After I checked in and ate some lunch (Sichuan food, of course), I booked the panda center tour for the next morning. Then I headed out to the nearby MixC Mall to visit the Apple Store. After a short bus ride, I was standing in front of one of the newest Apple Stores in China. It is quite a large store, but it was all on one floor, which made it seem different than other Apple Stores I have visited. Regardless, it was nice to be "home" and I checked off yet another Apple Store off the list.
My dinner was an authentic Sichuan hot pot dinner. My friend warned me that it would be spicy hot but I surprisingly was able to handle it. I have eaten food that was so blazingly hot that it felt that my tongue was on fire. But Sichuan food, albeit very hot, also had great flavor. It was probably one of the best hot pot dinners I had in China.
The next morning, the guide for the panda tour, picked me up at the hostel around 7:30 am. With another guest from the affiliated Mix Hostel, we arrived at the center as it opened. There was hardly anyone there and the pandas were just fed so it was great. The pandas were actively walking, playing, and eating. They are quite mesmerizing to watch and I could have watched them all day. Most of the pandas were in outside viewing areas that were very open and natural. The cute baby pandas were napping behind a glass window. All the pandas I saw seemed to be quite happy. I took many pictures with my phone as the next picture was always better than the previous one.
The center also exhibits red pandas. In one section, the red pandas actually walk in the same path as the visitors. It was a little startling at first because there are signs warning visitors that red pandas can be quite vicious if provoked. But no need for alarm. They were very cute and well -mannered. One panda put two feet up on my leg since he was curious in what I was retrieving from my bag. I couldn't capture this exciting moment because my phone battery had just run out of power. I was getting the backup battery from my bag, which attracted the red panda's attention. As we approached the exit, the crowds of people were at the gate. The timing of this tour was perfect.
I decided to eat dinner at the ancient Jinli Market, which is right next to the Wuhou Temple, which was hosting a temple fair. I actually stumbled upon Jinli and did not realize what it was until someone told me later. The market is like most Chinese markets with food vendors setup and you eat your way through, snacking on something here and then there. The Wuhou temple commemorates the time of Three Kingdoms, so the fair was centered all around that.
The next day I walked around the city. I visited the nearby popular pedestrian shopping mall on Chunxi Road. I walked by the central Tianfu Square and watched some dancers at Renmin Park. For dinner, I went to Wide and Narrow Alleys, ancient streets restored to Qing and Ming architecture, with upscale shops and food.
The next day, my friend took me to Luodai Ancient Town. This was a wonderful place with delicious food, friendly people, and a nice atmosphere. I thought it was much nicer than Jinli Market and much less touristy than Lijiang. There were many interesting shops and vendors with tasty foods. I had the best spicy tofu there and the local specialty, Brokenheart Cold Noodles, which was also quite good. I also wanted to have my name drawn by a local artist, but there was not enough time. I was leaving the next morning and I had to return to the hostel for my cooking lesson.
The cooking lesson was a big success. I learned how to cook two authentic Sichuan dishes, Twice-cooked pork and Mapo tofu. My teacher was the woman who prepared the delicious food at Flipflop Hostel. Richard, one of the hostel interns, was my interpreter. I thought my food was delicious!
Since it was the last night of my trip, I stayed local and I ended my trip with a walk along Chunxi Road. Back to good old Zhengzhou in the morning. Then classes start a week later. At least I have time to transition from this fantastic trip that started in Hong Kong, then to Yunnan Province, and ended in Chengdu.