Friday was a nice day out with friends after which i headed with Tara to the Terracotta Warriors Exhibition. We finally got to see the exhibition after talking about going for weeks. However, sadly, the exhibition left me utterly frustrated at the great lengths the Emperor took to ensure he enjoyed his 'afterlife'.
First Alex, Leon, Tara and I had a late lunch at this Japanese place, awesome Wagyu beef:
FOOD:
TARA TARA TARA TARA TARA! Typical ;)
Asian Civilization Museum - Terracotta Warriors Exhibition:
The Terracotta Warriors Exhibition:
We stopped at Cavenagh Bridge before and after visiting the museum:
China Day 2 was a day where we got to experience the Panda conservation centre as tourists...the day started early as we had a 2-3hr bus ride to Ya'an. After checking in to our (awesome) hotel, we left for Bi Feng Xia Gorge where the panda centre was. We toured around it then left for dinner a few blocks from our hotel. We had an hour of shopping time after dinner at this place that looked like a temple. It was actually a shopping centre with rows of shops selling lots of clothes/accessories. A busy day, moving from one place to the other, but definitely one of the more relaxing days cos we had no work!
The Chengdu hotel we stayed in on the first and last night
Good Morning! Rise and Shine! (Was waiting for Alma to get out of the bathroom & i had nothing to do)
Bus journey to Ya'an
Ms P playing Scrabble w Mr Homewood
AFTER A LONG JOURNEY, WE FINALLY REACHED YA'AN!
ON THE WAY TO BI FENG XIA GORGE:
THE JOURNEY FROM OUR HOTEL TO THE CENTRE USUALLY TAKES 20 MINS. HOWEVER, A CAR BROKE DOWN HALTING TRAFFIC ON THE WAY TO THE CENTRE. WHAT MADE IT WORSE WAS THAT A LARGE TRUCK WAS COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION! WE WERE STUCK FOR ABT 15 MINS BEFORE THEY MANAGED TO GET THE CAR MOVING, AFTER WHICH THE TRUCK HAD TO SQUEEZE THROUGH, BEFORE WE COULD MOVE.
Can you spot Mary (our guide) ?
EVERY TIME THE BUS DRIVER HIT A TURN (LIKE EVERY 30 SECS!) , HE WOULD HONK REALLY LOUD TO WARN CARS COMING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION...IT TOOK SOME GETTING USED TO.
We made it!
Val playing w a puppy that belongs to one of the local people staying in the vicinity. Sadly it's tied to a tree everyday so that it doesn't run away...but it was such a happy & healhy puppy nevertheless.
SHOUT OUT: CONGRATS ALMA FOR OVERCOMING YOUR FEAR OF DOGS BY DARING TO TOUCH THE PUPPY! DON'T YOU MISS IT NOW? :)
WE HAD LUNCH EVERYDAY IN THE VICINITY OF THE CENTRE...IT WAS REALLY REALLY GOOD & WE GOT TO CHOOSE OUR FAV DISHES THAT WE WANTED THEM TO COOK FOR US THE FOLLOWING DAY!
FAV DISH EVER!!!! BEEF MEATBALLS & POTATOES W SPICES
Panda in the tree!!!!
A cat that hangs around in the panda enclosure everyday....apparently Pandas are carnivorous?
MY FAV PICTURE
OFF FOR DINNER AT A STEAMBOAT PLACE....LOVED THE FOOD:
i see Henry (our other guide) at the back!
The steamboat place
I wanted to take a pic of the workshop (in the background) but this guy, like everyone in Ya'an, refused to stop staring at us. So i had no choice but to put him in the picture.
AFTER DINNER, WE HEADED TO THIS 'TEMPLE' LOOKING PLACE WHICH HAD SHOPS IN IT...IT WAS JUST NEXT TO OUR HOTEL:
