Panda day

After a breakfast of hot chillied noodles with pickles on the side, we got a taxi to the pandas. The city is huge - it took 40 minutes to get there, at a total cost of £5. We paid that for 2 coffees here. Very strange.price comparisons with home.

The pandas were in a large area on a hillside. It meant the crowds were not too bad, though there were loads queuing for the little buses, and many more on foot. My ankle objected to the steep angle we walked at. There were several area, depending on the age of the pandas. In one large area we saw at least 6 happy together, but further on the older males had a section each as they are aggressive with each other. In some areas were a mother with 2 cubs. It was fun to watch them interact with each other almost like human toddlers frolicking. At one place a woman chatted. She was originally from Japan but now lives in USA and is besotted by the pandas. She knew all their names and how old they were, and visits twice a year!

There were also Red Pandas. They are a totally different species from the Giant pandas and were much more active, climbing the trees and running about.

By the time we left it had got really busy and the sun was out, making it quite hot. I had hoped to buy the children a book about pandas or a jigsaw, but they only sold soft toys which were very expensive. I had seen women wearing headbands with two panda ears on them, but they had none in the shop. I asked some young women who were wearing some where they got them, (I thought Ella would like them). The one who spoke English said it was from a shop outside. I thanked her and we moved in, only she caught up with us and said it would be a pleasure if I accepted hers as a gift. Typically I had nothing to give her, and I had intended to bring bits from home after we had been given little gifts in Japan.

Getting a taxi back was more of a mission. There were loads touting for business, all showing their deal on their phones. We said we wanted a meter and one guy said ok, but when we got in he said 80 yuan, so we got out as he wouldn’t negotiate. It isn’t a lot, but was almost twice what it cost to get there . A woman agreed 60 so we went back with her.

Unless Mr C goes out in search of some clothes, as his bag still hasn’t turned up, he’ll be wearing mine. KLM said 2 days ago it was on its way and they’d be in touch ‘soon’ about its arrival.