Chengdu's Spring Festival

　　without any reservations, we chance an early rise and head for the airport to get the 8:50 flight to Kunming where we began. There we learn the next available flight to Chengdu is not until late afternoon.

　　We cab to Kunming University and hang around to read. For lunch we go to Dico’s, a chicken chain by Cuihu Park. After lunch we enter the park and read some more. We go back to the airport for a very bumpy flight. Chengdu is the capital of Si (four) Chuan (rivers), the most populous but perhaps most fertile province with its abundant flora. We take the bus to downtown Chengdu, where we roam around fending off various pu hustlers who mob us, eventually treating ourselves to a decent hotel.

　　The flush toilet and tub make the price worthwhile. It is evening but it’s been a long day so I nap. Late, we head out and get a pedi-cab to take us to the famous Chengdu Restaurant but she takes us to the famous Chengdu Hotel instead; by the time we find it, it’s closed anyway. We wander the street markets until we stumble onto an outside hotpot restaurant. At Beer City, we negotiate a two-fer entry price. Half a dozen guys at the next table have been taking advantage of the unlimited free beer and keep coming over. After a couple of entertainers, the dance floor opens up. Monday morning, James – a senior at the local tourism high school – meets us to show us around.

　　The poet Du Fu is considered China’s Shakespeare so we visit the thatched cottage where he lived and worked. From there we walk through the street market to a trolley car which takes us along the river until it scrapes a cab. We get out and walk a bit then take a cab to the Chengdu Restaurant (again!) to sample the local hot cuisine. We take a cab to the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base and stroll around a bit watching the playing pandas. A pedi-cab takes us to the zoo where we get a cab to Renmin Park. After some strolling, we stop at the teahouse by the lake which is the oldest in Chengdu. We walk back to the hotel and Debbie gets a takeout at Dico’s while I nap. A couple of hours later we reverse roles, so I wander to a local pub for a cheeseburger and brew and briefly check my e-mail.