Train ride to Chengdu was interesting, 18 hours on a seat no sleeper this time! Slept on a off, and then I swear I have never been so bored. I did have a book, my ipod and a puzzle book but I was just to bored to think about picking them up! Can't remember any dates I'm afraid this time and I'm trying to do this quickly as there is not much time until we are heading out! Hostel in Chengdu was ok but the location was rubbish so today 3/2/09 we moved to the Dragon Town Guest House (on the net if anyone is interested in having a look) which is a much better location and has a market to walk down right outside. Still with the Aussie's just debating whether to go on a Yangtze river cruise, lots of pluses and minuses, lovely decision to be made there!
3/2
Went to the panda breeding centre in Chengdu this morning, we so cool seeing the pandas. They were so cute, we saw big ones and 2 year old ones. You could hold one of the little ones but it was 100 quid- so that was a big no! Lots of pitures, but the computers at this hostel are quicker but don't seem to have hard drives, so not to sure what is going on there, so unfortunately it means longer until I can upload some pictures. The wait will be worth it though!! Even if just for the panda pictures...
In a better located hostel now, and get 30% off at the posh cafe next door so just had dinner there- felt a bit underdressed in hoody and walking boots-but tough luck, that is all I have for the cold weather!! It is starting to warm up though thank goodness! We tried to get a taxi here from our old hostel to the new one but taxi drivers here seem to not like taking foreigners as they seem to think it won't be much of a fare-whatever, someone needs to help us!!!
So next up is either the original plan of Guilin and then Hong Kong or the river cruise and missing out Hong Kong. Justin, one of our newly acquired mates, is trying to research it now. He is the only one really doing anything, I'm talking to all of you and Michael and Ell are playing table football. Had a laugh last night the four of us playing ping pong! How we didn't break anything I will never know!! They had kittens and rabbits running around at the old hostel too, that was nice and this morning when we went back to get our laundry after the pandas, we found some chickens and some pigs, bit random!!
The hostel we were in was a nice room, with nets up to shut off the beds and we were pleased with our room but the Aussie's had a room with some loud Mongolians so they came and bunked in with us. We got woken up by some French people on 2/2 and this morning, 3/2 we woke up some Scottish people!!
Er..... I think that is all that has happened since the last update, doesn't sound much really does is but the 18 hour train ride kind of took over for a bit and determined a day of doing not much when we got there and getting up late the day after.
Hope to update again soon, oh yeah and I can't believe I'm missing real snow!!!!
xx
