Retired Nomads Part 4: Chengdu, China - Wolong Panda Research Center & Chengdu Kuan-zhai Lane

Monday October 6 – PBI 7:24p to DFW 9:37p (2 hours layover) Depart DFW 10:55p

Tuesday October 7 – flying time

Wednesday October 8 – arrive HKG 4:35a Depart HKG 10:00a Arrive TFU 12:35p - check into Joyhub Cheer Hotel for 2 nights

The Joyhub Cheer was walking distance as it is located between the 2 terminals in the airport. We got settled a bit and went in search of food. We were surprised at how little English was spoken at the airport. We left the first restaurant when everything we ordered she told us it was too spicy and pointed to something else that we didn’t want. There honestly weren't many places to eat at the airport. We looked at Dairy Queen but only some weird hot dog looking thing and something on a bagel. Then we went to KFC in hopes of getting chicken. Only spicy chicken sandwich and chicken fingers. We got one of each. One lady was helping the English speakers and then she relayed the order to the cashier. There was a nice mini mart near the hotel where we could get ice cream bars and sodas.

Our AC was not working, and the toilet didn't flush well otherwise a nice hotel. They fixed both by our second night there. (they used Google Translate to talk to us)

room at Joyhub Cheer

Tomorrow, we have a tour of a Panda Research Center and the old neighborhood known as Kuan-zhai Lane.

Thursday October 9 – Wolong Panda Research Center & Chengdu Kuan-zhai Lane

Since Tom & Cathy hadn’t been to Chengdu, we decided to spend a day touring a Panda center and the old part of the city. We visited in 2017, and we were Panda Keepers for a Day at the Dujiangyan Panda Base. Check out the slide show from our day: https://youtu.be/gmUNF023oYw

I thought we were visiting the Panda Base closest to the city, but instead our guide Cecelia took us to The Wolong Gengda Panda Research Center. It is located in the Wolong Nature Reserve and is considered to be the real hometown of wild pandas. It was relocated to this location after the catastrophic 2008 earthquake. Open to the public in May 2016, the new Wolong Gengda Shenshuping Panda Research Center is a comprehensive base integrating scientific research, public education, captive breeding and the field training for the reintroduction program. There was a ton of traffic, and it took us 2.5 hours to get there. We stopped part way for a comfort break. There was also a light drizzle much of the way, but by the time we reached the pandas it had stopped, and we had a lovely warm day.

interesting sign at the rest stop

It was a loop around the area of the Pandas, and most were lounging or sleeping. Cecelia gave us all panda headbands to wear, and we had fun wearing them for our photo ops. (at least we girls did)

I was expecting to also see Red Pandas and babies, but the nursery was closed, and they have no Red Pandas there. The guide told me that the Panda Base closest to the city has both we could have seen. It was a nice breeding center and without them Pandas could easily go extinct. (short breeding window and females are picky)

After that we were taken for a traditional Tibetan Hot Pot experience. It was like fondu with meat and vegetables. We had fun and the food was really good. It was various forms of beef & vegetables with sesame oil garlic cilantro chili oil as garnishes. Cecelia bought us all Tibetan knots. Cathy and I attached ours to our purses but mine quickly broke. I still have Greg's to display.

restaurant

Cecelia

Hot Pot

the items we will cook arrived

condiments to dip our cooked items

the guide's camera had some weird colors going on

me loading up on condiments and Tom & Cathy checking them out

enjoying our lunch

back area of the restaurant

Cathy and I with stuffed pandas

Our next stop was Chengdu Kuan-zhai Lane which means Wide and Narrow Alley in Chinese. It is a part of the old city in Chengdu which has been restored and renovated. It was a glimpse of old Chengdu set amongst all the modern trappings of today's world.