For example, he once tricked the enemy into wasting 100,000 arrows on empty boats filled with straw figures to look like soldiers. On another occasion, recognizing he was outnumbered, he ordered a fort’s evacuation while he stayed behind. Known as a brilliant strategist, he played a stringed instrument confidently,