Chengdu

We arrived at our hotel and it was very traditional but basic. My bed was as hard as a rock!! It was quite cool because there was a football table. The staff were really kind, helpful and caring, because they helped my Dad work out where to go while we were there. The street we were staying on was lit up with fairy lights and had big dragon statues outside their doors and the pavements were all engraved with Chinese art. It was magical.

We went out for dinner at a restaurant the hotel recommended. My Dad said it was the worst meal he ever had! They serve the chicken on the bone and there was no chicken on it! I didn't like it because the noodles I had were way too spicy! But..... We were in the Sichuan province! 

Chengdu panda research centre

Today we went to a Giant Panda research centre where we saw Baby giant Pandas and Adult giant Pandas. They were very cute and funny.

Three month old Pandas

They just ate and slept! We saw a panda that inspired the 2008 Olympic mascot and 2 pandas that shared the same birthday as my little sister Aoife! At the end we went to the best toilets I've ever seen and they had a whole keypad full of controls from a bum warmer to a bum dryer!!

Today we went on a 210mph bullet train to Chongqing, which is a very big city. I felt really claustrophobic because all the buildings were built really close together on a steep slope. We went off on one of our normal adventures down backstreets and markets to a mad area like a crammed warehouse where they sold all the zips and buttons which are sent to clothes makers.

Cable car over the Yangtse

It was great to adventure there but it is the first time we all felt uncomfortable as we were also being stalked by hawkers who followed us for nearly an hour trying to sell us a boat trip. There was three of them. Dad just kept us close and kept repeating we were not interested.

We went on a huge cable car across the river Yangtze, I saw very poor houses. I wouldn't want to go back there as it was quite unfriendly.

For dinner we went to a place a bit like UU cook but a bit less hectic and the food quality was higher. They gave us a book written by the owner.

The restaurant serve some pots in the middle of the table and you then decide how long to cook your fish, prawns, meet and vegetables. You decide your own base sauce and then make your own dipping sauce by mixing all the different seeds and sauces on the buffet table. It is a very sociable way to have dinner.