Pandas, Buddhas and Monasteries…Oh My!

We continue our trek through China.  My attitude remains the same – not loving it, but trying to appreciate my time here.  My travel mates are a huge mood booster though. 

After staying overnight in Chengdu, we visited the Giant Panda Research Center.  We were able to see pandas of all different sizes including some playful Red Pandas.  Some of the girls on the trip paid to “hug” a panda and they got some really cute pictures.  On the way to the exit, there were TONS of schoolchildren who thought we were more interesting than the pandas!  They kept saying hello and waving and laughing.  It was pretty cute and amusing! 

We took a bus to Leshan where they have the largest Buddha in the world carved into the side of the cliff above a river.  We came in the easy entrance that brought us to the face of the Buddha.  You could then take a staircase down the cliff to his feet.  Bev and I decided to take the plunge and climb down and back up.  Needless to say, going down was pretty easy albeit steep but coming up about gave me a heart attack.  Thanks to Bev’s patience and sweetness we made it back up together.  It was a definite accomplishment for me from a physical standpoint. 

We ended our day at Emei Shan to stay the next two nights in a Buddhist monastery guesthouse.  Let’s just say it was very basic and we were only allowed one shower in 2 days.  Bev and I ended up bunking together while at the monastery because we just felt more comfortable having someone around at night.  It was very cold the first night and I slept in some clothes instead of my nightgown.  We woke up pretty miserable and it was raining.  I decided not to visit the mountain summit and go to the hot springs with a few others instead.  A few from our group were bad-asses and did some hiking.  It was a nice relaxing, enjoyable and warm way to spend the day. 

The next day we took a public bus for 7 hours to Chongquing to catch our Yangtze River cruise ship.  Let’s just say the bus was….interesting.  There was a guy with a bag dripping blood, a kid throwing up and a live duck in the luggage compartment.  Did I mention it was a 7 hour bus ride?  We finally got on the cruise ship for the next 3 nights.  It was an average boat – clean but aged and small.  We had some decent dinners and a few small get-togethers in our rooms.  We made our fun you could say. 

The first full day on the boat we visited Fengdu and the Temples of Heaven and Hell.  Again, this was a physical challenge for me with all the climbing which kind of got my spirits down.  This time Abby came to my rescue and hung with me to the top.  She cheered me on and took breaks with me.  What a sweetie!  I was glad I made it because the temples and statues were really cool.  Later, a night of karaoke and dancing on the boat allowed us to blow off a little steam. 

The next cruise day, we got on smaller boats and went up smaller tributaries of the Yangtze to see the scenery.  It was nice to get off the boat but the smaller cruise was a little long with Chinese commentary blaring from all the speakers for the entire journey. 

I am now sitting in the Wuhan train station waiting for our next…you guessed it…overnight train to Yangshuo.  I am not feeling 100% - I have a bit of a sore throat but I will survive 6 more days.  I am anxiously looking forward to coming home and seeing my family, friends and my sweet KC Mae! 

In some other news, I think I have decided NOT to move to Chicago right now.  I am thinking of giving Des Moines more of a chance.  My condo is rented for 6 months and I just found out that I have temp job with the Palmer Group when I return.  This will give me some time to figure out where I want to live and find a long term job.   I am sure some of you are booing and others are now cheering after reading this paragraph! =)  This trip has given me some perspective and I think I need more time to consider my options before making a big move. 

That’s all for now!  ‘Til next time!