A brief view of the Himalayas - Step back to Mainland China - hennaonthetrek

      One of the things I appreciate most about Asia, aside from the people and scenery, is the abundance of tuk tuks and rickshaws. In my hometown, they wouldn't be practical at all. But here, when you're too exhausted from all the walking (not me, but Toni in his new crocs), a tuk tuk is right there to pick you up. Looking for a mall? No problem, a rickshaw will appear beside you (we had an amazing day touring in India, all thanks to our driver). Need a ride to the airport? Tuk tuks are everywhere. Tomorrow, we'll be walking to the airport since our hotel is just across the street, but for now, I'm enjoying the view of the traffic outside my large windows, as you can see in the photo below. This is quite fitting, as my story will take us back to mainland China and Chengdu, known as the panda capital, with a panda picture on a billboard in the shot.

      Our flight from Lhasa to Chengdu was smooth, and both of us felt relieved to be back at a lower altitude. At the airport, we were welcomed by the wonderful Casey, one of the best tour guides we've ever had. We instantly connected, and our conversations flowed easily during our time together. She was also knowledgeable and provided great insights, which made her a fantastic guide. Initially, I hadn't planned to return to mainland China after Tibet, but due to the lack of direct flights from Lhasa to Kathmandu, it made sense to spend a few nights here if we needed to fly anyway. I'm very glad we did!

      On our first night, we didn't have any solid plans, so we decided to go for a walk. I had read about a tea place in People's Park and wanted to check it out. True to Chinese style, the park was bustling, so we skipped ordering tea. I should have realized that my image of the park was outdated. I envisioned a tranquil tea shop by the lake and tables for playing Mahjong, but it was anything but calm—there were people everywhere, and no Mahjong tiles in sight. I wasn't disappointed, although I may have been a little let down by my own expectations. I know better than to base my thoughts on history books that are decades old.

      We wandered around the park, watching people play card games and kick a large shuttlecock around, while boats floated on the lake and vendors offered everything from souvenirs to snacks. We tried some meat skewers that were delicious, along with some fried dough treats that were fantastic!

      On our way back to the hotel, we encountered 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 only full day in Chengdu, Casey would show us the city's famous Giant Pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, commonly known as the Panda Base. The base not only promotes tourism but also focuses on the study and well-being of these adorable animals. Have you ever seen videos of baby pandas with their caregivers? Imagine a fluffy little goofball trying to climb a tree when it can barely stay upright on the ground. Or clinging to a caregiver’s leg while they clean up after them—they certainly keep their humans busy! Did you know baby pandas have the same caregiver for life? That’s some serious job commitment!

      There’s so much to see in the area—it's so big that they have little buses to transport visitors around. In addition to giant pandas, there are red pandas, but the baby pandas were definitely my favorites!

      After visiting the Panda Base, Casey took us to Chunxi Road for some shopping. After a fruitless search for a new jacket (my zippers are acting up), we grabbed coffee, and I tried some berry skewers I had seen everywhere in China. I couldn’t choose just one, so I got both strawberry and grape, and the vendor kindly gave me a blueberry one to try for free! The berries are coated in glazed sugar, making them very sweet but tasty. I preferred the strawberry one!

      Next on our itinerary was the Wuhou Temple area. Even after repeating myself, I truly enjoyed wandering around there. It’s a historical site and not a religious memorial, honoring Shu Han Emperor Liu Bei and strategist Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms period. Zhuge Liang is known for winning several battles using clever tactics. Once, he tricked the enemy into wasting 100,000 arrows on empty boats filled with straw figures to resemble enemy troops. Another time, knowing he was outnumbered, he ordered a fort evacuation and stayed behind, playing a stringed instrument. The enemy thought he was so confident in victory that they fled without attacking.

      After visiting the Temple, we walked along Jinli Street, which was quite similar to places we had seen in Singapore (The Old Town) and Lin