Chengdu

We both needed a sleep after our horrible train journey to Chengdu. After the well deserved nap I felt reenergised to hit the shops, the global centre, the biggest (by mass) building in the world. The global centre has a water park,hotel,shops and restaurants all under one roof. It was massive. The only thing I was allowed to buy was a chocolate ice cream, mango smoothie and beef sizzler plate...no clothes. We spent the afternoon just wandering around this Asian super-building.

The next day was panda day! I have been so excited to visit Chengdu Panda sanctuary. We had been advised to get there early because that's when the pandas are at their most active and also because they are often taken inside in the afternoons if the weather is too hot (which it was). We definitely got there for the best bit. As soon as we got our tickets we dashed to the delivery suite. There were baby pandas in incubators and in a cot. Absolutely amazing! They are tiny, apparently 1/1000th of the size of a fully grown panda and born bald, blind and cannot walk until they are 6 months old. We then wandered around the park and saw panda cubs eating a bamboo breakfast, sleeping in the trees and even mischievously acting up when the rangers were calling them back into the enclosure. The full size adult ones are huge! They really are beautiful animals and would recommend a visit to the sanctuary to anyone.

We had the morning in the park and then needed to catch a 7 hour bus to Kangding. We have another night booked in Chengdu in a couple of days so will hopefully see more of this city then.