Due to bad weather, we arrived into Chengdu after midnight. Because we had no tour guide scheduled to meet us, we had to trust our taxi cab driver to successfully take us to our hotel. We drove and drove, and he finally let us off in a very dark and deserted city. We timidly walked through the empty streets until we found a very traditional-looking inn. Our hotel for the next few days, reminded me of my piano teacher's house. It even smelled a bit like it, too! It was like stepping through his mysterious foyer into the secret rooms in the back...
But, enough about the hotel.... Our main purpose for visiting Chengdu was to go to the panda reserve. We were told that it was best to arrive early. So, even though we were exhausted, we dragged ourselves out of bed to meet these adorable cuddlies.
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| Panda bear, panda bear, what do you see? I see you staring right back at me! |
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| Kung-fu Panda |
Not to be discriminatory, we visited the little red guys, too!
But the best part...
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| His bamboo stick was covered in honey, and when he finished licking it off, he would fling it and start squealing for more. |
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| Panda Vet -- for Allie! |
In Chengdu, we saw some other interesting sights including...
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| ...a gazillion koi! |
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| ...really spicy foods.. |
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| ...and artistic lollipops! |
Our last evening there, we had the chance to visit Elisabeth and Truman (the daughter and son-in-law of my pastor) and their two kids, who are living in Chengdu as tentmakers. After the babies went to bed, we enjoyed making action shots!
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| Kung-fu Christians |
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| Levitating |
