Unfortunately we had to ready to go at 815 am. The panda preserve and the city of Ya’an was a 2 hour drive from our hotel in Pixian. So much for sleeping in! We also noticed that curiously all our left calves were sore from the hike. Odd that it was just the left for all of us. On the drive there, General Dave, Paula and Jesse all dozed. I was not lucky. I am way too big to get comfortable in the back of the Mistubishi Prado we were in. It is just your standard SUV, and I don’t think was really meant to have all 3 of us in the back. So l listened to music. The driver passed our turn off, but only went down the road a couple minutes before figuring it out.
Our first stop was the city of Ya’an and a trip to the hospital there. Hospital tours were becoming a mainstay on this trip. This hospital was much older and much busier than any one we had been to so far. There was a code going on right when we got there, but unfortunately we were not allowed to watch. People were everywhere. We went up a few floors and they had sick people in chairs in hallways because of the limited space. The hospital was designed with 800 beds, and they get over 1200 people at a time. We were now experience the mass amounts of Chinese people. During our tour, a very high ranking official within the Communist government came to meet us. There were cameras and a news van there for the event. Paparazzi! In that moment, we knew we had made it. We were celebrities! Well, at least in China. What we were doing for the Chinese people in giving them these ‘western’ classes was a very big deal. However, it doesn’t make being away from home any easier. When I shook the hand of one of the hospital directors, the first thing he said was not ni hao or nice to meet you or anything like that. He simply told Jesse I was a handsome man. Our driver laughed and said ‘Battier’. A couple more laughs and some stares came my way. Such a strange feeling.
Then our hosts took us to perhaps the most beautiful restaurant any of us had been to. It is a very famous one, and it is frequented by the high class, government officials and Chinese celebrities. We lead a privileged life here. We were also invited to come back and stay a couple of days. All of the food was grown locally and several of the dishes had no seasoning in them, just the pure, unadulterated flavor as nature intended. Nature did a pretty good job. There was wine and toasts, but Jesse had told them in the US we don’t drink a lot during lunch. So I think maybe a glass of wine each during lunch. Very tame and the wine was a perfect complement to the food. It was then off to the panda preserve of Bi Feng Xia. Pretty famous place for pandas. Largest panda exhibit in the world.
We also had an escort. It was a black Audi A6 with tinted windows. Typically the people in these cars are very important. The panda preserve was located within a zoo, and we were asked if we wanted to see lions and tigers. No, we were there to see the bears, oh my! (I couldn’t resist) I don’t really understand the panda bear. It’s smaller than a real bear, only eats bamboo and is so ridiculously cute it’s hard to think of it as a bear. There was one bear who was 20 feet up in a tree straddling a branch and dead asleep. To me, a branch in the middle of the crotch is by no means comfortable, but apparently it is for a panda. It was quite a site! What was the show stealer was the panda kindergarten. Obviously these were baby pandas. I thought Paula was going to jump the wall so she could go cuddle one of them! If it not for legal reasons, I might have joined her! The way they look fools you into thinking they could not hurt anything! But they are bears, and their claws are nothing to scoff at. Thankfully the pink camera that Jenn sent with me has a pretty good zoom on it, and I was able to capture their faces close up. An absolutely amazing sight. We counted at least 10 baby pandas. Definitely an unforgettable moment for all of us. It was also fun to hear Paula squeal like a school girl at first sight of the pandas! Watching them eat the bamboo was mesmerizing. On a lighter side, I think we saw the most acrobatic way to pee that can happen. A panda backed up to a building and started climbing up backwards, then with its hind end all up in the air emptied its bladder. Very strange sight. It was as if it was marking territory and doing it by saying that it could win a gold medal in gymnastics.
There was another interesting moment that didn’t concern the animals. I had gone into a booth to look for souvenirs. I came out to get Jesse to translate for me and everyone was gone. I went to where they were, but they weren’t there. I shot a glance towards the parking lot and saw the black Audi backing out, followed by the 120 SUV we were in. Were they leaving me? I hustled over there and they saw me and did in fact stop. Apparently Paula and General Dave were lost in Paula’s phone and everyone else didn’t notice. Paula was trying to tell them when they got in the car, but I guess they didn’t hear. I suppose if they had left, they would have come back so there was no need to panic or get upset. Although I wonder how long it would have taken them?!?
The day didn’t end there. The town of Bifengxia was next. It was a small town, but was gorgeous. Nestled right into among the mountains, it was what you picture when you think of Chinese mountain towns. It has a little river running right through it, and it provided for one of the best pictures I have ever taken. The bridge reflected off the river perfectly and created a circle. If there wasn’t anyone on the bridge it would have been perfect. Our hosts also bought us (we haven’t paid for anything outside of souvenirs when out with any of our hosts) some sesame/rice candy. It looked like rice krispies treats, but not marshmallowy. There were peanuts in them, and they were delicious. As a matter of fact, I am eating one of them right now, make that two! So this town was all about scenery and ambience. It was exactly what we needed to see. We all agreed that we could spend a week in Ya’an and Befengxia. The mountains were the place to be in China. Forget all the craziness of Chengdu and Beijing! Serenity now!
On the drive back I did doze off, but woke up with a stiff neck. I won’t make that mistake again. But then again, we won’t be taking any more 2 ½ hour car rides anymore! As if to round out the day nicely, Britney was played on the radio here. At least that is what I was told. I was asleep at the time. Boo.
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