A hapless paddy on tour

/12/2005 The wake up call came at 7 and I clambered out of bed feeling tired but thankfully not too hung over. I called Conor who in turn called an English and Australian girl who had also decided to come. We grabbed a taxi and headed off to the reserve. The pandas were definitely worth the visit to Chengdu as you could get really close. If you wanted to hold one you had to pay 800Y. The Chinese will find a way of making money out of anything. We got chatting to one of the vets who was very friendly and informative. She said there were only 1400 pandas left in the world and that the center had 40. The panda is a curious creature in both its eating and mating habits. It only eats a certain type of bamboo and is very fussy about who its pairs off with . Unfortunately the center had only managed to breed one offspring this year which must be really disappointing for all who work at the center. After the panda reserve the 4 of us took a taxi to visit monastery just outside of chengdu. As we were all starving at this stage we decided to have a bite to eat before we headed in. The first restaurant we went to looked a little up market but we decided what the hell. That was until we spotted a rat running across the floor. we headed to the restaurant next door for a traditional hotpot. We ordered a varying selection of meats and vegetables. To our horror the lady came out with a plate of freshly chopped snake. This was promptly sent back to the kitchen much to the amusement of the staff. The meal was less than satisfying as most of the time we were picking out chicken claws and other parts of animals you would normally put in the bin. The monastery was interesting but I was beginning to feel a little templed out. I headed to the airport after the trip and took my flight to Lijang. I arrived in Lijang at around 10ish. I searched for about an hour for the guest house that Conor had recommended but I couldn’t find it. I settled for guest house in the old town and set out for a walk around the area. The old town was spectacular at night with its cobbled streets and red lanterns. I headed to a local bar for a few drinks and headed back to the hostel for 12.