Chengdu how-do-you-do

#1. I used to think that a job which allows me to fly here there everywhere is da bomb. I'll be one of them with a jet-set lifestyle, hopping to different capital cities in different continents every month. Oh, the places I would visit, the people that I would meet, the stories I would tell (and the envious stares back home I wouldn't mind getting)! Glamour aside, travelling for work is basically just that, for work. And it's tiring.


#2. Everything else aside, being above the clouds still takes my breath away. When I look up, all I can see is a blue as deep as the ocean, and I imagined it blending with black, like watercolour art, as it merges with the darkness of outer space.


#3. Airasia’s on-flight meal is really tak glamourous langsung. All I got was that box of chicken rice; no appetizers, no desserts, not even some water to wet my lips. But, it’s one of the better plane food I’ve had, even better than MAS’s chicken or fish.


#4. We touched down around 6pm. It was really foggy in Chengdu (and apparently it remains so pretty much throughout the year, with about 10 days of sunny not-so-foggy weather) so it’s no surprise that flights to/from Chengdu are frequently delayed. I've experienced it before. Above are not just random people but, random people dancing in the street, a common sight in China.


#5. For dinner, we went exploring at 宽窄巷子 (literally: wide narrow alley) or China Lane. It's a collection of restaurants, bars, retail shops and even a B&B housed in renovated/refurbished traditional mini courtyards. While some of those buildings look really old and deserted and creepy, I read somewhere that they're mostly newly built.


#6. Grand entrance to a restaurant. Like a traditional Chinese courtyard, it opens up to a square space in the middle with adjoining buildings along the 3 sides. Since this is a restaurant, table and chairs were set up in the middle court for those who prefer al-fresco dining.


#7. Pretty cool Starbucks. Looks traditional from the front, but totally white, square and modern at the back :)


#8. Next morning we flew into Panzhihua. The airport is quite special in that it's located on a hill or mountain and thus has a short runway, and it only service flights to/from Chengdu. As you can see, the plane is parked just behind the terminal. We saw them unloading our luggage and we reckon it would've been faster for us to just grab it from the carts instead of waiting for it to get on the conveyor.


#9. I’ve not taken a good look at Panzhihua before mainly because I usually sleep during the journey, hehe. It's not a touristy place and the environment's rather dusty and dry. Mountains are brown and tree-less, something I find... strange. But on the way down from the airport that day, we saw this breathtaking landscape of endless mountains and valleys.


#10. That’s the airport. I reckon it must be the only one in the world at such an altitude.


#11. Huaping is where we're at again. This is the town taken from the roof. My mum thought it looks like some Italian village. I thought it looks more like Hanoi, without the mountain range :)


#12. Biggest shopping complex in Huaping consist of several stall operators selling handphones and jewellery and a supermarket...


#13. Where one can find Lays of all flavours! – lime, cucumber, blueberry , spicy Sichuan, braised pork, roasted chicken, etc. The fruit flavours are interesting but I'll go with any of the meat flavours anyday.


#14. We had barbeque for supper that night. Barbeques are especially popular during winter time coz the heat from the food and fire instantly warms you up. We wanted small portions of everything we ordered but they came in huge bowls. The chicken itself was about 6.6 kati (one kati = about 600g) and for that alone they charged us 250 yuan! It's more expensive than a nice roasted chicken at a good and famous restaurant in Shanghai. Kena conned big time.


#15. This is an elevator mat. It's changed daily to reflect the day of the week. I can't fathom why they do it save for to remind people what day it is. It's a China thing.


#16. Is it a hidden Mickey??


#17. It's a panda! On our last day in Chengdu, we had a chance to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. It's about an hour away from Chengdu town and it's an absolute must-see coz pandas are sooooo cuteeeee.


#18. The first panda we saw was a sleeping one. To be fair, this is not a lazy panda as they sleep most of the time. Conserve energy and what nots.


#19. This is a tooooo cuteeeee red panda, also an endangered species. There were about 6 or 7 in that enclosure and the park keepers were trying to capture them, for some reason. Those buggers were treading slowly but their dodging techniques are first class. They're also very good tree climbers.


#20. Where the park keepers were not kacau-ing them, they were chomping non-stop without a care in the world. I suspect red pandas are native to China. Look at those Chinese eyes, haha.


#21. Sleeping with their paws dangling, haha.


#22. Sleeping with their butts facing passing visitors, haha.


#23. Ah, finally, a non-sleeping one. He/she was chomping while lying on its back, so relax can.


#24. Tulips of all colours. No need go Holland to see!


#25. This is a young adult panda. They're super active and chomp a lot. We got lucky coz it was feeding time when we visited ^__^


#26. So that's why they're all awake and chomping! Pandas have an artificial thumb that enables them to hold bamboos with one hand/paw while they eat. Like a monkey! Or you and me! :)


#27. Chomp chomp chomp.


#28. My favourite panda picture of the day!


#29. The caption is so cute, hey.


#30. Young adult pandas having some fun time.


#31. After all that cuteness overload, we head over to Jinli Street for some shopping. Jinli Street is similar to China Lane, except 3 or 4 times the size. From the Travel China Guide portal, "it is recorded that as early as the Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC), Jinli Street was the most famous place for baldachin - a rich, ornate cloth. And it was one of the busiest commercial streets during the Shu Kingdom (221-263). Hence, it is known as 'First Street of the Shu Kingdom'."


#32. I also read somewhere that Jinli was constructed around 2003/2004. I really don't know where is the truth but I like the idea of walking down an old trading street. Since Chinese New Year is just around the corner, there's a festive feel to the place with all the lanterns and stuff.


#33. Nearing the end of the maze is a long stretch of tea houses and street food. They're by far not cheap at all but it's a good way to sample Sichuan fare. For extra kick, give your skewered meat a dust of chili powder. It's soooo good in the cold weather.


#34. Wishes for good health, good luck and wealth hung on branches.


#35. When night came, the area was aglow with soft orange and red lights. That's how they do it in the olden days before Thomas Edison invented the light bulb. I was told a poem was written onto the lantern. My Chinese language knowledge obviously very lacking here, hehe.


#36. Making the dragon beard candy. It started out with one huge ring of warm sugar and he stretched it multiple times until the sugar become fine threads. It's like making lā miàn except he used sugar instead of flour. Geddit? It's the best dragon beard candy I've tasted! Those packaged ones sold in supermarkets just does not do it justice.


#37. The 23:55 flight out of Chengdu, also the only international flight that night. Bye-bye Chengdu.